Beautiful Redemption (The Maddox Brothers, #2)(37)
I shook my head and pointed to the door. “You’ve got to tell them to quit that shit. I have to get some sleep.”
Thomas nodded again. “Yeah. I’ll go.” He turned for the door, but then he stopped, flipped around, and pointed at me. “You thought that was me. You were pissed.”
I made a face. “No, I wasn’t.”
“Yeah, you were. Admit it.”
“So what if I was?”
“Why were you mad?” he asked, his eyes begging me for something.
“Because it’s three a.m., and I should be sleeping.”
“Bullshit.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about!”
I knew exactly what he meant, and he knew that I was trying to play dumb.
He smiled. “You thought that was me banging some chick from the bar, and you were mad at me. You were jealous.”
After several seconds of being unable to come back with a believable response, I blurted out, “So?”
Thomas raised his chin and then reached behind him to grip the doorknob. “Good night, Liis.”
I maintained the dirtiest look I could until he shut the door, and then I walked over to the broom, scooped it up, and pushed the chair back to the table.
After a minute or so, the yelping and banging stopped.
I trudged to my room, stripped off my clothes, and slipped on a T-shirt before falling into the bed.
Not only did I not hate Thomas, I liked him. Worse than that, he knew it.
I FLIPPED MY WRIST OVER TO CHECK MY WATCH, cursing myself for sleeping in. After poking a pair of fake diamond studs into the holes in my ears, I slipped on my heels, grabbed my purse, and opened the door.
Thomas stood there with a Styrofoam cup in each hand. “Coffee?”
I pulled the door closed and twisted the key in the lock. “Is there milk in that coffee?” I asked.
“Nope. Six sugars and a two creamers.”
“How do you know how I take my coffee?” I asked, taking the cup he’d pushed toward me.
We walked together to the elevator, and Thomas pressed the button.
“Constance.”
“Constance knows you bought me coffee?”
“Constance told me to buy you coffee.”
The doors opened, and we stepped inside.
I turned to him, confused. “She’s up early,” I grumbled. “Why would Constance tell you to do this?”
He shrugged. “She thought you might like it if I did.”
I turned to face forward. He was answering me without answering me, my very least favorite thing. I was going to have to ask Val to teach me her human-lie-detector trick.
“No more questions?” Thomas asked.
“No.”
“No?”
“You won’t give me a real answer anyway.”
“Constance knows I like you. She says I’ve been different since you’ve been here, and she’s right.”
“Thomas,” I said, turning to him, “I…appreciate that, but I’m—”
“Emotionally unavailable. I know. But you’re also just coming out of a relationship. I’m not asking you to move in with me.”
“What are you asking?”
“Let me take you to work.”
“That’s not a question.”
“Okay. Can we have dinner alone?”
I turned to him as the elevator opened. “Are you asking me on a date, Maddox?”
I walked into the lobby, my heels clicking against the floor.
After a few seconds of hesitation, he nodded once. “Yes.”
“I don’t have time for anything messy. I’m committed to the job.”
“As am I.”
“I like to work late hours.”
“As do I.”
“I don’t like to report to anyone.”
“Nor do I.”
“Then, yes.”
“Yes, I can take you to work? Or yes, we can have dinner?”
“Yes to both.”
He smiled, triumphant, and then he used his back to push open the lobby doors, keeping me in view. “My vehicle’s this way.”
During the drive to work, Thomas explained his evening with Taylor, what time Agent Davies had left his condo, and how inconvenient it was to have a drop-in guest even if it was his brother.
The freeway was still damp from the rain the day before. He weaved his Land Rover in and out of traffic, and although I was used to driving in Chicago, San Diego was totally different, and I wasn’t sure if I would be prepared once I found a vehicle.
“You look nervous,” Thomas said.
“I hate the freeway,” I grumbled.
“You’ll hate it more when you drive it. When does your car get here? You’re going on three weeks without it.”
“It’s not coming. My parents are selling it for me. I’m going to look for a new one when I have some time, but for now, public transportation works.”
Thomas made a face. “That’s ridiculous. You can just ride with me.”
“It’s really fine,” I said.
“Just meet me out front in the mornings. We leave at the same time anyway, and we’re going to the same place. Plus, you’re doing me a favor. I can drive in the carpool lane.”