two days before the wedding.” There went another Band-Aid.
“Whoa. You don’t hear of that happening every day.” She squeezed his hand but didn’t pull away.
“Nope. And, I assure you, it’s not as awesome as it sounds.” His heartbeat was practically in her ear, so he thought of his family’s cabin in the Tacoma woods to calm himself. Felicia wasn’t exactly his favorite topic. He didn’t want Sophie to move, but he was at a distinct disadvantage.
“Sounds like a royal mess. Were you the heartbreaker or heart-breakee?”
I was the ass who didn’t pay attention to her.
He didn’t want to ever make that mistake again. Which was why he wasn’t going to date anyone until he could actually make time for them.
“Little of both, I suppose.”
“That is how those things usually go—well, that’s a best-case scenario probably. What happened?” she asked.
“She figured out there was something missing. I’d coasted, and it wasn’t fair to her.” Better to be honest with Sophie, let her know exactly what kind of guy he was and what it was like dating him rather than letting her find out the hard way later. Not that she wanted to actually date him; they’d been on that same page before the bedroom.
“So she’s the one who called off her own, probably already planned-down-to-the-last-Jordan-almond wedding? Brave.”
“I see you’ve taken her side.” He reached down and tapped Sophie’s ass with his palm.
“No.” She laughed. “Just observing that wouldn’t have been an easy call to make. It would’ve been almost easier just to go through with it at that point.”
“I’m glad she didn’t.”
Her light breath skimmed the tender skin of his chest, causing goose bumps on his arms. Even though the current topic wasn’t his favorite, he liked lying in bed talking with Sophie. He liked doing a lot of things with her and had more planned for the night. Power outage or not.
“Is that why you’re here and don’t keep in contact with people from your old life?”
Old life.
The term struck hard. She implied he’d made a new life here, in Casper, with his restaurant. And he really had. Putting his head down for so long, he’d actually created a life for himself—one where he worked all the time toward a solitary goal he was solidly achieving. The restaurant was doing well and gaining ground, and Kurt, his front-of-house manager, had everything under control.
Maybe the new life needs a little more Sophie in it.
“I didn’t have a lot of people to keep in contact with. I’m focused and don’t need a lot of distraction; some friends wouldn’t understand. And I don’t want to justify anything to anyone.”
“Can’t they see you’re living your dream and be supportive?”
He actually liked having Sophie ask him questions—maybe he’d been in his self-imposed solitude for too long. After the restaurant was at a comfortable point, he’d get back into the dating scene. “I had a restaurant in Tacoma before I left.”
“Why’d you leave that behind? I thought this was your first one.”
“This is my first place by myself. I opened the other one with my ex’s father.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah. Oh. He bought me out, and I used that money, all I have, to start Sizzo’s. I don’t want to fail. I can’t.”
This time around, he’d never have to give up his hard work. Sizzo’s was all his. If he didn’t work hard enough to make the restaurant a success then that was on him, but he’d never again have to walk away. He let his gaze wander over the curves of Sophie’s naked body. This was precisely why he’d made his no-friends and no-dating rules when he’d moved. He needed to stay on track.
Ah, hell.
He hated when what he needed and wanted were not the same.
Don’t think about the restaurant tonight.
“I thought we’d moved past that.” She playfully tapped his ribs. “I’m sure you won’t fail, but if you do it’s okay, because then you’ll learn and do better next
“Whoa. You don’t hear of that happening every day.” She squeezed his hand but didn’t pull away.
“Nope. And, I assure you, it’s not as awesome as it sounds.” His heartbeat was practically in her ear, so he thought of his family’s cabin in the Tacoma woods to calm himself. Felicia wasn’t exactly his favorite topic. He didn’t want Sophie to move, but he was at a distinct disadvantage.
“Sounds like a royal mess. Were you the heartbreaker or heart-breakee?”
I was the ass who didn’t pay attention to her.
He didn’t want to ever make that mistake again. Which was why he wasn’t going to date anyone until he could actually make time for them.
“Little of both, I suppose.”
“That is how those things usually go—well, that’s a best-case scenario probably. What happened?” she asked.
“She figured out there was something missing. I’d coasted, and it wasn’t fair to her.” Better to be honest with Sophie, let her know exactly what kind of guy he was and what it was like dating him rather than letting her find out the hard way later. Not that she wanted to actually date him; they’d been on that same page before the bedroom.
“So she’s the one who called off her own, probably already planned-down-to-the-last-Jordan-almond wedding? Brave.”
“I see you’ve taken her side.” He reached down and tapped Sophie’s ass with his palm.
“No.” She laughed. “Just observing that wouldn’t have been an easy call to make. It would’ve been almost easier just to go through with it at that point.”
“I’m glad she didn’t.”
Her light breath skimmed the tender skin of his chest, causing goose bumps on his arms. Even though the current topic wasn’t his favorite, he liked lying in bed talking with Sophie. He liked doing a lot of things with her and had more planned for the night. Power outage or not.
“Is that why you’re here and don’t keep in contact with people from your old life?”
Old life.
The term struck hard. She implied he’d made a new life here, in Casper, with his restaurant. And he really had. Putting his head down for so long, he’d actually created a life for himself—one where he worked all the time toward a solitary goal he was solidly achieving. The restaurant was doing well and gaining ground, and Kurt, his front-of-house manager, had everything under control.
Maybe the new life needs a little more Sophie in it.
“I didn’t have a lot of people to keep in contact with. I’m focused and don’t need a lot of distraction; some friends wouldn’t understand. And I don’t want to justify anything to anyone.”
“Can’t they see you’re living your dream and be supportive?”
He actually liked having Sophie ask him questions—maybe he’d been in his self-imposed solitude for too long. After the restaurant was at a comfortable point, he’d get back into the dating scene. “I had a restaurant in Tacoma before I left.”
“Why’d you leave that behind? I thought this was your first one.”
“This is my first place by myself. I opened the other one with my ex’s father.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah. Oh. He bought me out, and I used that money, all I have, to start Sizzo’s. I don’t want to fail. I can’t.”
This time around, he’d never have to give up his hard work. Sizzo’s was all his. If he didn’t work hard enough to make the restaurant a success then that was on him, but he’d never again have to walk away. He let his gaze wander over the curves of Sophie’s naked body. This was precisely why he’d made his no-friends and no-dating rules when he’d moved. He needed to stay on track.
Ah, hell.
He hated when what he needed and wanted were not the same.
Don’t think about the restaurant tonight.
“I thought we’d moved past that.” She playfully tapped his ribs. “I’m sure you won’t fail, but if you do it’s okay, because then you’ll learn and do better next
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