The Wedding Party (The Wedding Date, #3)(42)

“That’s great! You’ll be fantastic! Let me know if you need help preparing or anything like that.”

She laughed.

“I think you’ve done a lot of the prep with me already—all this reality TV we watch together helps show me how it’s done.” She paused.

“Except for The Great British Baking Show. Unfortunately, American networks don’t like their hosts to be that nice.”

She’d been thinking a lot about that, actually. Even the nice makeover shows wanted their hosts to have an edge at the beginning, to help set up the heartwarming thing at the end. Luckily, she was great at being bitchily funny when she needed to be.

“I’ll watch whatever you want.” He pulled her into a kiss before he stood up. “I’m getting more pizza. You want another slice?”

When he came back from the kitchen, he poured them both more wine before he sat down.

“I can’t believe I was so stupid as to leave my only spare key with Ben, of all people. I bet you anything he has no idea where my key even is. I’m getting two extra keys made and leaving one with you and one with Alexa.” He glanced at her and paused for a second. “I mean, if that’s okay with you. You probably don’t need me barging in on you the next time I lose my temper and then leave my keys at work.”

She took her glass of wine out of his hand.

“No problem. I’m probably a safer person to have your key than either your brother or Alexa. She’s always off doing wedding stuff these days. That’s where they are tonight, by the way—they’re up in Wine Country looking at some venue.”

He settled back onto the couch with his pizza.

“Oh, that’s right. I’m sure she told me that, but I was distracted by everything else that happened today.”

They curled up on the couch as they finished the pizza; first sitting up straight on the couch, and eventually both lying on the couch, some reality TV show in the background. Theo’s arm was around her, and her head was tucked into the hollow of his chest. She did really like that blue T-shirt he was wearing. It was so soft against her back that she moved a little just to feel it slide against her bare skin. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes; this was the first time all week she’d really been able to relax, and it felt so good.

She popped her eyes back open. This was altogether too comfortable. What the hell was even going on? Why was she all cozy on her couch snuggled into Theo, for the love of God? Had they really just had a conversation about him giving her a key to his apartment? She knew this thing wasn’t going to last for all that much longer—there was no way it could. Why were they both acting so out of character tonight? This thing was about sex, remember?

She turned to Theo to get the whole sex part of this evening going, and found him sound asleep, his arm still around her, the look on his face so peaceful that she didn’t want to disturb him.

No, come on, Maddie. What had she just been thinking? Who cared if she disturbed him!

She reached out and shook him, not so gently.

Finally, he half opened his eyes and smiled at her. His lashes were far too long to be on a man; it was just unfair. She would pay for lashes that good. She had paid for lashes that good.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep,” he said.

She stood up.

“Come on, bedtime.” She reached out her hand to him. He grabbed it and pulled himself off the couch.

She led him into her mostly tidy bedroom and disappeared into the bathroom to splash water on her face and attempt to pull herself out of this weird, schmoopy mood. When she got out of the bathroom, he was already in her bed, looking right at home.

“Hey,” he said as she approached the bed. “Thanks. For letting me come over, tonight, I mean. Even aside from a place to stay, I needed a friendly face. Thanks for being that.”

Damn it, why did he have to say something so nice? She didn’t want to actually like him!

She slid into the bed next to him, and he pulled her close. She didn’t even try to resist; it was all too comfortable. Every time she changed her sheets and had a just-made bed, she was so cozy that she thought she should turn into one of those people who made their bed every morning. Maybe this time she’d really do it.

“You’re welcome. Thanks for the pizza.”

He kissed her gently, and they lay like that for a while, kissing slowly, nothing moving except for their lips, tucked into her best sheets and under a big pile of fluffy blankets. She knew at some point one of them would move faster, and she knew when that happened it would be good; it always was. But for now, the slow, sleepy kissing was so soothing she could let it go on forever. She closed her eyes and let herself float along with the stroke of his lips and the touch of his tongue.

Theo woke up in Maddie’s bed, his arms still around her. She was still sound asleep, so he snuck out of bed and into the bathroom. She’d left a new toothbrush next to the sink for him, thank goodness, so he brushed his teeth before getting back in bed.

She stirred and nuzzled her head against him as he put his arms back around her. Maddie was always so much softer and less prickly when she was half-asleep. It wasn’t that he didn’t like sparring with her—he enjoyed it far more than he tried to let her know—but he also really liked when she unexpectedly dropped a kiss on his cheek, or let her head rest on his shoulder, or rubbed her face against his chest.