“A little relaxation before dinner, and then we’ll see.” Brandon’s eyes twinkled with amusement at the look she gave him. “Haven’t I been a good host since you’ve been here?”
He had been a fabulous host and more. “Yes.”
He kissed her temple. “Nothing’s going to change tonight.” He leaned closer until they were a whisper apart. “In fact, I want it to be one you remember for a long time.”
“I remember every moment we’ve been together,” Faith said, the words tumbling out before she could stop them.
Brandon traced a finger down her cheek. “So do I.”
She could not fall for this man. He pulled her closer and they remained that way for the duration of the ride. After disembarking, they made their way back to the car. She tried to hide a yawn.
“Tired?” he asked.
“Not really. It’s just something about being outside all day that totally relaxes me.” In reality, she could barely keep her eyes open. Between the temperatures that had climbed into the eighties and fighting off her desire for Brandon, she needed a long nap.
“Well, you’ll have time to chill before we eat.”
Faith smiled, leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes. The lulling movement of the car relaxed her further and she drifted off. When she opened her eyes the next time, almost half an hour had passed. She didn’t recognize the stretch of highway they were traveling on, but she did recognize the traffic that seemed to be a constant fixture since she had been in LA. She sat up and glanced over at Brandon. He sang quietly and bobbed his head in time with the up-tempo R&B song playing. As if sensing her scrutiny, he turned his head her way.
“Hey, sleepyhead.”
She chuckled. “Sorry. Where are we going?”
“Brentwood. My house.”
His house? “How much farther?”
“With or without traffic?”
Faith burst out laughing. “I don’t know how you people deal with this all the time.”
Brandon shook his head. “We should be there in about fifteen minutes.”
She was admittedly curious about where he lived. He was a self-proclaimed workaholic and struck her as being a bachelor in every sense of the word. However, with the way he carried himself and dressed, she didn’t think it would be the proverbial bachelor’s pad. She imagined he lived in an upscale apartment or condo. He exited the freeway several minutes later. She marveled at the number of people out and about. “There are a lot of young people.”
“That’s because UCLA is a few miles away.”
“Is that where you went to school?” She realized that he didn’t talk about himself much.
Brandon left the main street and turned down a residential area. “No. I went to UC Berkeley, got an undergrad business degree and stayed for the MBA.”
Faith took in the large houses and nicely manicured lawns. “I figured that’s what your degree would be in.” He made another turn, drove halfway down the block and pulled into the driveway of an expensive-looking two-story house. Her mouth fell open. At least she had gotten the upscale part right. He got her bag from the trunk and came around to help her out. “This is very nice.” Greenery lined the front and, despite the browning from heat and drought, the grass looked freshly cut. “Somehow, I expected you to live in a condo or something.”
He smiled. “Until six months ago, I did.” He led her to the front door, unlocked it and moved back for her to enter.
She stepped inside a large foyer with highly polished wood floors.
“Come on in and I’ll give you the grand tour.”
The foyer opened to a large living room that held a sofa, love seat, two lamps and a coffee table. A trio of paintings rested against the fireplace waiting to be hung. She followed him to a chef’s kitchen with an island. “Your home is gorgeous. But, why so much space since you live alone? I would think with all the hours you work, you wouldn’t have time to keep up with a house.”
Brandon placed her bag on one of the stools. “I did love my condo and not having to worry about maintenance. My sister and brother-in-law live in the area and, after visiting them one time, I drove around and liked the neighborhood. I figured it would be a good investment.”