Dopplebanger (Meet-Cute #5)

Chapter 6

SIX

Staying up until two with Tori was a mistake. Well, mistake seemed a bit harsh considering all the eye candy we’d partaken in, but as I waited for the coffee to brew, tired was an understatement.

The loud knock at the door made me wince.

Butterflies stirred to life when I saw Evan on the other side of the peephole. When he greeted me with a smile and a “Mornin’, gorgeous,” those butterflies got serious about batting their wings. “You ready for our grand adventure?” he asked.

“Almost. Coffee first.” I grabbed my favorite Harry Potter mug out of the cabinet, the one that said “Espresso Patronum” across the front. Then I frowned at it because there was some reason I wasn’t going to use it, but how could that be? It was my favorite.

“Is there something I can help you with?”

I glanced over my shoulder at Evan. Right. We were leaving, which meant I wanted a to-go cup. I placed the mug back in the cabinet and grabbed my thermos instead. “Want some?”

“Nah. I’m not that big on coffee.”

“Since when?” I asked as I reached for the cream and sugar.

“This morning, I guess.”

I turned to study him, my skeptical expression in place, but then I really took him in, and gah he was sexy. I could write a sonnet about his eyebrows alone. Anyway, I could if I Googled what exactly a sonnet entailed.

So I wouldn’t completely lose my mind and start spouting cheesy poetry, I focused on fixing up my coffee. Where’s the stupid lid?

I opened the cupboard with all of our glasses and mugs and ran my hand along each shelf, still coming up empty. Just when I was about to start cursing and jump up on the counter, I spotted the lid—right next to the coffeemaker. I swear it wasn’t there the first time I looked for it.

When I turned around, the amount of amusement in Evan’s features gave me the inkling that I was the brunt of some kind of unspoken joke. I glanced down and checked that my clothes were in order. They seemed to be. “What?”

He shrugged. “Nothing.”

I pouted my lips. “That’s what people say when it’s something.”

“You caught me.” He stepped closer and cupped my cheek. “You’re obviously tired and it’s cute. I figured you just always spoke one-hundred miles an hour.”

“One, I do, but two, not really, because no matter how fast I talk, it wouldn’t help me travel any number of miles, although that would be super useful.”

His smile spread, bringing out that ridiculously chiseled jaw.

“And three, the state I’m in is sort of your fault. Talking to you on the phone last night made me late for my Netflix appointment with Tori.” Not that I regretted a second of it. “She kept saying ‘just one more episode’ again and again, and then the ‘for realz, last one’ ended on a cliffhanger. So then I said one more, and this tired version of me is a result.”

Evan brushed his thumb over my cheekbone and my breath caught in my lungs.

“It’s probably a relief, my talking slower for a couple of minutes.” Thanks to his touch, I was also talking a lot breathier. Unfortunately, more nearing-an-asthma-attack than sultry-vixen breathy.

“Nope, I miss scrambling to keep up with what you’re saying.”

“You’re so going to regret saying that in about ten minutes when the coffee kicks in.”

“So to clarify, your list with three bullet-points is what you consider slow?” he asked, and I made an offended noise in the back of my throat. But before I could pull away in mock offense, he added, “I’m just teasing you. I say bring it.”

The way he looked at me sent all sorts of amazing sensations twisting through me. Desire, attraction, happiness. It was also more effective at waking me up than coffee could ever be.

I tipped onto my toes so I could feel those delicious lips against mine again. I loved the way he immediately took charge of the kiss, using his thumb to tilt my chin and deepen the kiss. Anchoring me to him with his arm around my back. Sweeping his tongue in to tangle with mine for a second before switching back to all lips.

Now that we’d found our perfect kissing groove, it’d become addictive, and I craved another hit even before it ended.

I ran my hand down the side of his face as I peered into his blue, blue eyes. “Has it always been like this?”

He covered the hand I had on his face with his and let out a long exhale. “It’s never been like this.”

A loud throat-clearing cut through the sound of my rapid pulse rushing through my head. I reluctantly let go of Evan and spun to face Tori. Her hair was mussed and her bloodshot eyes mirrored the red in mine. She blinked at the bright lights. “I came to say goodbye.”

She took a step forward and hugged me, then aimed her narrowed gaze at Evan. “You make sure that my girl experiences the best road trip of her life—and I mean the best . As soon as you’ve made everyone in her hometown insanely jealous of her amazing life, bring her back to me, and I expect at least a whole day to myself before I see your smug mug again. Unless you screw up the trip—then you’ll see me sooner.”

I pressed my lips together, trying to contain the laugh that wanted to burst out at Evan’s stunned expression. Being tired made me less wordy, whereas it made Tori more so, not to mention scarier than usual. Less British as well, but I’d never point that out or she’d turn her threatening leer on me. “You remember my friend, Tori?”

“How could I forget?” He reached for the handle on my large purple suitcase. “I’m assuming this is yours?”

“Yeah. One wheel stopped spinning and it’s kind of heavy, so I can carry it if?—”

“Who do you think you’re talking to? Have you already forgotten how much dogfood I can lift?”

I laughed. “I don’t know what I was thinking.” I did a last-minute scan, checking I had everything, then grabbed my bag of snacks and my purse, and gave Tori one more hug. “Coffee’s already made.”

“Blimey, I love you.” I thought that might be more Irish than British, but she’d landed in the UK region, anyway.

“Love you, too.”

Once we got to the car, Evan placed my suitcase in the trunk, next to his much smaller duffel bag. He opened the passenger side door for me, something he’d only done on our first official date, and I slid inside. I couldn’t help running my hand over the dashboard.

“Don’t mind me,” I said when Evan settled behind the steering wheel, “I’m just petting your car. I like to think I’m above material things, but this car is one of the exceptions. Everything about it says sleek, powerful, and fast.”

“In other words, you’re only dating me because of the car.”

I glanced at him, relaxing when I saw the teasing smile. “Totally. Of course, everything about you says sleek, powerful, and fast, too. Why wouldn’t I go for the package deal?”

“Beats me.” His voice sounded slightly… resigned? Envious?—no, that didn’t make any sense. Unless he envied himself?

Evidently, my people-reader is off when I’m tired. I’m sure more coffee and time will recalibrate it.

I reached over and squeezed his hand, wanting to make sure we were still good. He turned his head to me, his gaze boring into mine so intensely my heart forgot how to beat, and then squeezed back. It gave me that fresh from the roller coaster feeling and put everything right with the world again.

We were finally getting to that comfortable part of the relationship where we knew each other better and experienced that sense of security that came along with the added familiarity. Bonus, it renewed the tingly, magical vibes that usually accompanied the beginnings of a relationship.

“Now I’m ready,” I said, flashing him a smile.

He fired up the engine, revving it like he’d forgotten the way it growled, and with that, we were off, on our way to our very own adventure.