Page 26 of Mating With My Grumpy Alphas
The pieces clicked together, and I felt my face burn even hotter. Hollis had set me up. Sent Willa over here with a romance novel like some kind of ridiculous romantic comedy setup.
“I’m going to kill him,” I muttered.
“Don’t.” Willa was still smiling, and it transformed her whole face. “It’s actually kind of sweet. In a meddling, slightly embarrassing way.”
We stood there for a moment, both of us grinning at the absurdity of the situation. Willa looked relaxed in a way I hadn’t seen before, like Hollis’s ridiculous matchmaking attempt had broken through some of her usual guardedness.
Ask her to lunch,a voice in my head urged.She’s laughing, she’s here, she’s not running away. Ask her.
“You want to get lunch?” The words came out before I could second-guess them. “I mean, since you’re already here and I haven’t eaten and there’s this whole ridiculous book situation…”
I watched her expression shift, the easy laughter fading into something more careful. She was weighing the invitation, and Icould practically see her internal debate playing out across her face.
Too fast,I realized.Too much. She’s not ready for anything that feels like a date.
“Never mind,” I said quickly, stepping back toward my workbench. “You probably have to get back to work. Thanks for delivering the book, even if it’s not actually mine.”
“Rhett.” Her voice stopped me mid-retreat. When I turned back, she was looking at me with an expression I couldn’t quite read. “I’d like to have lunch. If the offer’s still open.”
The relief that flooded through me was probably embarrassing. “Yeah. Yes. The offer’s definitely still open.”
“Good.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, a gesture that seemed unconscious and nervous and completely charming. “Where did you have in mind?”
“Maggie’s Diner?” I suggested. “Nothing fancy, but the food’s good and it’s quiet enough to actually have a conversation.”
“Perfect.”
I locked up the garage and we walked toward Main Street together, the romance novel tucked under my arm like evidence of Hollis’s scheming. The afternoon was crisp and clear, with the kind of autumn light that made everything look warm and golden.
“So,” Willa said as we walked, “do you think Hollis is going to ask for a full report on how the book delivery went?”
“Absolutely.” I shook my head, still slightly amazed by the whole situation. “He’s probably watching us from the store window right now, taking notes.”
“Should we give him something to write about?” Willa asked, and there was something almost flirtatious in her voice that made my pulse quicken.
“What did you have in mind?”
“We could pretend to have a heated argument about the book’s literary merit.”
I couldn’t help but grin. “I don’t think I’m qualified to discuss the literary merit of ‘The Duke’s Forbidden Desire.’”
“No? Not even the complex character development of Duke Ravencrest and his journey from brooding rake to devoted lover?”
“You’ve read this?”
“The series has twelve books,” Willa said solemnly. “Duke Ravencrest’s character arc is surprisingly well-developed.”
I stared at her for a moment before she broke, laughing at what must have been my shocked expression.
“I’m kidding,” she said. “Mostly. I may have flipped through a few pages while Hollis was explaining his plan to get you into the store.”
“Hollis told you about his plan?”
“He’s not exactly subtle.” Willa’s smile softened. “He means well, though. He thinks you’re lonely and I’m too isolated and we’d be good for each other.”
“And what do you think?”
The question hung between us as we reached Maggie’s Diner. Willa paused with her hand on the door handle, looking at me with those gray eyes that seemed to see more than I was comfortable with.
