Page 70 of Loving the CEO

She looked up at me somewhat shyly and then said, "Thanks, Leo."

"My pleasure." I caught myself in time before wiggling my eyebrows.

Fucking hell, I wasn't acting like myself right now. I had absolutely no composure.

"I'll take this," I said, grabbing the handle of her huge suitcase. "And the carry-on."

She took the scones and the flowers from me, and then we walked toward the car.

"How are you doing? Happy to be back?" I asked.

"Oh yes. So happy!"

To my astonishment, relief seeped through my bones. Some part of me had feared that if she went to New Orleans, she’d decide to stay there.

She took a bite of a scone and moaned in satisfaction. "These scones are fantastic. Where did you get them?"

"That's a secret."

"Oh? What can I do to make you share it with me?"

"I have a few things in my mind."

She swallowed hard, licking her lower lip. I might not have meant it as an innuendo, but it clearly was one.

Fucking hell, she'd only just arrived. How were we on thin ice already?

"What do you want to do right now?" I asked her.

"What are the options?"

"I can take you out to dinner, or we can order in."

"I’m in the mood for a cozy evening in," she said.

Being home alone with her would make it that much harder to keep myself in check, but I was going to do my best.

There was zero traffic on the drive home, so we arrived in no time at all. Once we stepped inside the house, she said, "I'm going to put the flowers in water."

I pointed at her bags. "I'll carry these upstairs."

"Thanks a lot."

As I went up the stairs, I yelled back, "Try to decide what you want to eat."

"Sure," she replied.

By the time I returned to the kitchen, however, she was still hunched over her phone, scrolling. Looking up, she said with a sheepish smile, "I'm sorry, I still can't decide. Besides, I've had some scones." She straightened up. "And I'm not really hungry."

"We don't have to order now."

"Do you want some scones?"

My eyes widened comically. "You're sharing your goodies with me? You must like me, huh?"

"Very much," she replied.

I took a scone, eating it slowly and choosing my next words carefully.

---