I wasn’t ready to say good night, but I wouldn’t invite him in either. Our dancing had been fun and a lot more explosive than I expected, but I wouldn’t cross that line.
I stepped up on my porch but Landon remained with his feet on the concrete, not making any move to follow me. I liked that a lot—that he knew when to push and when to respect boundaries.
“See you tomorrow, Landon. Thanks for walking me home.”
“Anytime, Maddie.”
He pulled out his phone and asked, “What’s your number?”
“Why do you need it?”
His eyes were focused on his screen, but the corners of his mouth tilted up. “You’ll see. Number?”
I rattled it off, watching him closely. My heart was pounding against my rib cage as I tried to read the situation. When he shoved his phone back in his jeans, he bestowed a smile upon me and I felt a hot sizzle slither down my spine, followed by a cold shiver. I had no idea why this man had such an impact on me. That issue was only more aggravated when he took my hand in his and raised it to his mouth, just like he’d done on that first day. He brushed his lips on my knuckles, and this time the heat his lips brought spread throughout me, concentrating low in my body. Another rush of heat shot right between my legs when he looked up and I saw his pupils had widened. He let my hand go the next second. Thank heavens. If he’d held my hand longer, I might have done something crazy. Like kissing him. Oh, scratch that. I would have jumped him.
“See you tomorrow, Maddie.”
I felt his gaze on me while I unlocked and pushed my door open. Once inside, I hurried to the window and saw him heading away with purposeful strides. I was overcome by the impulse to head back out, ask him to come inside.
It dawned on me that he hadn’t told me what he needed my number for. But I got my answer a few minutes later when my phone chirped with an incoming message.
Now you have my number too, beautiful. Anytime you need someone to walk you home, give me a call.
I looked at that message for a long time, smiling like a fool.
Chapter Seven
Landon
“Well, well, someone’s up to no good.”
I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sound of my sister’s voice. Lori was in Val’s living room, curled in the armchair near the window, the light from her e-reader illuminating her features. Val invited her and Milo to spend the night here since I was taking them to a festival near Venice Beach tomorrow. I felt up the wall until I reached the light switch of the lamp in the nearest corner and flicked it on.
“Why did you do that?” Lori raised her hands in a dramatic gesture, covering her eyes.
“Not all of us have cat eyesight, Lori. What are you doing here?”
She held up her e-reader. “Have this fantastic book I can’t put down.”
I didn’t buy it. “Still have trouble sleeping?”
“Yep.” Lori usually followed that by saying she and I inherited our mother’s sleeping affliction, but I begged to differ. Mom once told me she couldn’t sleep because she had too many thoughts and worries. “So where were you?”
“Out.”
“Come on, Landon. Indulge me a little. Do you know how often I fantasized about being the one to catch you sneaking in?”
“Let me guess. Every time I caught you?”
“You got it.”
I smiled down at my sister, deciding to torment her. “Must keep my secrets.”
“You are impossible.”
“But you still love me.”
She sighed. “I do.”