Attraction - temporarily available

Chapter 5

Sunlight gleamed from the black paint when Tom opened and stepped out. In a suit, as always. It felt seriously awkward when he opened the back door without a word, hiding behind his sunglasses. Suddenly I understood why Chris usually tried to open the door himself rather than allowing Tom to get there first.

"Thanks, hot stuff," I said, just to regain a part of myself that had gone awfully quiet.

Tom stiffened, but that was about it. Perhaps he even gave me a nod.

I got inside and was fastening the seatbelt when the door slammed shut, which had me smiling. Clearly, it was possible to poke that façade of his to get some kind of response. It was better to keep things light.

He revved the engine, but since the privacy screen remained in place that sound was the only sign that he was there in the car with me at all. Feeling strangely trapped, I knocked on it before I could change my mind. A full minute passed before it slowly descended.

"What?" Tom asked, not even looking at me via the rearview mirror.

I leaned forward, one hand on the back of his seat. "Are we picking up Lara, or why isn't she here?"

"Yes." He pushed a button that made the screen move back up again. Not fair.

I placed my hands on it, thinking that it would stop, which it actually did. "So it's not just you and me?"

A slight shake of his head. "Why would I want to see you alone?"

"I can think of a few reasons. And apparently the gossip column agrees."

"Get your hands off." He sounded mildly agitated, but I was having too much fun taunting him to give up.

"Pity, I thought you were more of a hands-on kind-of-guy."

I laughed when I saw his knuckles tighten around the steering wheel.

Twenty minutes later, we pulled up by the curb outside a massive house that looked more like a hotel than a residence. Lara wore a dramatic hat to shade her face and shoulders from the sun, along with sunglasses that were large enough to almost hide her identity. The midnight blue dress that fluttered in the wind suited her perfectly. I checked my outfit and decided that we wouldn't match which was a pity.

Tom helped her into the car, making sure her dress didn't get stuck in the door.

"There you are. I haven't seen you in a week. Where have you been hiding?" She pushed my shoulder lightly, smiling.

I wasn't sure what to respond. I'd only met her once before, but from her way of talking it sounded like we'd been friends forever. I decided to play along. "I've been desperate to go shopping, and here you are, saving the day."

"Oh, honey, you saved me. I've been having breakfast with the most tedious people of my acquaintance. But when family begs for a favor, you do as they say."

I nodded. I would have done anything for my family.

She leaned forward. "Tom, I think we're going for the longer trip today. Drop us off at Alexander Wang."

I should have known we were going to the kind of shops where I couldn't afford a shoelace. At least Lara's presence would give me a reason to rifle through the racks and perhaps even try stuff on for a change.

Tom stopped the car where he could find a spot on the busy shopping street, mumbling something about getting a coffee.

"Get your coffee and cake. I'll call when we need you," Lara said.

I instantly imagined Tom eating cake in the car and smudging the panel. It struck me as a ridiculous notion. I had no problem seeing him dirtying the car in other ways, though. Sex and leather was such a heady combination of scents.