I’m thinking?”
“That you plan to hit on Lucia.”
He grinned. “If by ‘hit on her’ you mean ask her out, I’ve already done so. We have a date to go to the movies this Saturday night.”
Bailey’s eyes widened. “Are you crazy? That’s Chloe’s best friend.”
Now it was his turn. “And?”
“And everybody around these parts knows how most of the single male Westmorelands operate. You’re used to those silly girls and wouldn’t know how to appreciate a woman with sense like Lucia.”
“You don’t think so?”
“I know so and if you end up doing something stupid like hurting her, Chloe would never forgive you for it.”
He shrugged at the thought. Chances were, Chloe had no idea what her best friend had pulled that night. And as far as what Bailey said about Lucia’s having sense, he didn’t doubt that, which made him uneasy about just what she would gain from tumbling into bed with him.
“Lucia is an adult. She can handle me,” he said.He wouldn’t break it down and tell her that Lucia had handled him and had done a real good job doing so. He got a hard-on every time he thought about that night.
“I’m still warning you, Derringer. And besides being Chloe’s best friend, Megan, Gemma and I like her as well.”
He cocked an amused brow. “I guess that means a lot. The three of you never like any of the girls I date. I’ll have to keep that in mind.”
Without giving his kid sister time to say anything else, he quickly moved up the stairs for his nap.
Lucia couldn’t wait to get back to her office to give Chloe a call and tell her about her date on Saturday night with Derringer.
“I’m happy for you,” Chloe said with a smile in her voice that Lucia heard. “Falling off that horse must have knocked some sense into him. At least you know why he never approached you before. I can see your dad warning him off. I heard the Westmorelands had quite a reputation back in the day.”
Lucia nodded. “And you think I did the right thing in agreeing to go out with him?”
“Come on, Lucia, don’t you dare ask me that. You’ve loved the guy forever. You’ve even gone so far as to sleep with him.”
She drew in a deep, ragged breath. “But he doesn’t know that. At least I don’t think he does.”
“You honestly think he doesn’t know?”
“I assumed he did and that was the only reason he wanted to share my table.”
She heard Chloe bristle at that assumption. “Whydo you continue to think you’re no match for Derringer when you’re classier than all those other women he messes around with?”
“But that’s just it, Chloe. I’m not the kind of woman he prefers, the kind he has a history of dating. I can’t hold a candle to someone like Ashira Lattimore. And everyone knows she has been vying for his attention for years.”
“I’ve met her and she’s spoiled, self-centered, possessive and clingy. Definitely not wife material.”
“Wife material?” Lucia laughed. “A wife is the furthest thing from Derringer’s mind. You know that as well as I do.”
“Yes, but I’m sure a lot of people said the same thing about Ramsey before I arrived on the scene. So that means a man’s mind can change with the right woman. All you have to do is convince Derringer you’re the right woman.”
Lucia cringed at the thought of trying to do that. She wouldn’t even know where to begin. “That’s easy for you to say and do, Chloe. You’ve always been sure of yourself in everything you did.”
“In that case, maybe you ought to try it for yourself. Just think, Lucia. Evidently Derringer is on your hook and now you have the chance to reel him right on in. You know how I feel about missed opportunities. How would things have turned out had I accepted Ramsey’s refusal to be on the cover of my magazine? I saw what I wanted and decided to go after it. I think you should use that same approach.”
“I don’t know,” Lucia said on a heavy sigh. This wasn’t the first
“That you plan to hit on Lucia.”
He grinned. “If by ‘hit on her’ you mean ask her out, I’ve already done so. We have a date to go to the movies this Saturday night.”
Bailey’s eyes widened. “Are you crazy? That’s Chloe’s best friend.”
Now it was his turn. “And?”
“And everybody around these parts knows how most of the single male Westmorelands operate. You’re used to those silly girls and wouldn’t know how to appreciate a woman with sense like Lucia.”
“You don’t think so?”
“I know so and if you end up doing something stupid like hurting her, Chloe would never forgive you for it.”
He shrugged at the thought. Chances were, Chloe had no idea what her best friend had pulled that night. And as far as what Bailey said about Lucia’s having sense, he didn’t doubt that, which made him uneasy about just what she would gain from tumbling into bed with him.
“Lucia is an adult. She can handle me,” he said.He wouldn’t break it down and tell her that Lucia had handled him and had done a real good job doing so. He got a hard-on every time he thought about that night.
“I’m still warning you, Derringer. And besides being Chloe’s best friend, Megan, Gemma and I like her as well.”
He cocked an amused brow. “I guess that means a lot. The three of you never like any of the girls I date. I’ll have to keep that in mind.”
Without giving his kid sister time to say anything else, he quickly moved up the stairs for his nap.
Lucia couldn’t wait to get back to her office to give Chloe a call and tell her about her date on Saturday night with Derringer.
“I’m happy for you,” Chloe said with a smile in her voice that Lucia heard. “Falling off that horse must have knocked some sense into him. At least you know why he never approached you before. I can see your dad warning him off. I heard the Westmorelands had quite a reputation back in the day.”
Lucia nodded. “And you think I did the right thing in agreeing to go out with him?”
“Come on, Lucia, don’t you dare ask me that. You’ve loved the guy forever. You’ve even gone so far as to sleep with him.”
She drew in a deep, ragged breath. “But he doesn’t know that. At least I don’t think he does.”
“You honestly think he doesn’t know?”
“I assumed he did and that was the only reason he wanted to share my table.”
She heard Chloe bristle at that assumption. “Whydo you continue to think you’re no match for Derringer when you’re classier than all those other women he messes around with?”
“But that’s just it, Chloe. I’m not the kind of woman he prefers, the kind he has a history of dating. I can’t hold a candle to someone like Ashira Lattimore. And everyone knows she has been vying for his attention for years.”
“I’ve met her and she’s spoiled, self-centered, possessive and clingy. Definitely not wife material.”
“Wife material?” Lucia laughed. “A wife is the furthest thing from Derringer’s mind. You know that as well as I do.”
“Yes, but I’m sure a lot of people said the same thing about Ramsey before I arrived on the scene. So that means a man’s mind can change with the right woman. All you have to do is convince Derringer you’re the right woman.”
Lucia cringed at the thought of trying to do that. She wouldn’t even know where to begin. “That’s easy for you to say and do, Chloe. You’ve always been sure of yourself in everything you did.”
“In that case, maybe you ought to try it for yourself. Just think, Lucia. Evidently Derringer is on your hook and now you have the chance to reel him right on in. You know how I feel about missed opportunities. How would things have turned out had I accepted Ramsey’s refusal to be on the cover of my magazine? I saw what I wanted and decided to go after it. I think you should use that same approach.”
“I don’t know,” Lucia said on a heavy sigh. This wasn’t the first
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