I've-got-your-ass-on-a-platter grin stretched across her face. "This young lady was looking for you."
"Thanks," he said curtly.
"Aren't you going to introduce us?" Leah's amusement set his teeth on edge.
"No."
"Rude," Ellen said, stepping forward, arm outstretched, big smile stretched across her face. "Hi, I'm Ellen. An old friend of Henry's."
"Old friend, huh? You don't look very old."
"Bye, Leah." He took Ellen's elbow, propelling her toward the door. "I was just heading out anyway."
"Oh, good, I need a ride." She looked over her shoulder. "Bye, Leah, nice to meet you. I'm sure I'll see—"
Henry pulled the door closed behind them before she could finish. Which earned him a nose-scrunched glare.
"Are you embarrassed of me or something?"
"I did not invite you here."
Her mouth curved downward. Not really frowning, more like wilting. Damn it all to hell.
"I looked up where MC was and thought you could drive me home instead of having me hike around in the ice and snow, but heaven forbid—"
"Why don't you have a car?"
"I needed new brakes."
"I—" Henry raked his hands through his hair. Why oh why did she have to be so…here? "You can't drop by my place of work."
"Well, I'd say you can't be a jerk to your oldest friend, but you're doing a fine job of that. "
"Ellen."
"Henry," she said, mocking his grave tone.
He'd never understood it, for years upon years, how her making fun of him always made him want to laugh. Usually being a standoffish dick wasn't exactly something he found humorous, but something about the way Ellen called him out on it made it funny.
What the hell was that about?
"What are you afraid of? Your friends will think you have the pervy hots for me?"
He didn't feel like laughing anymore. Pervy hots. Yeah, that about covered it. Because it was perverted to even remotely notice the attractiveness of someone he'd known since she'd been a squalling bundle of baby limbs, even if that memory was a little fuzzy.
Ellen gave him a sideways glance, the curve of her mouth unmistakably pleased.
"I don't have the pervy hots for you," he lied through his teeth.
"Okay, just the regular hots?" She grinned up at him, all cheery and good fun, any hurt forgotten or at least put aside for now. "It really wouldn't have to be pervy, not that I mind a little perversion."
"This is my truck. Hop in."
"That's not an answer."
"You're off-limits, Ellen."
"That's not much of an answer, either."
Christ. He really needed her to get bored with Bluff City quicker than she usually did. "Get in, please."
"Yes, sir." She gave him a little salute and he did not watch her clamber up into the truck even though the, yes, perverted part of him really, really wanted to.
She was seven years younger than him, he'd known her when she'd carried around a Barbie twenty-four-seven. He had been instrumental in the tragic death of her brother.
Why on God's green earth had she always insisted on being part of his life? Stopping by when she was home, calling him when it had been "too long" since they'd caught up. Emails. Texts. Why did it have to get so much harder as time passed? Maybe if he told her about the money he routinely gave her parents so they could fund whatever whim she pursued she wouldn't be so keen on being friends.
Or maybe she'd take it as easily and philosophically as she took everything else.
*
Ellen watched the snow buried buildings pass as Henry drove from MC Restorations to their townhouse. She kept her expression blank and pleasant, but inside she was giddy happy dancing.
Henry had the hots for her, and he couldn't even adequately lie about it. That was progress. She ignored the niggling voice in her head that tried to tell her it was complicated. She refused to accept that. It didn't have to be complicated.
She thought he was hot. He thought she was hot. They knew each other. Quite well, really, given how little time she spent in Bluff City. She'd be good for him.
She'd really like to be
"Thanks," he said curtly.
"Aren't you going to introduce us?" Leah's amusement set his teeth on edge.
"No."
"Rude," Ellen said, stepping forward, arm outstretched, big smile stretched across her face. "Hi, I'm Ellen. An old friend of Henry's."
"Old friend, huh? You don't look very old."
"Bye, Leah." He took Ellen's elbow, propelling her toward the door. "I was just heading out anyway."
"Oh, good, I need a ride." She looked over her shoulder. "Bye, Leah, nice to meet you. I'm sure I'll see—"
Henry pulled the door closed behind them before she could finish. Which earned him a nose-scrunched glare.
"Are you embarrassed of me or something?"
"I did not invite you here."
Her mouth curved downward. Not really frowning, more like wilting. Damn it all to hell.
"I looked up where MC was and thought you could drive me home instead of having me hike around in the ice and snow, but heaven forbid—"
"Why don't you have a car?"
"I needed new brakes."
"I—" Henry raked his hands through his hair. Why oh why did she have to be so…here? "You can't drop by my place of work."
"Well, I'd say you can't be a jerk to your oldest friend, but you're doing a fine job of that. "
"Ellen."
"Henry," she said, mocking his grave tone.
He'd never understood it, for years upon years, how her making fun of him always made him want to laugh. Usually being a standoffish dick wasn't exactly something he found humorous, but something about the way Ellen called him out on it made it funny.
What the hell was that about?
"What are you afraid of? Your friends will think you have the pervy hots for me?"
He didn't feel like laughing anymore. Pervy hots. Yeah, that about covered it. Because it was perverted to even remotely notice the attractiveness of someone he'd known since she'd been a squalling bundle of baby limbs, even if that memory was a little fuzzy.
Ellen gave him a sideways glance, the curve of her mouth unmistakably pleased.
"I don't have the pervy hots for you," he lied through his teeth.
"Okay, just the regular hots?" She grinned up at him, all cheery and good fun, any hurt forgotten or at least put aside for now. "It really wouldn't have to be pervy, not that I mind a little perversion."
"This is my truck. Hop in."
"That's not an answer."
"You're off-limits, Ellen."
"That's not much of an answer, either."
Christ. He really needed her to get bored with Bluff City quicker than she usually did. "Get in, please."
"Yes, sir." She gave him a little salute and he did not watch her clamber up into the truck even though the, yes, perverted part of him really, really wanted to.
She was seven years younger than him, he'd known her when she'd carried around a Barbie twenty-four-seven. He had been instrumental in the tragic death of her brother.
Why on God's green earth had she always insisted on being part of his life? Stopping by when she was home, calling him when it had been "too long" since they'd caught up. Emails. Texts. Why did it have to get so much harder as time passed? Maybe if he told her about the money he routinely gave her parents so they could fund whatever whim she pursued she wouldn't be so keen on being friends.
Or maybe she'd take it as easily and philosophically as she took everything else.
*
Ellen watched the snow buried buildings pass as Henry drove from MC Restorations to their townhouse. She kept her expression blank and pleasant, but inside she was giddy happy dancing.
Henry had the hots for her, and he couldn't even adequately lie about it. That was progress. She ignored the niggling voice in her head that tried to tell her it was complicated. She refused to accept that. It didn't have to be complicated.
She thought he was hot. He thought she was hot. They knew each other. Quite well, really, given how little time she spent in Bluff City. She'd be good for him.
She'd really like to be
Similar Books
