about women?” I suddenly asked. “The two of you have someone waiting for you at home. Did they ever play games with you?”
“What do you mean?” Vincent asked.
“I mean, did Quinn ever push you away? Did she ever try to pretend that what was happening between you wasn’t happening?”
Dominic leaned over the bar toward me. “Are you and Sam…?”
I looked up at him and he started to laugh.
“Man, you’re walking into trouble. Anyone who comes between Sam and Megan better look out.”
“I’m not trying to come between them.”
“Yeah, well—”
“What about Dante?” Vincent asked. “He and Megan are together, aren’t they?”
Dominic and I exchanged a look.
“Megan’s relationships are her business,” I said.
Vincent’s eyebrows rose, but he didn’t say anything.
“Maybe she’s just scared, Hayden,” Dominic suggested.
“She probably is. Quinn was like that when we first got together,” Vincent added.
I sat back and surveyed the small bar. It was the end of the business day, so most of the customers were men and women in business suits, enjoying a cocktail before they headed home for the evening. There were half a dozen women scattered through the room, their short skirts revealing their long, shapely legs. The expressions ranged from curiosity to desire to desperation on their attractive faces, all of them looking at us.
I could have any of these women, but the one woman I wanted was too afraid to get involved with me.
Go figure.
“Talk to her,” Vincent recommended. “I bet you can get her to change her mind.”
I swallowed the last of what was in my beer mug.
“I think I will.”
Chapter 6
Megan
“We’ll be there Sunday night, so if he can get us in first thing in the morning, that would be great,” I said to the woman on the other end of the line.
“The doctor has an opening at seven.”
“That would be perfect.”
“Of course, Ms. Bradford.”
I set the phone down, going over the schedule in my head. I could hear Dante moving around in the kitchen, making us something for dinner. I kept telling him he didn’t have to spend so much time at my place. I even offered to go to his place once in a while. But he insisted that he liked my house. He liked me. And he liked spending as much time as possible with me.
I should be pleased with that information. I wasn’t. I was beginning to feel as though I was going down a road I didn’t want to go down.
We never went out in public together. I wouldn’t admit to being with him to anyone but Sam—only because I don’t lie to Sam—even though I knew that Hayden and the others at the office knew, and Cole probably knew. My parents might even know. But I couldn’t bring myself to that mental place where it was okay to start introducing him to my family and friends as my boyfriend.
He wasn’t. He was Dante. He shared my bed. End of story.
I ran my fingers through my hair, thinking about this trip Sam and I were taking. I wanted it to be fun. Just because we were visiting a couple of doctors and getting a few tests done, didn’t mean we couldn’t go shopping or do a little sightseeing. I was trying to iron out all the details, making sure there was time for everything. This was important.
“You want a glass of wine?”
I glanced at Dante. “No, I’m good.”
“You sure? You look like you could use some.”
I shook my head again as the phone rang. I picked it up, reading Dominic’s name off the display.
“I should take this.”
I got up, but Dante took my hand and slipped the phone out of it, pushing it into one of his back pockets, muffling the ring tone.
“What are you doing?”
“Enough work for tonight. You look like you’re about as tight as a rubber band holding Dolly Parton’s bra closed.”
I laughed. “Where did you get that?”
He shrugged. “A guy I worked with used to have all these stupid sayings.” He tugged me into his arms, his hand sliding over the side of my face.
“What do you mean?” Vincent asked.
“I mean, did Quinn ever push you away? Did she ever try to pretend that what was happening between you wasn’t happening?”
Dominic leaned over the bar toward me. “Are you and Sam…?”
I looked up at him and he started to laugh.
“Man, you’re walking into trouble. Anyone who comes between Sam and Megan better look out.”
“I’m not trying to come between them.”
“Yeah, well—”
“What about Dante?” Vincent asked. “He and Megan are together, aren’t they?”
Dominic and I exchanged a look.
“Megan’s relationships are her business,” I said.
Vincent’s eyebrows rose, but he didn’t say anything.
“Maybe she’s just scared, Hayden,” Dominic suggested.
“She probably is. Quinn was like that when we first got together,” Vincent added.
I sat back and surveyed the small bar. It was the end of the business day, so most of the customers were men and women in business suits, enjoying a cocktail before they headed home for the evening. There were half a dozen women scattered through the room, their short skirts revealing their long, shapely legs. The expressions ranged from curiosity to desire to desperation on their attractive faces, all of them looking at us.
I could have any of these women, but the one woman I wanted was too afraid to get involved with me.
Go figure.
“Talk to her,” Vincent recommended. “I bet you can get her to change her mind.”
I swallowed the last of what was in my beer mug.
“I think I will.”
Chapter 6
Megan
“We’ll be there Sunday night, so if he can get us in first thing in the morning, that would be great,” I said to the woman on the other end of the line.
“The doctor has an opening at seven.”
“That would be perfect.”
“Of course, Ms. Bradford.”
I set the phone down, going over the schedule in my head. I could hear Dante moving around in the kitchen, making us something for dinner. I kept telling him he didn’t have to spend so much time at my place. I even offered to go to his place once in a while. But he insisted that he liked my house. He liked me. And he liked spending as much time as possible with me.
I should be pleased with that information. I wasn’t. I was beginning to feel as though I was going down a road I didn’t want to go down.
We never went out in public together. I wouldn’t admit to being with him to anyone but Sam—only because I don’t lie to Sam—even though I knew that Hayden and the others at the office knew, and Cole probably knew. My parents might even know. But I couldn’t bring myself to that mental place where it was okay to start introducing him to my family and friends as my boyfriend.
He wasn’t. He was Dante. He shared my bed. End of story.
I ran my fingers through my hair, thinking about this trip Sam and I were taking. I wanted it to be fun. Just because we were visiting a couple of doctors and getting a few tests done, didn’t mean we couldn’t go shopping or do a little sightseeing. I was trying to iron out all the details, making sure there was time for everything. This was important.
“You want a glass of wine?”
I glanced at Dante. “No, I’m good.”
“You sure? You look like you could use some.”
I shook my head again as the phone rang. I picked it up, reading Dominic’s name off the display.
“I should take this.”
I got up, but Dante took my hand and slipped the phone out of it, pushing it into one of his back pockets, muffling the ring tone.
“What are you doing?”
“Enough work for tonight. You look like you’re about as tight as a rubber band holding Dolly Parton’s bra closed.”
I laughed. “Where did you get that?”
He shrugged. “A guy I worked with used to have all these stupid sayings.” He tugged me into his arms, his hand sliding over the side of my face.
Similar Books
