interested. She’s very interesting. I just said I’m not seeing her. She’s declined everyone else too.”
His gut clenched. “Everyone else?”
“Came alone to the summer barbeque and from what I can tell, besides work, all she does is go to the gym. Now, back to you. Like they say, Jared, you got a lot of ‘splainin to do. How you angling to do that?”
“Read her in, I guess.” Should he? He’d never intended to get involved in the first place while working undercover, especially not with an intelligent and accomplished woman like Ally Tobin. She deserved a lot more than some guy who had to leave because of work. In New York, he’d only meant to go out a couple times, but a few dates were a few too many. He found himself returning her affectionate gestures. He thought they were casually dating. And she was just extra sweet and affectionate. But they slept together. His feelings weren’t so casual then. If they were, he could have just told her he had to move for his job. Instead he’d said nothing, figuring she’d forget him. Only he never forgot her.
He attributed his lack of interest in dating anyone else over the past year to getting serious about no entanglements. But seeing Ally again hit him in the chest with the force of a battering ram. All the memories he’d indulged in over the past year slammed back the second his hand had closed over her smooth, delicate fingers. He’d had to sit down so she couldn’t see his lap over the desk. But like Stew said, he had a lot of ‘splainin to do. And if he couldn’t, he’d never get to touch her like he wanted to. If he failed, like Stew said, another guy would grab her.
He caught himself grinding his teeth and clenching the steering wheel in a death grip. What an idiot he’d been.
“You okay, buddy?” Stew said.
“Yeah,” he lied.
****
“Go,” Ralene said, for the umpteenth time.
This was a bad idea. Sitting in her car outside the restaurant, Ally’s instincts told her to turn around and go home. She’d talk to Chapman tomorrow. Standing up “Darren” was a good idea. The best one she’d had so far.
“Ally Tobin, you have nothing to lose,” Ralene said. “When’s the last time you went on a date? You can’t go through life alone. Well, you can , but it’s not for you . You’re not the type. Besides, you like the guy.”
The windows on the front of the restaurant reflected the outside rather than showing who was on the inside. Was Mark in there, watching her?
“A,” she said, opening the car door. With the sun gone, the temperature had dropped 10 degrees. She picked up her sweater. “This is not a date. B, who says I like him? I never said that.”
“Yes, you did, in so many ways.”
“I said just the opposite. He’s my worst nightmare. I want someone who will stick around. He’s a poster boy for a leaver. He proved it when he disappeared last time, remember?” She closed the car door and sank back into the seat.
“But now you have a chance to find out why,” Ralene said. “He wants to explain himself or he wouldn’t have asked you to dinner. So let him explain.”
She was curious.
“The attraction you had for him doesn’t come along every day,” Ralene continued.
“I’m not attracted to him.” Liar, liar, pants on fire.
Fortunately, Ralene was more tactful than her own inner voice. “You’re talking to me. Remember when I set you up with a nice solid guy?”
There was no stopping Ralene now. She could hang up. No, she couldn’t hang up on her friend.
“Don’t recall? Okay, I’ll remind you. Nice, attractive, reliable. Everything you say you want. But when Mr. Mysterious shows up, he’s the one you’re calling me to talk about in the middle of the night all hot and bothered I might add.”
Ralene was right. The guy Ralene had set her up with was what Ally said she wanted. Together, they could make strawberry-blond children and she’d never have to wonder whether her husband would come home
His gut clenched. “Everyone else?”
“Came alone to the summer barbeque and from what I can tell, besides work, all she does is go to the gym. Now, back to you. Like they say, Jared, you got a lot of ‘splainin to do. How you angling to do that?”
“Read her in, I guess.” Should he? He’d never intended to get involved in the first place while working undercover, especially not with an intelligent and accomplished woman like Ally Tobin. She deserved a lot more than some guy who had to leave because of work. In New York, he’d only meant to go out a couple times, but a few dates were a few too many. He found himself returning her affectionate gestures. He thought they were casually dating. And she was just extra sweet and affectionate. But they slept together. His feelings weren’t so casual then. If they were, he could have just told her he had to move for his job. Instead he’d said nothing, figuring she’d forget him. Only he never forgot her.
He attributed his lack of interest in dating anyone else over the past year to getting serious about no entanglements. But seeing Ally again hit him in the chest with the force of a battering ram. All the memories he’d indulged in over the past year slammed back the second his hand had closed over her smooth, delicate fingers. He’d had to sit down so she couldn’t see his lap over the desk. But like Stew said, he had a lot of ‘splainin to do. And if he couldn’t, he’d never get to touch her like he wanted to. If he failed, like Stew said, another guy would grab her.
He caught himself grinding his teeth and clenching the steering wheel in a death grip. What an idiot he’d been.
“You okay, buddy?” Stew said.
“Yeah,” he lied.
****
“Go,” Ralene said, for the umpteenth time.
This was a bad idea. Sitting in her car outside the restaurant, Ally’s instincts told her to turn around and go home. She’d talk to Chapman tomorrow. Standing up “Darren” was a good idea. The best one she’d had so far.
“Ally Tobin, you have nothing to lose,” Ralene said. “When’s the last time you went on a date? You can’t go through life alone. Well, you can , but it’s not for you . You’re not the type. Besides, you like the guy.”
The windows on the front of the restaurant reflected the outside rather than showing who was on the inside. Was Mark in there, watching her?
“A,” she said, opening the car door. With the sun gone, the temperature had dropped 10 degrees. She picked up her sweater. “This is not a date. B, who says I like him? I never said that.”
“Yes, you did, in so many ways.”
“I said just the opposite. He’s my worst nightmare. I want someone who will stick around. He’s a poster boy for a leaver. He proved it when he disappeared last time, remember?” She closed the car door and sank back into the seat.
“But now you have a chance to find out why,” Ralene said. “He wants to explain himself or he wouldn’t have asked you to dinner. So let him explain.”
She was curious.
“The attraction you had for him doesn’t come along every day,” Ralene continued.
“I’m not attracted to him.” Liar, liar, pants on fire.
Fortunately, Ralene was more tactful than her own inner voice. “You’re talking to me. Remember when I set you up with a nice solid guy?”
There was no stopping Ralene now. She could hang up. No, she couldn’t hang up on her friend.
“Don’t recall? Okay, I’ll remind you. Nice, attractive, reliable. Everything you say you want. But when Mr. Mysterious shows up, he’s the one you’re calling me to talk about in the middle of the night all hot and bothered I might add.”
Ralene was right. The guy Ralene had set her up with was what Ally said she wanted. Together, they could make strawberry-blond children and she’d never have to wonder whether her husband would come home
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