Page 38 of Never Have I Ever

“Done.” He plucks two more grapes off the vine. “I’m from San Diego. That’s where my family still is. This house is a retreat, a place to escape the outside world for a bit and reconnect.”

“Do you guys still come here as a family?”

“Every couple of years. With my sister having her family now and the tou—work busier than ever, it’s hard for us to align our schedules. My parents come here in the warmer weather to escape some of the brutal summer months, especially when it’s been months without rain. What about you, Poppy? Where do you go to escape life?”

“Oh no, no. You’re much more interesting.”

Chuckling, he shakes his head, that charm not able to hide only in his eyes anymore. “I beg to differ.”

“You can beg all you want, but I really don’t have much going on. The accident had me stuck out in Beacon Pointe for a while.” I eye him, kind of hoping he’s never heard of it. Most people have heard of the university but not the enclave of wealth that surrounds it. As much as I don’t want to be pinned as a spoiled rich kid, I won’t lie about my upbringing, especially not after he’s been so honest and upfront in answering my questions. I pop another grape in my mouth.

“Not where you wanted to be?”

“No, not really, but I had no choice. I needed round-the-clock care for a few months.” Exposing my life to Laird wasn’t on the agenda for today, but with being trapped inside due to the weather, it’s been nice to talk to him. I’d be stuck in the bedroom if I were on another job. He’s different from anyone I’ve ever worked for.

“I hate that you went through that.”

He barely knows me, but he sounds so genuine and more sincere than my own mother. “If nothing else came from it, it brought Trevor and my mother together.” I can’t help but laugh. It’s the only way for me to get through the betrayal.

“That’s your stepfather?” He raises his eyebrow with caution. “A doctor?”

I lean in conspiratorially. “Truth? He’s currently sporting the title of my ex-boyfriend. But they’re due to get married this summer, so that will change.”

“Um.” He raises a finger in the air, then lowers it and closes his mouth.

“You don’t have to say anything. What is there to say anyway?” I shift, feeling it in the conversation as well. “Are you hungry?”

“Grapes aren’t going to satisfy me.”

“What will? What are you craving?”

A barely audible vibration rumbles around his chest. When his gaze locks onto mine, the carnal and raw look in his eyes causes me to squirm.

I turn to the fridge, making sure the cool air hits my face. Needing something to talk about that has nothing to do with the way he’s staring at me like the next meal, I pivot and ask, “Do you travel a lot, or are you locked away in some office sixty hours a week?”

Dammit. Now I’m imagining him in a well-tailored suit. Seeing him in that would absolutely do me in. I’m sure it does all the women, but considering how amazing he looks in jeans and a T-shirt, I think I’d have a low survival rate. “Let me guess. You’re a venture capitalist or in finance? Makes sense since you’re tall. Six-two—”

“Six-three.”

Blue eyes stare back at me, and that jaw doesn’t waste a moment to harden and then tense. I feel like we just hit a wall, but I don’t know what I’ve done wrong. He doesn’t seem anxious to answer my last question, but I’m curious why he’s so hush-hush about it.

Coming around me, he opens the refrigerator and bends down to inspect the contents. He glances at me. “What are we thinking?”

And now, we’re onto the next topic.

It’s probably for the best. We’re getting too close under the circumstances. Tomorrow brings not only the sun, which will melt the snow, but also me heading out to the mechanic. It’s probably best if we keep things light.

Though it’s getting harder, considering how attractive I find this man. Who knew my type was grumpy, flashing between impatience and seeming to know everything to sky-high confidence that levels me under his sex appeal? I should add frustrating, but that’s not applicable anymore.

I find his brain as sexy as his body. He gives as good as I throw in his direction, which I like. Though, judgy judgertons might tell me I shouldn’t. I don’t need anyone to bow down to me. I just want someone who loves me to the core of my being. Too much to ask?

“I get someone wanting privacy, but most of my clients I can find online anyway. I’d rather hear it from you.” I ask, “So are you really not going to tell me what you do for a living?”

“I’ve not had the luxury of living in a long time. What about you?”

“That’s not fair to flip on me,” I reply. “I can learn everything about you online or you can tell me.”

He reaches into the fridge. “That’s not how it works, sweetheart. You will be reading lies.”

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