3. Lyla
3
LYLA
I wait until Amos leaves to breathe a sigh of relief. I forgot how hard it is to be around him. To be wanting him while he’s so aloof and uncaring.
Shaking off the thoughts, I inspect my new apartment. The kitchenette is tiny but it has a table and two chairs. It’ll do for one person and besides, I’ll only be here until I can find another place to rent.
The living room doesn’t have any furniture other than a couch that looks like it’ll fall apart the moment someone sits on it.
I saw a furniture shop on our way into town. Perhaps I could find a few pieces to decorate with until I can find my permanent place to live.
Still, the bare apartment isn’t a big deal. Not when there’s a view from the living room windows that I absolutely love. It feels like I can see all of Mount Bliss from here. The whole town is blanketed in fluffy white snow in the fading afternoon light. It looks like something from a Christmas card.
I smile at the idea and check out the bedroom. At least, it has a bed with a mattress and a few blankets piled carelessly on it. A nice four poster king-size bed that I can’t help wondering if Amos has ever slept on. Has he brought women here? He never did answer my subtle question about his dating life.
The closet in the bedroom is a nice size though it’s still filled with some of his things. Two suits, a collection of neckties, and dress shoes. Somehow it doesn’t surprise me that when Amos moved to his cabin, he left all his formal wear behind.
My phone dings with a message.
It’s a text from Jamie. I know he means well but my older brother tends to smother me. It’s part of the reason I wanted to move to the town where Amos is. It’s far away from my brother but he’s less likely to control my life if he thinks his best friend is watching out for me. At least, that’s what I hope.
There’s a knock on the open door and I look up to see Amos standing there. “What do you think?” He asks of the place.
I give him a nod and fight a grin. “It’ll do.”
He shoves his hands in the pockets of his blue jeans and leans against the doorjamb. The pose looks casual, but I know him. He’s studying me. Amos has a brain that never stops working, never stops processing his environment. He’s always paying attention to the slightest detail. I guess when you’re a sniper, that ability can save your life.
But it just unnerves me when he turns that blue gaze on me. Gesturing around the empty space, I ask, “Want to go with me to the furniture shop so I can get a couch and maybe a coffee table?”
Ahh, shit. It sounds like I’m inviting him to pick out furniture with me. Shaking my head, I quickly explain, “You have a truck, and I don’t. It would be kind of awesome if you would help me out.”
His impassive expression gives nothing away. “The roads have already been shut down. We’re not going anywhere for a while.”
“So, we’re just stuck here? Alone?” For a moment, I imagine spending the entire snowstorm in that big cozy bed with Amos. I lick my suddenly dry lips. “For how long?”
His eyes track the movement of my tongue. “A few days if we’re lucky. Couple of weeks if we’re not,” he answers. “Don’t worry. I have the supplies for us to hunker down for a while. You’ll be safe and dry.”
I don’t want to be safe and dry. I want to be dirty and wet with this man pressing his body to mine. I want him to take me against the nearest wall because he just can’t keep his hands off of me for a moment longer.
“What do you normally do during a snowstorm?” I ask, glancing up when the power flickers. I hope he doesn’t tell me that he usually spends it with his girlfriend. Why isn’t he on social media like a normal person so I can stalk him?
He grunts. “I stay busy.”
Is that code for make out with his girlfriend? Why am I so obsessed with this? It’s got to be the idea of all that snow. It’s making me feel claustrophobic and out of sorts. That’s all this is.
I just need a distraction. As soon as I think it, my eyes stray to his full lips. Dammit, does he always have to look so sexy?
“Look,” Amos lets out a breath. “We could get started setting up your shop. You’ve already had most of the supplies shipped there.”
“Yes! That’s brilliant!” Too late I realize my response was too enthusiastic, but I have to find a way to keep my hands busy or I’ll try to squeeze those biceps of his that look like they’re about to break free from the sleeves of his t-shirt.
“Maybe I’ll even teach you how to make donuts.” I grin at him. “I could use a good employee.”
Especially a hot one like you.
Amos follows me down the stairs to his pub. “You couldn’t afford me.”
In the dusty storeroom marked ‘Employees Only’, Amos shows me the door that leads right to my shop. I never even have to step outside.
“So that’s a nice feature,” I mutter as I enter my shop. I won’t need to brave the cold on winter mornings. I lean over the counter to grab a box from the floor. If there’s one thing I want to get set up, it’s my personal coffee maker.
“This place is filled with nice features,” he says behind me. His voice is deep and gruff, like maybe he’s angry about something.
But when I turn around, he’s staring at my ass.
It’s not possible that he likes me. Amos has never liked me. He’s not about to start now, no matter how badly I wish he would.
He finally drags his gaze up to mine, but he doesn’t look the least bit embarrassed to be caught staring at me. “Like I said, nice features.”
I don’t know how to handle this side of Amos. He’s never flirted with me. I ignore his comment. I’m looking for something that isn’t there. “Let’s start with the most important thing first: coffee.”
I move to the kitchen and set up the new coffee machine to brew, letting it run through a water cycle.
While that’s going, I grab pen and paper. “I’m thinking it should look like this,” I explain when I’m done with my basic sketch. I can’t draw very well. But everything is clearly laid out in my diagram, complete with a cute little stick figure making donuts in the back.
Amos leans in close to inspect my sketch, his chin brushing the top of my shoulder. “Looks easy enough.”
My insides feel all wobbly with him close, so I side-step away from him.
“I was really lucky the bank was generous with the loan,” I say, babbling as usual. Anything to keep from focusing on the butterflies in my stomach. “Most first-time business owners don’t get as much capital as I did. Then this place came up for rent and it was like everything just fell together perfectly.”
It’s the first thing I’ve ever done without Jamie. He’s always tried to butt in and choose my life for me. I went to the college he wanted. I accepted the major that he picked out. Hell, I even dated guys I knew he would approve of.
A funny expression that I can’t define crosses Amos’s face. But before I can bring it up, he asks, “Where are the coffee mugs?”
I point to a pile of boxes in the middle of the kitchen floor. “I’m hoping in that pile. But if not, we can take turns lapping it out of our hands.” I’m trying to make a joke, to lighten the tension I’ve felt since Amos told me that we were stranded together in a snowstorm.
But the joke just makes me think about other things I’d like to see Amos do with his tongue. An image of his head between my thighs has me squeezing my legs together as my panties go damp.
He bends to grab the box and now it’s my turn to check out his denim-clad ass. Those jeans highlight his round globes. They’re tight and firm, perfect for sinking my teeth into.
“Are you checking out my features?” Amusement is in his voice.
“You wish,” I mutter, not sure how to deal with this side of Amos. He’s normally so uptight and aloof.
Turning away from the sight of male perfection, I grab sugar and creamer from the box with coffee supplies.
“And what if I do wish that?” He asks as he comes up behind me, setting two coffee mugs on the counter. He’s so close that his breath is stirring my hair and making me wonder what his lips would feel like against my neck.
Are we going to cross this line today?