Page 42 of A Sweet Mess

“I’ll get that,” Landon said after a moment’s hesitation.

Aubrey nodded, lowering her lashes to hide her eyes from him. If it weren’t for the rapid rise and fall of her magnificent breasts—or the bubbles covering them—and the rosy blush on her cheeks, he might’ve believed he’d imagined the moment.

He stalked to the front door, grumbling under his breath as he pushed up his wet sleeves. Aria and Lucien stood outside with their arms loaded with brown paper bags. Landon itched to slam the door on their clueless, grinning faces.

“Great timing,” he said dryly.

Aria rolled her eyes and pushed past him, but Lucien cringed, scratching the back of his head.

“Did we interrupt something? I insisted we call first, but Aria… Well, you know Aria. I think her exact words were, ‘Oh, poof.’”

“I know her all too well,” Landon said, stepping outside. He needed a moment to collect himself after seeing Aubrey nearly naked. “Come on. Let’s take a walk before dinner.”

Lucien gave him a sideways glance as he easily matched Landon’s long strides. “You okay? You looked crazed when you opened the door for us. Something wrong with the production?”

“No. Nothing’s wrong. I’m perfectly fine.”

“Hmm. If you insist,” his friend said while his expression called bullshit.

Landon raked his fingers through his damp hair as they veered onto the small path that led into the wooded hills. He nearly groaned when his body hardened again, rememberinghow it had gotten wet. Her naked arms had felt like warm silk under his hands, and the bubbles had clung to her breasts like seashells on a mermaid. A strategic breath from him would’ve dislodged the tenacious foam. He had to walk off his hard-on if he wanted to return to the villa. He didn’t want to leave Aubrey alone with Aria for too long.

“How are things with you and Aria?” Landon said. “Are you still being a stubborn ass?”

“There’s nothing going on between us, and I’ve been a stubborn ass for forty-seven years. I have no incentive to change at my ripe old age.”

“You’re exhausting, do you know that? If you shut Aria out, you’ll regret it for the next forty-seven years. The tragedy is she’ll hurt right along with you. If it comes to that, I’ll beat you to a pulp. She’s my best friend, man.”

Lucien replied with something between a groan and a scoff. A cop-out. He knew Landon was right.

By the time they walked into the kitchen, the women were in deep conversation. Based on her crinkled nose and wildly gesticulating hands, Aubrey was probably relaying her frustrating attempts to make Moscato sorbet.

“Well, one thing’s obvious,” Aria said, “you’ve been at it too long. Let’s have loads of delicious food and fabulous wine and not spend a single minute thinking about work.”

“How’s that even possible?” Aubrey laughed. “Food is your work.”

“Oh, poof.”

Aria covered the dining table with a board of savory charcuterie—a slice ofjamón ibéricowas calling Landon’s name—and several excellent cheeses, a harmonious mix of soft and creamy, sharp and pungent, and hard and nutty varieties. Ripe, late-summer berries and juicy, deep orange cantaloupesadded splashes of color to the white tablecloth. Aria set down fresh, colorful salads, one after the other—curried Israeli couscous; balsamic-glazed arugula and strawberry salad; and pear, goat cheese, and walnut salad. It was Aria’s signature feast.

“Did you and Lucien clean out the delicatessen?” Landon reached for a spear of truffle gouda, but Aria slapped his hand away and made a fist in his face. “Fine. I’ll wait.”

Aubrey giggled at his side, and he raised an eyebrow at her. “Amused, are we?”

Ridiculously aware he was showing off, he swiped a fig from the table and held it up as his trophy. He tossed the ripe bundle into the air, intending to catch it deftly in his mouth, but Aubrey’s hand shot out and intercepted it. With a smug grin, she bit into the fruit and then licked the sticky juice from her lips. Landon’s breath caught in his throat, and blood rushed south.

Does she have any idea of the effect she has on me?

By the playful twinkle in her eyes, she had no clue how sexy she looked eating that fig. Only when he grabbed her wrist and brought the other half to his mouth did her eyes widen with awareness. He was careful not to let his lips touch her fingers because that would’ve sent him over the edge. But Aubrey’s lashes fluttered as a shiver ran through her, and he reached out to throw her on the table.

“Should we start with one bottle, or should I just open all three?” Lucien’s musings pulled Landon out of his lust haze. Barely.

“All of them.” He badly needed a drink. He turned on his heels and strode to the kitchen. “I’ll get the glasses.”

Aria shot him a narrow-eyed glance. His voice probably sounded as strangled as he felt. He’d nearly ravished Aubrey on the dining table. In front of his friends. He would be shocked if he sounded normal.

Even his complete loss of control didn’t douse his desire, and the effort it took to not ogle at Aubrey nearly gave him an aneurysm. It wasn’t until they were well into their second bottle of wine that Landon trusted himself to look her way.

Her head was thrown back in full-throttle laughter at something Aria was saying. Her eyes were scrunched shut, and little ridges formed at the bridge of her nose. She was radiant. Landon chugged another glass of wine.

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