Inside Out by Lauren Dane Page A

away.
    “Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” Elise said. “I thought after I spoke that you might want to be alone with him in the car. You two seemed to really be, um, wow, with each other tonight.”
    “He was just being polite.”
    “He’s never that polite to me,” Elise said, one of her eyebrows sliding up.
    “That’s different. He’d never flirt like that with a friend’s girlfriend.” She was insulted on his behalf. He’d never do anything like that!
    “Exactly! You’re a single woman in his eyes, and I can only say it’s about time.” Erin leaned back with a smirk. “And don’t think I don’t know you called it an early night because of me.”
    “Are you kidding me? I’m too old for all that noise. I have presents in my trunk too.”
    Erin’s face lit, making Ella laugh. “Presents! Wheee!”
    “You’re a present whore.” Elise grinned.
    “Totally.”
    “We should have taken over Adrian’s house tonight,” Elise said as they got out once they arrived home. “Had a slumber party.”
    “He would have loved that.” Erin snickered. “He has a movie theater and soda on tap. I would live in his house if I could. I also know Brody would be a grumpy butthead if he had to be separated from you tonight.” Erin looked up and caught sight of Todd as he waited on the porch. “I sleep better at home anyway,” she said, her voice fading at the end as her man caught her attention fully.
    They were all going to have hot sex that night, and Ella was not. She frowned a moment until she caught sight of Cope, but he was on his phone, looking serious.
    When he hung up and turned to face her, she knew he was going to tell her something she didn’t want to hear.
    He caught up to her in the front hall where she’d removed her coat and pulled her boots off. In her bare feet, he nearly towered over her. She wondered idly if she’d have been nervous if it were anyone but him.
    “Hi, there.” She smiled up at him, still slightly tipsy.
    He grabbed one of her hands and squeezed. “Hey. I’m sorry, I can’t stay. We’ll talk more tomorrow, okay? We’re having a problem with one of our systems. I’m on call tonight, so I have to go.”
    “Sorry to hear that.” She shouldn’t be disappointed, for heaven’s sake. He had a job to do. He owned his own business, so of course he had to do stuff like this. At least he wasn’t a cop anymore. She knew she’d have worried way more in that case. As a friend, of course.
    “Listen, how about we carpool tomorrow? It can be our little nod to being green and stuff. Also, we live close enough to each other so it makes sense.” He cocked his head, and she probably would have agreed to just about anything he’d proposed; the way he looked at her was irresistible.
    “I have to be at Adrian’s a few hours early to help out.”
    He grinned, and everything in her body did the wave.
    “What a coincidence, me too. Works out even better.” That damned grin again, and she was totally lost.
    “All right. If you’re sure you don’t mind. I’ll be out front at two, okay?”
    He frowned and still was beautiful.
    “How about no? What do you think I am? I’ll park and come get you. You’re not going to wait in the cold for me at the curb. Go on in and have a good time. I’ll see you tomorrow. I may even be back here later on, depending on how complicated this call is.”
    She watched him hug Elise and Brody, kiss Erin’s cheek and wave good-bye at the room full of people before he moved back to where she stood.
    “See you tomorrow, Ella.”
    It was the way he looked at her, she decided, that was different. He looked into her face, into her eyes and held her gaze.
    “Yeah, see you then.” She waved like a doofus and didn’t even pretend she wasn’t looking at his ass as he walked down the front walk to his car.
    “Whoo,” she muttered before turning back and going into the main room.
    Cope slumped through his front door some hours later, exhausted and annoyed that