Page 35 of Better Late Than Never

I snorted. “Same in Sanlúcar, at least down by the beach. I haven’t ventured into any of the fast food joints.”

“They’re not half bad, honestly. Kind of put the ones in the States to shame sometimes.”

“Do they?”

“Mmhmm. I try not to eat much fast food, but I mean, once in a while, a Big Mac hits the spot, you know?”

“Don’t tell any of my patients, but…” I nodded. “Same.”

He chuckled. “Secret’s safe with me.”

We exchanged glances over the center console, and my pulse ticked up another notch. I wanted a lot of secrets to be safe with him. I didn’t want to ask him to risk his career to fool around with me, but goddamn, if he wanted to risk it? I’d take him up on it and my lips would besealed.

Say the word, Alex.

All too fucking soon, he pulled down my street. Easing to a stop behind my car in front of my house, he said, “Well. We’re here.” He turned to me, and was that… disappointment? It was hard to say, especially since he had on sunglasses, but his expression did seem to take a subtle downturn.

“Yeah. Yeah, we are.” I unbuckled my seat belt but didn’t reach for the door. I could barely hear the idling engine over my pounding heart, and when I met Alex’s gaze, he was chewing his bottom lip.

God, I want you so damn bad.

By some miracle, I kept those words from tumbling off my tongue. Because I did want him. And he was here. And I was here. And who the hell was going to know?

Maybe I still had some liquid courage left in me from last night, though, or maybe I was just too far beyond caring about consequences, because I finally said, “Do you, uh, want to come in?”

Alex took off his sunglasses, and he swallowed so hard, I heard it. Meeting my gaze without the dark lenses hiding his eyes anymore, he asked, “Do youwantme to come in?”

My voice came out raspy: “You can park in the driveway again.” I gestured at the closed gate. “Don’t think anyone will see.”

He flicked his gaze toward the gate. Swallowed again. Looked at me again. “That… That wasn’t my question.”

If my heart beat any faster, he was going to need to drive me to the place we both worked.

To hell with it. I’d already put the offer out there—might as well own it.

“Yeah.” I moistened my lips. “I do.”

He studied me again, long enough I was sure he was trying to figure out how to politely remind me of all the reasons he needed to just drop me off and get the hell out of here.

I wasn’t ready when he said, “Open the gate.”

Oh, fuck yes.

I reached for the door. “I need to unlock it from inside the house. Give me a minute?”

He nodded, and I got out of the car. I fumbled with my keys on the smaller gate, but got it open. I was halfway up the steps when I realized I’d left my bag in his trunk. Oh fucking well. I had to fumble a bit with the keys on the door, too. As soon as the lock gave and the door opened, I hit the button for the gate, and it started to rumble open.

When Alex’s engine revved, I had a heartbeat to think he might’ve come to his senses and taken off.

He hadn’t. He turned into the driveway. As he shut off the car, I hit the button again, and the gate rattled closed behind him.

Then he was on his way up the walk.

Up the steps.

Across the porch.

Into the house.

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