How the Light Gets In (Cracks Duet #2)(39)
Yvonne laughed. “Upsetting?”
“Yes, anything that cringe-worthy is incredibly upsetting.”
We spent the next hour chatting and drinking, and it all felt so effortless between the four of us. In fact, it was really nice, like a little slice of home. I’d been distracted by a story Conor was telling when I noticed Dylan staring intently at my chest. I cleared my throat. His attention lingered then rose to my face.
I mouthed a quick, What?
Are you wearing a bra? he mouthed back.
Instantly, my nipples hardened at the thought of him studying me, trying to decide if I was wearing one. My T-shirt was extra baggy, and I wore a small vest underneath, so it wasn’t immediately obvious. I simply cocked a brow at him and ignored his mouthed question. He knocked back a long gulp of beer and frowned. Maybe he was annoyed that I wasn’t wearing a bra and he couldn’t do anything about it.
“Jeez, it’s getting late. I better call a taxi,” Conor announced. “You ready to head back, Dylan?”
Dylan cast me frustrated look, then brought his attention to Conor. “Sure, why not.”
A few minutes later their taxi arrived. Dylan came and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before they left, whispering in my ear, “You just love to torture me.”
I only smiled in return and then they were gone.
“I’m going to bed,” Yvonne said, yawning.
“Go ahead. I’ll clean up out here.”
My phone buzzed with a text when I was in the kitchen. I picked it up.
Dylan: Wish I could’ve stayed over again. I missed you last night.
I thought about how to reply. He was being too romantic, and I couldn’t handle it. I already felt like I was falling for him way too quickly, which was why I responded with humour.
Evelyn: Boob oglers don’t get to stay over.
Dylan: Not even if they pay fealty to said boobs?
Evelyn: I’d advise you to remove ‘pay fealty’ from your dirty talk repertoire.
Dylan: Too medieval?
Evelyn: Makes me think of a nerdy guy in a cosplay outfit who wants to be dominated.
Dylan: Enough said. It’s out.
Dylan: Just out of curiosity, what should be in my repertoire?
Evelyn: I can’t give you answers to the test. That’s cheating :-P
Dylan: Just looking for some pointers.
Evelyn: Okay, here’s one: Go to bed. You have work in the morning.
Dylan: Have you thought any more about Saturday?
I hesitated before typing out a reply.
Evelyn: I’ll go, but only because I want to see the farm.
Dylan: Great. I’ll pick you up at 10. Xxx
A few minutes went by and I was just climbing into bed when my phone buzzed again.
Dylan: I know I already said it, but you really did look beautiful tonight.
I swallowed down the flutters his text solicited and typed back.
Evelyn: And you looked very handsome.
Dylan: See you Saturday, Ev.
Evelyn: See you Saturday, Dylan.
I slid my phone onto my dresser, switched off the lamp and closed my eyes, a smile on my face as I fell asleep.
Chapter 12
“Is this your car?” I asked Dylan when he picked me up outside my building on Saturday morning.
I slid into the passenger seat, enjoying the feel of the soft leather. I knew nothing about cars, but I could tell this one was expensive, and I bet it wasn’t even on a payment plan. Seemed you could buy expensive cars when you were the master of your own universe. Sometimes it freaked me out how far Dylan had come in life. Okay, a lot of the time it freaked me out, but I was slowly getting used to it.
“Yeah, bit of a pain in the arse though,” he replied. “There are all these rules about parking here. I have to send my assistant over to move it at different times of the day.”
“You have an assistant?”
He nodded. “His name’s Clive. Good bloke.”
That was interesting. I never saw him around, but then again, I’d only visited Dylan at work twice. “Clive is such an assistant’s name.”
Dylan shot me a funny look as he pulled into traffic. “Is it?”
“Yep. I can just imagine you all, Clive, get me my coffee. Clive, tell Nancy in accounting I can’t make our 11:05. Clive, bring me my navy pea coat.”
Dylan’s husky laugh sent a pleasurable shiver down my spine. “First of all, I don’t shout commands at him, I ask nicely. And second of all, I have never worn a pea coat in my life.”
“Don’t believe you for a second. I bet you have several in various shades of businessman,” I taunted.
His lips twitched as he narrowed his gaze, looking between the road and me. There was heavy traffic, so it was going to take us a while to get out of Brooklyn.
“You’re hilarious.”
I smiled wide. “Why thanks.”
Reaching out, I turned on the radio and Taylor Swift’s new song came on. Dylan chuckled when I shimmied my shoulders and sang along.
“I take it you’re a fan?”
I shrugged. “It’s catchy.”
“You’re a delight.”
I grinned and continued my sing-a-long.
“How’s your dad these days?” I asked when we finally got out of the city. Dylan hadn’t mentioned his dad yet, and I wondered if everything was okay with him.