The Desire Variable - Vol. I

【80】Passionate Dork

I took one last look at my reflection, fluffing up my hair and adjusting my bangs, hoping I looked good enough. With my things in hand, I exited the bathroom to drop them in my bag. As I exited Lex's room to make my way back to him, the silence felt oppressive and I had an easy way to remedy that.

"Mary, could you put a sexy chill playlist on, please?" I asked. I wasn't sure how she was programmed exactly, but I was certain Lex was smart enough to make Mary this clever. The sweet, languid, and amazing sounds of Redbone slowly rose into the ambient air, and I would have kissed the AI had there been something physical to press my lips on.

When I arrived in the living area, I spotted Lex sitting on the couch, pouring wine in a glass over the coffee table. There was already one glass filled, and he had laid out a few plates with various snacks. There were olives, potato chips, some dips, and an assortment of veggie sticks. I understood I'd taken just the right amount of time to arrive.

He saw me arrive in the corner of his eyes and turned to me. His sharp gaze locked on my dress, making me worry a little. His jaw clenched uncontrollably, and I could tell he was remembering the garment.

"I hope this one's mine," I joked, pointing at the now very well-filled glass. He abruptly returned his attention to his task and straightened the bottle up. He'd gotten a bit distracted there.

With his hurried gestures, he'd managed to pour some wine over his hand, and he grabbed a hand towel to dry it away, as well as the few drops that had made it to the table. "Sorry, I was having the most intense deja vu," he explained.

Acting innocent, I shrugged my shoulders and raised my brows, before sitting down next to him, tucking a leg under me. I reached for the glasses, and carefully poured the excess wine from one to the other, to even them out. A smile was on my lips when I handed him his, and he thanked me with a nod. A drop of wine was making its way down mine, so I mindlessly licked it up before it got too low and dropped somewhere. When I met Lex's intense stare, I understood my innocent gesture hadn't been that innocent after all.

"Well, to a productive week," I said, tapping my glass to his.

"And to an even more productive weekend," he toasted back as I was bringing the glass to my lips. An irresistible grin bent my mouth, and I sipped on my wine. Dear Lord, it was delicious. I bent to grab the bottle and examined it as if I knew anything about French wine. The name was familiar, even though I had no idea what a Château Margaux was.

"So, I didn't even ask you how was your sister's visit in town," I asked, bending to settle the bottle back on the table and take an olive. I ate it and turned to him, catching his slight grimace.

"It was all right, I guess. Lucy can be very bossy and doesn't seem to have realized I'm a grown man yet." His annoyance amused me because it hit way too close to home. Tyler often forgot I was an adult woman, too.

"Lucy is the eldest, right? Why was she here?"

"She is, yes. And she was here for a seminar. She's a pediatrician, head of her pediatric department, actually. She's incredibly good at her job, so she is invited to speak at conventions all over the country. She rarely goes, but since this one was home, she accepted."

"Where does she live?"

"She moved back to Denver when she finished her doctorate."

"Moved back? Are you Colemans originally from Colorado?" I asked, genuinely surprised.

"I was born there, yes. But then we moved to Seattle when I was around ten. I'm the only one still living here now. Emila moved to New York, and Juliet followed Lucy to Denver a couple of years after she had left. My parents are always moving around, my father especially. Miriam is mostly in Denver, but she comes to Seattle a few months per year."