Page 342 of Not Over You

“Well, Mrs. Gunderson, who lives next to me is worse than paparazzi. She doesn’t blab anyone’s business for money. She does it because she loves to get the drop on everyone else with gossip.”

As she explained the situation, she let go of his shirtfront and stepped back, looking to that side of the room.

She made a haphazard gesture toward that wall. “I have to keep the curtains closed all the time or she’ll watch me through the glass like I’m a museum exhibit.”

He almost smiled at that, but Caroline’s narrow-eyed glare chased it off his lips.

“Do you want me to tell the old bat to mind her own business?”

Caroline sighed and flopped down on the couch. “That would be a thrill for her. I bet she’d tell everyone about the famous chef who came to my house ‘after dark’ and then accosted her at her door.”

“Maybe she’d listen and leave you alone.” Lucas sat down beside her. “Maybe it will help.”

“Or maybe,” she turned and tucked a knee up onto the seat, “St. Raphael will make its first appearance on TMZ.” Using her hands, she outlined a headline in the air. “Culinary Bad Boy Threatens Vulnerable Elderly Woman.”

Lucas winced at the picture she presented. “That would make living here uncomfortable.”

Caroline braced her elbow on the back of the couch and leaned her cheek against the heel of her hand. “You mean like coming over to my house two nights in a row, demanding to talk?”

Her words were again, on point.

“I had to talk to you.” He drew in a breath and shook his head. “And you have a habit of walking out on me before I can get answers.”

Her expression fell, but he didn’t want to take back his words.

Caroline nodded and spoke. “Today I came over to get to know Nadia. That’s all you asked for. That’s what I did.”

“And I only asked you if you wanted lunch.”

She looked back at him and he saw the unspoken message in her eyes. She was calling him on his bullshit.

There weren’t many people in his life who would do that so easily.

Then again, she wasn’t really in his life, was she?

“Okay. Okay.” He shook his head. “I was hoping this would be easier.”

Caroline set her hands in her lap, folding them together.

“I should have known that this,” he gestured between them, “wasn’t going to be easy.”

“This?” She leaned back, but kept her hands folded before her. “There isn’t a ‘this,’ Lucas. And I can’t believe you’re still upset by that night.”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “So that’s it? That’s your answer?”

“What question am I answering? We let things go over the line. It wasn’t a big deal. We stopped and then you had that call about Nadia.”

“And you walked out.”

Her head dropped down to where he couldn’t see her face.

The silence that fell between them was unsettling.

He’d intruded into her house two nights in a row and now he was pressing her for answers on a moment that she had obviously settled in her head.

What did it mean that he hadn’t?

Turning toward her on the sofa, he brought up a leg, mirroring her own posture. She hadn’t looked up at him, yet.

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