by Jayci Lee
Hang on a second.
Landon must have brought in her blankets to use last night, but she certainly didn’t have enough to make a mountain. Aubrey scooted over on her bottom and peeked under the mound. Landon was curled up in a ball, wearing his socks, parka, and hood. Oh no. The jumble of throws was no match against the freezing temperature.
Curious to see if he was alive under there, she prodded his side with her toes. When he didn’t budge, she knelt beside him and searched for his buried face. Faster than she could screech, he pinned her under him.
“Sleep well?” he growled.
“Umm.” She cleared her throat, her heart pitter-pattering. “It got a little colder than I’d expected. Were you okay?”
“Yeah. Sure. The only part of my body I can feel are my jaws, thanks to my chattering teeth, but otherwise, I’m swell.”
“I told you we shouldn’t camp without proper gear.” She reached out and put her hand on his cheek. His eyes widened, but she was too distracted to feel self-conscious. “Okay. Let’s thaw you out.”
Aubrey climbed over him and burrowed into the blankets. Landon stiffened, which was impressive for a block of ice. Without allowing herself to ponder his reaction, she pressed herself against his broad back and wrapped her arms around his waist. He was much too tall for her to spoon properly, but it would do. She buried her nose in the crook of his neck and tucked her hands inside his parka, flattening them across his chest.
“What are you doing, Aubrey?” His husky question rumbled against her palms.
Getting revenge? He’d succeeded in getting her hot and bothered the night before. He deserved a generous sample of sexual frustration. Aubrey grinned with devious delight. But no. She’d hardly planned this—for revenge or otherwise. He was freezing, and she wanted to share her warmth. Like a Saint Bernard but without the mini-keg of whiskey.
After a while, the tension ebbed out of his back. She breathed him in and sighed into his neck. He smelled delicious—all man, wood, and fire. Landon dug his hands into his jacket, clasping them over hers. Aubrey squeaked at the cold touch, but he tightened his grip and pulled her closer.
He thawed in her arms, and she melted against him. Aubrey refused to analyze the warmth and security the moment wrought. Happy was too simplistic a word to describe what she felt, but maybe happiness was meant to be this overwhelming.
Her smile slipped when Landon shifted and she found herself blinking into his eyes. Before she could figure out what was happening, he grasped the back of her knee and drew her leg over his hip. His hard length pressed against her stomach, and her breath caught in her throat.
He stared at her with undisguised desire, and her insides tightened in response. But when he lowered his face toward hers, her mind filled with a fog of confusion. Aubrey startled and placed her hands on his chest, but couldn’t quiet summon the will to push him away.
“Don’t,” she whispered, sounding as unsure as she felt.
Landon stopped with his lips only an inch from hers. Reckless desire gripped his features, but he slackened his hold, giving her the choice to break contact. Seconds ticked by in slow motion, and she teetered on the edge of giving in. He lay absolutely still as her eyes darted across his face, her indecision pushing toward panic.
Releasing a shuddering sigh, he kissed the top of her head and gently set her away from him. Then he pushed himself off the ground and walked out of the tent without a backward glance.
* * *
The lighthearted mood they’d shared the night before evaporated in the morning sun. They packed up early and left for their journey to Bosque Verde. The silence in the car smothered Landon like a thick blanket, heavy and suffocating. Time dragged as if it were wading through thick batter. The three-hour drive would feel like a decade if they kept this up.
Aubrey had been polite but quiet all morning, and he played along with the make-believe that nothing had happened in the tent. It was technically true. Nothing irreversible had happened. Keep telling yourself that, and maybe you can convince yourself that you’re not screwed.
Landon pretended to give the highway his undivided attention. He lounged in his seat, pushed far back to accommodate his height, and rested one hand lightly on the steering wheel. He was the picture of relaxation except for the muscle in his jaw that had been ticking nonstop for the last forty miles.
He stole a sideways glance at Aubrey, who was busy wringing her hands and worrying her lips raw. His efforts to appear nonchalant were overkill. She was lost in her thoughts and wasn’t even aware of his existence. He wanted to hold her hands still and swipe his thumb across her bruised lips. Landon doubted she’d appreciate his ministrations when she was so skittish around him.
It hit him that he had to spend weeks working with the irresistible woman and he had to resist her at all costs. And if this morning was any indication, he was in serious trouble. With their careers on the line, he had to get his shit together. He refused to tarnish Aubrey’s professional reputation. His plan was about righting mistakes, not creating more. His lack of control was unacceptable. But his chances of success were so bleak, it would be funny if the cost of failure weren’t so high.
“This looks brand new.” She broke the silence so suddenly, Landon shot her a surprised glance. He raised an eyebrow—because he didn’t think he could speak without his voice breaking—then returned his gaze to the windshield. He hoped she thought he was being aloof, not nervous enough for his knees to knock together. “The Alfa Romeo. Is it new?”
“Yes.”
“What happened to your old car?”
“My old car?”
“Yeah, the one that blew a tire on the freeway?”
“Oh, that was my editor Craig’s car.” Landon shrugged. “I haven’t owned a car for almost ten years.”
“Really?” Aubrey stared at him with her nose crinkled. “Why? How did you survive in California without a car?”
“I travel eight months a year for work. It didn’t make sense for me to buy one only to have it sit in the garage.”
Aubrey nodded as though digesting the new information. “Then why did you get this one?”
“I changed my mind. It’s a damn nuisance not to have a car for the four months I’m home.” Landon smiled a little, ridiculously flattered by her attention.
“So true,” she said, her expression earnest. “And it only took you ten years to figure that out. No wonder you’re so successful.”
He burst out laughing so hard his seat belt locked and restrained him from bumping his head on the steering wheel. She grinned at his reaction, relaxing for the first time all day. They shared a brief, less stifling silence as the scenery changed outside the car.
“Maybe you want to come home,” she murmured almost to herself.
Landon glanced at her before answering glibly, “I am thirty-four. I guess it won’t hurt to embrace stability.”
“Are you sure you’re up for it?” Mischief glittered in her silver eyes.
She’s fucking adorable.
“Well, let me know if you ever need any advice.”
“You want me to ask you for advice about adulting?” he said, not bothering to hide his grin. “What are you? All of twenty-three?”
“Why do people get uppity about being older than somebody? Is aging a personal accomplishment?” Her tone chilled by ten degrees. “I’m actually twenty-seven, and I have plenty of advice for someone like you.”
“Someone like me? How do you figure?”
“A man who gallivanted around the world for a decade without so much as a car waiting for him. I’d say you’ve been living in never-never land.”
“So I’m Peter Pan and you’re Wendy, all grown up?” He forced out a strained chuckle to hide his unease. Her teasing had hit too close to home.
“Precisely.”
“Well, you must’ve collected some crazy anecdotes in your long life.”
“Oh yes. Especially from the good ol’ days.” She patted his should
er, empathy oozing from her solicitous frown. “I’m here for you, kid. Anytime. Just ask.”
8
The sound of Landon’s deep, rich laughter lifted the weight that had been crushing Aubrey’s chest. Optimism lifted her spirits. Maybe he and I could be friends. Yes, he’d been her hot one-night stand and her mortal enemy, but now could he be an ally? A friend? With the first third of her compensation, Aubrey had paid her general contractor to get Comfort Zone’s expansion on track. He resumed the renovations and would obtain the necessary permits once all the appliances were installed. If Landon was right, the TV appearance would bury the negative review and bring more customers than she’d lost. It was hard to be enemies with a man who was hell-bent on helping her.
Spending time in the wine country to create new recipes sounded like a dream. Her portion of the filming would only last about a week at the end of her stay, so she wasn’t going to worry about that too much. If she could forget about her infatuation with Landon, she would have an amazing time at Bosque Verde. As simple as that. Once they became friends, everything would be wonderful.
To start off Operation Friendship on the right step, Aubrey turned and smiled brightly at Landon. He returned her smile, briefly taking his eyes off the road. There. That wasn’t so hard, right?
They drove in sufficiently comfortable silence, only stopping once for an In-N-Out Burger and restroom break. Her animal-style cheeseburger—with extra melted cheese, grilled onions, pickles, and dressing—was messy, juicy heaven. Their conversation was on the bland side but not too weird. Comfortable was good. Bland was great. All she’d needed was a game plan and a positive attitude.
Once they were back on the road, Aubrey was surprised at how quickly the rest of their drive went. The streets leading up to the hills grew narrower and narrower until Landon turned onto a nameless dirt road.
“We’re almost there,” he said, glancing briefly at her.
They were halfway up the long, curvy road before she spotted the gorgeous hacienda sitting on the hilltop like a bright, sun-drenched haven. She couldn’t look away from it. When they pulled into the driveway, there was a silver Land Rover parked out front.
“Here we are,” Landon announced unnecessarily and unfurled his long frame from the car. Aubrey was still admiring the stunning villa when he opened the door for her. “I’ll get your bags and meet you at the door.”
Too tired to object, Aubrey murmured her thanks and made her way to the entrance. She raised her hand to knock, but the door swung open before her knuckles reached their target. Her hand still poised midair, she blinked as her eyes adjusted to the relative darkness of the interior.
“Please come in,” a handsome silver-haired man with a slight French accent urged. “You must be Aubrey.”
She only had time to smile her thanks when Landon called out from behind, “Lucien, I hope we didn’t keep you waiting too long.”
“No, no. Not at all. I got here only a few minutes ago.” Lucien pumped Landon’s hand and slapped his back enthusiastically. The bro hug. “It’s good to see you, my friend.”
“It’s been too long.” Landon craned his neck and surveyed the villa. “Where’s Aria?”
“Come,” his friend said without answering Landon’s question. “Let me show you to your rooms.”
Rooms? The men walked ahead of Aubrey, speaking in lowered voices to each other, leaving Aubrey free to gawk at the beautiful interior of the house. Everything in it was obviously expensive, but it still felt rustic and welcoming with a cream, yellow, and brick-red interior.
Their voices remained muted, but the conversation grew fast and heated. Landon nearly knocked a ceramic vase off a side table, gesturing with hands full of her luggage. They were whisper-screaming, so Aubrey couldn’t make out what was being said, but Landon looked murderous. A mountainous cactus sporting head-to-toe spikes would shrivel at his expression. Lucien improbably maintained an air of sophisticated ennui while facing his friend’s fury.
At the top of the stairs, they turned into a wide hallway. She stole a peek at the nearest suite with a spacious bedroom, attached bathroom, and private balcony. Landon’s broad shoulders rose and fell in a sigh as though preparing for an unpleasant task. He turned in slow motion to face her, and she got the awful feeling that the unpleasantness somehow involved her. Lucien shrugged apologetically and strode a few steps away.
“You could pick,” Landon offered after a cursory look around. “Both suites are on this floor. I don’t have a preference.”
“What?”
Aubrey glared mutely at Landon, who dropped her bags and mussed his hair with both hands like he was trying to shake out a spider.
“Look, Aubrey. I don’t like the situation any better than you do. It isn’t how I’d planned our lodgings, but there’s nothing I could do about it at this point. We’re two reasonable adults. I’m sure we can share a three-thousand-square-foot villa without trampling each other.”
“Reasonable adults? Sure. Why not?” She threw her hands out and nearly smacked Lucien, who’d quietly joined them again in the face. She was too worked up to stop and apologize. “We were perfectly reasonable during our campout, so this protracted living situation shouldn’t be a problem at all.”
Landon lifted his index finger and opened his mouth as if to argue and then wisely closed it. That’s right, buster. He had nothing to say because she was right. He frowned instead, so she frowned back at him. They pretended they hadn’t almost kissed, multiple times, in the mountains, because they weren’t supposed to be in such close quarters again. But they were wrong. They were going to share a private villa for at least three freaking weeks. Just the two of them. With complete privacy. How can he stand there and bullshit me about being reasonable adults?
When the stare-off continued, Lucien cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, Aubrey. I’m afraid it’s all my fault. My other villa became unexpectedly occupied.”
“And by ‘unexpectedly occupied,’ he means Aria asked if she could stay in his villa, and he said yes, rolling over for a tummy rub.” Landon snorted rudely, his anger subdued but close to the surface. “You promised that room to me, Lucien. Sure, Aria is, well, Aria, but damn it, man. You can’t just give her everything she wants. Especially when you won’t give her—”
“Aria had legitimate concerns about sharing this villa with Aubrey,” Lucien interrupted with an icy mask that rivaled Landon’s furious face on the terror-inducement scale. Aubrey might have made some noise at his statement, because he rushed to clarify, “Concerns about sharing the kitchen. She wants Aubrey to have unfettered access to the kitchen. It makes sense for each of them to have their own practice kitchen, so they don’t need to worry about inconveniencing each other.”
“What about inconveniencing us?” Landon waved his hand from himself to Lucien.
“Us? Who cares about us pushovers?” Lucien chuckled and then his smile turned sly. “If it would make you feel more comfortable, I’d be happy to switch places with you.”
“Fuck you,” he said glumly.
Ha ha. They were so fucking funny. What an adorable bromance. Seething, Aubrey raised her eyes to the ceiling and counted to ten. This is happening. I’m going to be roommates with Landon for the next three weeks. Her shoulders rose and dropped with a sigh of doom.
“I have dibs on the best room. Which one is it?”
“Well, if I were you, I’d pick the one farther down the hall.” Lucien’s voice was warm and sincere. “The patio faces the woods, and on some mornings, you can see visiting deer and rabbits.”
“Thank you.” Aubrey managed a small smile. “That sounds lovely.”
“Not as lovely as you.” Lucien bent to kiss her hand, and Aubrey blushed with shy pleasure.
“Even after thirty years in the States, we can’t seem to knock the French ways out of you.” Landon casually pulled Aubrey’s hand free and led her down the hall to her room.
“Couldn’t you find someplace else?” Outside of their ho
st’s earshot, Aubrey made a last-ditch effort to preserve her sanity.
“I could go back out after the three-hour drive and find myself a roach motel, but do you really think it’s reasonable for me to do that when there’s an open suite in my friend’s villa?”
“Can’t you at least sleep downstairs?”
“On the sofa?”
She felt a twinge of guilt. “Yes.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
His answer efficiently extinguished her guilt. “Why? It’s huge. Two people could sleep on it.”
“I sleep naked. Are you sure you want to walk down the stairs to find me sleeping on the sofa?”
Aubrey gasped, and her eyes nearly crossed as her brain flashed one sinful image of naked Landon after another. “No.”
“I agree. It doesn’t seem very professional.” He dimpled at her.
Stupid. Evil. Dimple.
“I really should stay with the rest of the crew.”
“They’re staying at an inn near the schoolhouse. Unfortunately, they don’t offer a full kitchen. You still need a kitchen to work on your recipes, correct?”
“Fine,” she ground out. “I’ll sleep on the sofa.”
Landon’s eyes narrowed, and he took two long steps toward her. It took all her willpower to stand her ground. “And what do you wear to bed?”
“Excuse me?” Her voice was a mousy squeak. She wore satiny shorts and cami sets. They were a splurge, but she wanted to enjoy what little sleep she got. From a man’s perspective, though, sexy bits of fabric could be more provocative than nudity. “Hmm. The thing is … Yeah.”
Excuse me. Where’s the nearest wall I can bang my head against? Instead of voicing her thoughts, she laughed—a lame, I’ve-dug-myself-into-a-hole laugh. Then Landon flared his nostrils like an angry bull and clenched his jaws tight enough to crack a molar. What? Did a bee sting his ass?
“You probably want to freshen up. I’ll make us a light dinner so we can have an early night.” He abruptly changed the subject in a stoic voice. Then he headed for his room without waiting for her response.
