Undone (A Country Roads Novel) by Shannon Richard Page B

going here, Paige. Just leave that carpet in the hallway,” he said as he continued to study the floor. “I might not want to store it after all.”
    “Really?” she asked, shocked.
    “Yeah,” Mr. Adams said, looking at her. “Maybe we should change things up here a little. Did you get a chance to look at the tribute program?”
    “A little. I’m going to really get into it tomorrow.”
    “Alright, you two have a nice night together,” Mr. Adams said, backing toward the door.
    “We will,” Brendan said, waving.
    Paige was too confused to say anything besides “bye.”
    “Your girl?” she whispered, turning to him when she heard Mr. Adams’s loud steps descending the stairs. “Why didn’t you correct him?”
    “Because I didn’t want to,” he said, turning back to her. “But I can tell you I’m disappointed I can’t get the ‘whatever I want’ for helping you move your carpet now.”
    “I didn’t say you could get whatever you wanted. I asked what you wanted.”
    “I guess you did,” he said, letting his eyes dip to her mouth again.
    “So, uh, what did you want?”
    “Is the offer still on the table?”
    “I don’t need you to move the rug anymore, so no.”
    “Then I’m not telling.” He grinned.
    She didn’t want to know what he wanted anyways…alright, fine, she really, really did.
    “You ready to go?”
    “Whenever you are,” he said, taking a step back toward the door.
    Paige shut her computer down, grabbed her purse, and followed Brendan down the stairs.
    “You done for the day, sweetie?” Tara asked as they stopped in front of her desk.
    “Yes. I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow.”
    “Yes, ma’am. I’ll be waiting to hear all about your evening,” she said, giving the two of them a sly smile. “Have fun.”
    “Oh, no—”
    “We will,” Brendan said, cutting Paige off. “Night, Tara,” he said, putting his hand on Paige’s arm and guiding her out of the office.
    Once they got outside, Paige pulled her arm out of his hand and elbowed him in the ribs.
    “Ouch,” he said, rubbing his side. “What was that for?”
    “You know exactly what that was for. You’re having fun with this, aren’t you?”
    “Having fun with what?” he asked as they made their way to his car.
    “Letting people think we’re together.”
    “Would that be so bad?” he asked as he smiled over his shoulder.
    She stopped in her tracks as he continued to walk.
    “You coming?” he called out. “Or are you going to walk?”
    She caught up to him as he opened the passenger-side door of a black pickup truck. She eyed the high step carefully, trying to figure out how to get in. She reached up with one hand and, before she knew it, her other was in Brendan’s and he had a hand on her back helping her up.
    “Thank you,” she said, turning to him when her butt was firmly in the seat.
    The brief physical contact had shocked her, and she wanted to “accidentally” fall out of his truck so that he would have to help her in again.
    “No problem,” he said, taking a step up onto the ledge of the truck and leaning in the cab toward her. His face was just a couple of inches from hers, his eyes focused intently on hers. “And Paige, it’s just a matter of time.”
    “W-what is?”
    He just grinned as he stepped down and shut the door.
    Paige sat there with her mouth hanging open as Brendan rounded the truck. He opened the door and got in easily. He buckled his seat belt and started the engine, putting his hand on the back of her headrest as he looked behind himself and backed out.
    Paige looked around, trying to focus on anything besides how close he was to her, or on what he’d just said. His truck was clean, no wrappers or sticky candy attached to the floor. There was a stack of papers stuck in the front right corner of the dashboard and a gym bag in the back seat. A black baseball hat with a stingray hung from the rearview mirror. There was a picture next to his speedometer of him