Page 99 of Love on the Byline

“I only had two or three glasses.”

“And?”

She turned her head, peering at him through one half-openeye. “Fifty bucks a pop?”

“For that vintage? At least.”

“Sheesh,” she said, returning to her original position whichwas, in retrospect, not an ideal place.

He was determined to keep this platonic. Not an easy taskwhen she kept squirming against his leg.

“Didn’t taste that fancy,” she huffed as she finally settledinto position.

Relieved, he stretched his arm along the back of the seat,denying the impulse to lay his hand on her back. But when she put her handunder her head—on his thigh—he gave in. She snuggled even closer at thecontact. For a few minutes, the only sound in the car was the highway.

Ollie watched the rise and fall of his hand on Blake’s back.He was so mesmerized by it, by the feel of her that close to him, he didn’trealize his own eyes were heavy. The next thing he knew they were pulling up infront of the house.

When the car came to a stop, he brushed a few strands ofhair from her face, unable to resist caressing her cheek lightly.

He realized he could stay like this forever, with her curledup against him, but he had to get out of the car before he was the oneto do something stupid instead of Bran.

Rory killed the engine, and Ollie opened the door andcarefully stepped out into the unusually cool night air. He unbuckled Blake’sseatbelt and gently lifted her into his arms. Being careful to keep the jackettight around her as he walked to the house.

“Hey,” Rory said, opening the door. He lowered his voicewhen he saw Blake asleep in Ollie’s arms. He arched an eyebrow. “Do I need totrack him down?”

“He said he’d be a few minutes behind us,” he replied,already walking to the couch in the great room. “We’ll give him half an hourbefore we send out the cavalry.”

“Meaning me?”

“Have you seen you, big guy?”

Rory grunted.

Setting Blake down, Ollie spread one of the throw blanketsover her. She murmured something in her sleep, but he didn’t know what it was.He gestured for Rory to follow him to the kitchen.

“Is she okay?”

“She’s fine.” Ollie tossed his jacket onto the back of achair and went to the sink to wash his hands. “Tired, mostly. And the victim ofgood booze and not enough food.”

Rory’s lips twitched. “Bad combo.”

“I’ll let her sleep while I put together something.” He openedthe fridge to inspect the contents. “Hungry?”

“Nah, I’m all sorted. Ate one of those turkey wraps youmade.”

“They’re good, right?”

“Better than the ones I’m used to, for sure.”

“It’s all in the seasoning.” He grabbed the chicken breasthe’d bought that morning and some fresh basil and set them on the counterbefore checking the cabinet for pine nuts. He could feel the other man’s eyeson him.

“If you don’t mind, I’ll wait for Bran to return and thenpop home to pick up my mail. I meant to earlier but I got sidetracked.”

“That’s fine.” He washed the chicken before setting it onthe cutting board. After cleaning his hands, he opened the cabinet to find themortar and pestle set he’d spotted the other day. He poured some of the pinenuts in and began to grind them.

“Wouldn’t that go faster in a blender?”

They both startled at the sound of Blake’s voice.

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