from thinking she’d fallen for yet another guy.
When someone dropped into the seat next to her, she glanced to see if it was Tori, or someone she should evict. When she saw Zane, her heart fluttered, and she turned her attention back to the screen. Despite her half-assed attempt to ignore him, the heat of his arm a few inches hers and the familiar scent of his cologne made it difficult.
He set a box of Red Vines on her knee. His warm breath brushed her ear. “You should eat.”
“Thanks.” She kept her gaze forward, hating her body for reacting to the contact.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him intertwine his fingers in his lap and slump lower in the seat. She tapped her toes inside her shoes. She wouldn’t make a big deal out of his gesture, even though he had brought her favorite candy, and it was reminding her she’d skipped dinner.
She couldn’t help it. She tilted her head toward him and kept her voice low, so she wouldn’t disrupt anyone else. “How did you get Tori to switch seats with you?”
He kept his mouth near her ear, the heat filling her with another pleasant rush she didn’t want to acknowledge. “Intercepted her in the hallway.”
Warmth spread through her at the gesture that summoned memories of the afternoon in the mountains. She already had trouble focusing on the on-screen love interest, who would almost definitely be gone by the next film in the franchise. “We’re not a couple. We don’t have to sit together.” She loved that he did these things for her. The tiny acts without thought. But she didn’t want him to feel obligated. Didn’t like the voice asking if it was because they were screwing now, even though she knew it was something he’d always done.
“I know.” The two words fell softly against her cheek. “But we would have before.”
She tried to hide her smirk at the sound logic, and failed. “Touché.”
He bumped his shoulder against hers. “Can I have some of your candy?”
She sank into her seat, arm next to his on the rest. “I guess. Just this once.”
As the movie tore on, her mood continued to lighten. The four of them cheered with the rest of the crowd and booed and dragged their feet, waiting for that one tiny glimpse of the next film, as the credits rolled.
They stumbled into the night, and Riley paused outside, blinking while her eyes adjusted to the bright streetlights lining the parking lot.
“So”—Tori’s exclamation was loud in the still night—“Mr. Rich-but-Arrogant in the costume. Absolutely hot.”
“I could wear a costume.” Archer’s feigned hurt was exaggerated.
“You would be just as irritating as he was,” Riley pointed out. “Ms. Sexy-Spy-Lady? I would love to be able to fight like that.” She kicked into the air and promptly stumbled over a crack.
Tori caught her and pushed her upright again. “Get Zane to teach you. He’s got the mad moves, right?”
An unexpected flush coursed through Riley, along with images of some of the moves Zane had shown her so far. She ducked her head, hoping her thoughts didn’t show on her face. “I’m not nearly that coordinated.”
“But”—Zane interjected—“you’d look a million times better in the black leather than she did.”
“He’s right.” Tori turned to walk backward, studying Riley. “I could absolutely make you something like that. I bet Archer would pay you just to stand around the store in it. Can you imagine the draw?”
“I can imagine cleaning the drool off the glass counters.” Archer didn’t sound bothered. “I’d still let you do it.”
The attention drew Riley’s embarrassed flush out further. She was having too much fun to spoil the moment, but she wanted a subject that wasn’t her. “I can’t believe it’s after three. I am so tired and so wired. I won’t get anything done at work tomorrow. Or is that today?”
“So call in sick,” Zane said. “I’ll forge you a doctor’s note.”
Archer held up his hands. “I
When someone dropped into the seat next to her, she glanced to see if it was Tori, or someone she should evict. When she saw Zane, her heart fluttered, and she turned her attention back to the screen. Despite her half-assed attempt to ignore him, the heat of his arm a few inches hers and the familiar scent of his cologne made it difficult.
He set a box of Red Vines on her knee. His warm breath brushed her ear. “You should eat.”
“Thanks.” She kept her gaze forward, hating her body for reacting to the contact.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him intertwine his fingers in his lap and slump lower in the seat. She tapped her toes inside her shoes. She wouldn’t make a big deal out of his gesture, even though he had brought her favorite candy, and it was reminding her she’d skipped dinner.
She couldn’t help it. She tilted her head toward him and kept her voice low, so she wouldn’t disrupt anyone else. “How did you get Tori to switch seats with you?”
He kept his mouth near her ear, the heat filling her with another pleasant rush she didn’t want to acknowledge. “Intercepted her in the hallway.”
Warmth spread through her at the gesture that summoned memories of the afternoon in the mountains. She already had trouble focusing on the on-screen love interest, who would almost definitely be gone by the next film in the franchise. “We’re not a couple. We don’t have to sit together.” She loved that he did these things for her. The tiny acts without thought. But she didn’t want him to feel obligated. Didn’t like the voice asking if it was because they were screwing now, even though she knew it was something he’d always done.
“I know.” The two words fell softly against her cheek. “But we would have before.”
She tried to hide her smirk at the sound logic, and failed. “Touché.”
He bumped his shoulder against hers. “Can I have some of your candy?”
She sank into her seat, arm next to his on the rest. “I guess. Just this once.”
As the movie tore on, her mood continued to lighten. The four of them cheered with the rest of the crowd and booed and dragged their feet, waiting for that one tiny glimpse of the next film, as the credits rolled.
They stumbled into the night, and Riley paused outside, blinking while her eyes adjusted to the bright streetlights lining the parking lot.
“So”—Tori’s exclamation was loud in the still night—“Mr. Rich-but-Arrogant in the costume. Absolutely hot.”
“I could wear a costume.” Archer’s feigned hurt was exaggerated.
“You would be just as irritating as he was,” Riley pointed out. “Ms. Sexy-Spy-Lady? I would love to be able to fight like that.” She kicked into the air and promptly stumbled over a crack.
Tori caught her and pushed her upright again. “Get Zane to teach you. He’s got the mad moves, right?”
An unexpected flush coursed through Riley, along with images of some of the moves Zane had shown her so far. She ducked her head, hoping her thoughts didn’t show on her face. “I’m not nearly that coordinated.”
“But”—Zane interjected—“you’d look a million times better in the black leather than she did.”
“He’s right.” Tori turned to walk backward, studying Riley. “I could absolutely make you something like that. I bet Archer would pay you just to stand around the store in it. Can you imagine the draw?”
“I can imagine cleaning the drool off the glass counters.” Archer didn’t sound bothered. “I’d still let you do it.”
The attention drew Riley’s embarrassed flush out further. She was having too much fun to spoil the moment, but she wanted a subject that wasn’t her. “I can’t believe it’s after three. I am so tired and so wired. I won’t get anything done at work tomorrow. Or is that today?”
“So call in sick,” Zane said. “I’ll forge you a doctor’s note.”
Archer held up his hands. “I
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