alienated their
fans. One day they’re on top of the world, selling out stadiums, and the next,
they’ve hit rock bottom. We all know things can change on a dime in this
business. Nothing’s a sure thing.”
The way I feel about you is a sure
thing, darlin’ . “How’d you get so smart, pretty
lady?” He smiled over the rim of his paper cup, enjoying the color that flamed her
cheeks.
“I was studying while you were out getting
drunk, remember?”
Ryan threw his head back and laughed. He
loved that she wasn’t afraid to speak her mind with him. Most of the women he’d
dated in the past were afraid of offending him, so they held their tongue even
when he deserved a verbal lashing. Not Brianna. That was one of the dozens of
reasons he couldn’t stop himself from falling in love with her.
“All right, so I enjoyed my college years.
I’ve grown up a lot since then.”
She quirked an eyebrow. “Didn’t you tell me
you tied one on at Johnny’s strip joint just last week?” She rolled her eyes.
“Honestly, I don’t know why you’re still friends with that guy. He’s a loser if
you ask me.”
That was the problem with sharing all of
his secrets with her. There was nothing about him that she didn’t know. Well,
maybe one thing. The most important thing: the way he felt about her. “You know
I was just there to celebrate a buddy’s pendin’ nuptials. I don’t hang out
there near as much as I used to.” He grinned when she rolled her eyes. “Come on
now, I’m serious.”
“Why don’t I believe you?”
“Those girls at Johnny’s place got nothin’
on you, baby.” He locked eyes with her, daring her to dispute his claim. It was
the closest he’d come to telling her he was attracted to her since the night
they’d kissed years ago. “You gotta know that.” When the silence dragged on, he
decided to change the subject. “What have you got against Johnny anyway?”
“You mean aside from the fact that he was determined
to get me in to bed during college?”
That was news to Ryan. “What are you
talkin’ about? You never told me that.”
She shrugged. “It was no big deal. I shot
him down every time he tried.”
“Still, you should’ve told me. I would’ve
told him to back the hell off.” Ryan hated to think about her fending off a guy
like Johnny on her own. He knew how relentless Johnny could be when he set his
sights on a woman, and he didn’t like to take no for an answer.
“Ancient history,” she said with a wave of
her hand. Turning back to her computer monitor, she moved the mouse to restore
the screen. “Get out of here, Spencer. Coffee time is over. I’ve got work to
do.”
“I went to see Erika this mornin’.” He
wasn’t ready to leave. No matter how much time they spent together, it was
never enough.
“Oh, how’d that go?” she asked, giving him
her undivided attention once again.
“She’s hurtin’ almost as much as my
brother, but she’s determined to keep her distance. She says it’s over.
Accordin’ to her, there’s no goin’ back.”
Brianna sighed. “I’m so sorry to hear that.
I know how much they love each other. It’s a shame they can’t find a way to
work it out.”
“Personally, I think my brother’s a fool.”
He set his coffee down on the table beside him and leaned forward. “When you
find your soul mate, you don’t put anything else above her.”
Brianna propped her elbows on her desk and
rested her chin in her upturned palms. “Who knew you were such a romantic?”
“There’s a lot about me you don’t know,
Bri.”
She scoffed. “I doubt that. Sometimes, I
think I know you better than you know yourself.”
Ryan looked at her a long time before he
said, “In a lot of ways, you’re probably right. But you don’t know some things,
things I just may have to tell ya about one of these days.” He questioned his
sanity as he actually considered whether he should tell her how he felt. His
mouth was suddenly dry and his
fans. One day they’re on top of the world, selling out stadiums, and the next,
they’ve hit rock bottom. We all know things can change on a dime in this
business. Nothing’s a sure thing.”
The way I feel about you is a sure
thing, darlin’ . “How’d you get so smart, pretty
lady?” He smiled over the rim of his paper cup, enjoying the color that flamed her
cheeks.
“I was studying while you were out getting
drunk, remember?”
Ryan threw his head back and laughed. He
loved that she wasn’t afraid to speak her mind with him. Most of the women he’d
dated in the past were afraid of offending him, so they held their tongue even
when he deserved a verbal lashing. Not Brianna. That was one of the dozens of
reasons he couldn’t stop himself from falling in love with her.
“All right, so I enjoyed my college years.
I’ve grown up a lot since then.”
She quirked an eyebrow. “Didn’t you tell me
you tied one on at Johnny’s strip joint just last week?” She rolled her eyes.
“Honestly, I don’t know why you’re still friends with that guy. He’s a loser if
you ask me.”
That was the problem with sharing all of
his secrets with her. There was nothing about him that she didn’t know. Well,
maybe one thing. The most important thing: the way he felt about her. “You know
I was just there to celebrate a buddy’s pendin’ nuptials. I don’t hang out
there near as much as I used to.” He grinned when she rolled her eyes. “Come on
now, I’m serious.”
“Why don’t I believe you?”
“Those girls at Johnny’s place got nothin’
on you, baby.” He locked eyes with her, daring her to dispute his claim. It was
the closest he’d come to telling her he was attracted to her since the night
they’d kissed years ago. “You gotta know that.” When the silence dragged on, he
decided to change the subject. “What have you got against Johnny anyway?”
“You mean aside from the fact that he was determined
to get me in to bed during college?”
That was news to Ryan. “What are you
talkin’ about? You never told me that.”
She shrugged. “It was no big deal. I shot
him down every time he tried.”
“Still, you should’ve told me. I would’ve
told him to back the hell off.” Ryan hated to think about her fending off a guy
like Johnny on her own. He knew how relentless Johnny could be when he set his
sights on a woman, and he didn’t like to take no for an answer.
“Ancient history,” she said with a wave of
her hand. Turning back to her computer monitor, she moved the mouse to restore
the screen. “Get out of here, Spencer. Coffee time is over. I’ve got work to
do.”
“I went to see Erika this mornin’.” He
wasn’t ready to leave. No matter how much time they spent together, it was
never enough.
“Oh, how’d that go?” she asked, giving him
her undivided attention once again.
“She’s hurtin’ almost as much as my
brother, but she’s determined to keep her distance. She says it’s over.
Accordin’ to her, there’s no goin’ back.”
Brianna sighed. “I’m so sorry to hear that.
I know how much they love each other. It’s a shame they can’t find a way to
work it out.”
“Personally, I think my brother’s a fool.”
He set his coffee down on the table beside him and leaned forward. “When you
find your soul mate, you don’t put anything else above her.”
Brianna propped her elbows on her desk and
rested her chin in her upturned palms. “Who knew you were such a romantic?”
“There’s a lot about me you don’t know,
Bri.”
She scoffed. “I doubt that. Sometimes, I
think I know you better than you know yourself.”
Ryan looked at her a long time before he
said, “In a lot of ways, you’re probably right. But you don’t know some things,
things I just may have to tell ya about one of these days.” He questioned his
sanity as he actually considered whether he should tell her how he felt. His
mouth was suddenly dry and his
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