It was odd to her how connected she felt to him. Odd and . . . amazing. He was so different from anyone she’d ever known. Quiet but not even remotely shy, incredibly smart, and shockingly intuitive . . . he was an enigma to her.
And she’d dreamed about his mouth on hers every night.
But she knew she needed to stay smart and cautious. She wasn’t here for more of those amazing kisses, or even to let a man into her world at all. She was here to right her world.
And then move on.
She’d met Eddie a few days earlier on a walk through the courtyard, and she’d found him funny and charming—enough to finagle her cup of coffee and muffin from her within two minutes. He seemed to know everyone in the building, but when she mentioned Spence, he’d suddenly gotten very busy brushing crumbs off his chest.
Then Spence appeared, wearing another pair of wrinkled cargo pants and a button-down over another T-shirt that read Trust Me, I’m An Engineer. Most of his pants pockets were bulging with various goodies, although it was easy enough to see that not all his goodies were relegated to his pockets.
He gave Old Man Eddie a long, indecipherable look before turning his sharp gaze on her. “Hey.”
She smiled. “Hey back.”
They stared at each other until she forced herself to move. “Okay, well, have a good day,” she said to Eddie and went to walk past Spence. “And you too,” she said. “Happy working, yeah?”
Spence’s mouth quirked a little as he stared down into her face. “Yeah.”
Colbie flashed him one last smile and shifted clear but Spence caught her hand in his.
“You cooked last time,” he said. “How about it’s my turn tonight?”
She raised a brow. “You’re going to cook?”
“Hell no. I’m going to buy. But I’ll make sure there’s something green and disgustingly healthy to eat, how’s that?”
Eddie shook his head. “You’re going about this all wrong.”
“Am I?” Spence asked mildly.
“Yeah. You’re supposed to wait a full week before you contact her after a date, and then you text. No one asks anyone out in person anymore. It’s just not done.”
“How would you know?” Spence asked. “You haven’t dated since the seventies.”
“Hey, I get around plenty. And the rules on dating are everywhere. Don’t you Snapchat? Or Instagram?”
Spence looked pained and Colbie laughed, amused by their interaction, which on the surface was all sarcasm and cynicism, but she could feel a deep affection between them. They’d obviously known each other a long time. And there was something else. She could see a blanket of Eddie’s peeking out from his crate and it was the exact same blanket that Spence had on the back of his couch.
Spence took care of Eddie, and that made her a sucker for him.
“You’re playing it too easy,” Eddie told Spence. “Women need to feel chased but not smothered, or it’s over. And this one . . .” He smiled at Colbie, his whole demeanor softening. “She’s a keeper. She deserves the best.” He shook his head at Spence. “You millennials think you have it all figured out, but you don’t.”
Spence didn’t take his eyes off Colbie, so she saw them flicker with good humor. “Should I wait a few more days, Colbie?” he asked.
“Well . . .” Far be it from her to settle this disagreement, but . . . “I’m only here until Christmas Eve. I don’t think we’ve got time for games, or to be coy.”
The smile in Spence’s eyes spread to his really great mouth, and she was reminded of how that really great mouth had felt on hers.
“Is that a yes?” he asked.
“Make him wait, cutie,” Eddie said.
Colbie smiled up at Spence when he sighed at Eddie’s interference. “I just think it’d be more interesting if you cooked,” she said playfully.
Eddie barked out a laugh. “Darlin’, you want him to burn down the building? The boy’s a genius, but trust me, it’s book smarts only.” He pointed to his own brain. “It’s all up here, see? Not in his hands, if you know what I mean.”
Spence cut the old man a look.
Eddie cleared his throat. “Right.” He lifted his hands in surrender. “Just trying to help.”
“Maybe just run me over next time.” Spence looked at Colbie. “I’ll make you a deal. Have you started on your list yet? The one you made on the plane?”
Thinking of her list, specifically number ten, she blushed. She’d been out and about in the city, but only for short stretches at a time. She was looking forward to exploring. “Not yet.”
“How about we knock something off your list and then eat?”
Her heart started to pound. By knocking something off the list, surely he didn’t mean number ten . . . Somehow she managed to meet his gaze and found affectionate amusement all over his face.
He was teasing her.
Two could play at that game. “Sure,” she said. “We’ll play tourist and then eat something that you cook.”
Spence laughed. “You’re a stubborn one.”
“Takes one to know one,” Eddie said and lifted his hands when Spence sent him another long look.
“You gotta stretch yourself,” Colbie said to Spence, mimicking his own words back at him.
Spence let out a rueful laugh. “Wow, I’m really an asshole.”
“So is that a yes you’ll cook me dinner?” she asked.
“Sure. What the hell.”
“Oh Christ,” Eddie muttered. “I better put the fire department on notice.”
A little dazed, a lot excited, Colbie nodded and walked away, hearing Eddie say to Spence, “You told her stuff about you. Like you live here.”
“Yeah.”
“Huh,” Eddie said. “That’s new.”
“Don’t go reading anything into it,” Spence said.
And then she couldn’t hear anything after that, as she was beyond hearing range. Just as well, since no one ever overheard something they actually wanted to overhear.
“Don’t go reading anything into it . . .”
She needed to remember that.
Spence hit the pub for lunch. As usual, Finn had the far right side of the bar open for the gang. They were a close-knit bunch, forever sticking their noses into each other’s business, fighting like cats and dogs, and yet always, without fail, having each other’s back.
Archer and Elle were there. Archer was inhaling a huge plate of nachos while Elle talked. Which was a perfect picture of how their relationship went in general.
“She’s cute, I’ll give him that,” Elle was saying. “But he’s not ready for this, and besides, she’s got an expiration date. And hello, she’s not who she seems. She can’t be.”
“Babe, he’s a big boy,” Archer said. “And he’s right behind us.”
Spence rolled his eyes and leaned in to steal a nacho. “Your reflexes are creepy,” he said to Archer before looking at Elle. “If you want to tell me I’m an idiot, do it to my face.”
“You’re an idiot.”
Archer grinned at her. “I love it when you’re mad at someone other than me.”
“I can multitask,” Elle warned.
“Don’t I know it.”
Elle stared at him and then let out a dopey smile that she never gave to anyone other than Archer. “I’m about to give the inquisition to one of your BFFs. How much do you love me on a scale from zero to burgers?”
“Burgers,” Archer said without hesitation. “With bacon and cheese.”
“I knew you were the one.” She turned on Spence. “How are you doing? You’ve been working around the clock. You okay?”