what I said to you last week after you left my place.” She swallowed painfully as he watched her.
He shook his head. “Don’t be. I respect your need to put some space between us. You were right to do that—especially after my behavior when I was at your loft. You didn’t do anything wrong.” He was studying her eyes closely. “In fact, I owe you an apology for that little outburst of mine.” He smirked.
She nodded slowly for a moment. “Well, regardless, I’ve regretted those words from the moment they came out of my mouth. They felt wrong.”
When she managed to look back at him, his jaw was tight and rigid, and his nostrils were flaring as he inhaled slowly.
“You know…” He glanced away for a moment. “…beyond the completely inappropriate things I admitted to you the other night, I actually do just like hanging out with you. I think I was more upset I couldn’t do that anymore than anything else. But I do understand. And I don’t want you to feel guilty about putting barriers in place between us.”
She nodded. “I like hanging out with you too.” She looked down at the ground between them. “And I don’t need barriers.”
He watched her for a moment. “Okay,” he said quietly. “You hungry?”
She smiled. “Yeah, actually.”
He pushed off the car then, offering her his arm. “Shall we go deal with your ridiculous boyfriend?”
She laughed and took his arm. “He’s your best friend.”
“Yes.” He looked down at her as they walked slowly back toward the restaurant. “You look nice. I like this dress, and I like your hair down.”
She thanked him as warmth settled into her cheeks, and she avoided looking at him lest it intensify into a full on blush. When they reached the front door of the restaurant, his hand met her lower back—not low enough to be inappropriate, but not high enough to be completely platonic, and he didn’t remove it until they were walking back into the private dining room.
Ian was sitting at the table patiently with his fingers steepled against his chin. He’d moved to the side of the table, so he was facing the door now, and as they entered, he smirked. “Glad I won’t be eating alone,” he commented.
She took the spot Ian had abandoned, and Jasper scooted her chair in before he rounded the table and took the place across from her.
Jasper’s focus settled on Ian. “You owe us both an apology.”
Ian glanced between the two of them for a moment, and then he rolled his eyes. “Okay.” He studied them some more, and then he cleared his throat. “You are both beyond fortunate to have me in your lives.” He paused smirking at them.
Jas looked at her, shaking his head in amusement. “Is this supposed to be an apology?”
She laughed shaking her own head too.
“Yes. Now shut up. As I was saying, however fortunate you both are, I do realize that, on occasion, I get…” He shrugged his shoulders. “…well, what I would consider a pretty damn good idea.”
Jas rolled his eyes, studying her some more.
“But!” Ian stuck his finger up in the air, standing from his chair. “The world apparently doesn’t revolve around me and my notions. Can’t imagine why not,” he muttered. “What I’m trying to say—”
“Yes. Get on with it already!” Jas cried as she laughed.
“I’m sorry.” Ian looked between the two of them. His expression was sincere without the slightest hint of his normal sarcasm or smirk. “I put you both in an awkward position, and that was wrong.” He sat down then as the waiter entered with a couple bottles of red wine. Ian glanced at her. “I know it’s red, but I couldn’t remember what—”
“Malbec you dick,” Jasper commented, but his eyes were on her, and she smiled.
“Well, fuck both of you. You’re going to have to live with a Cab and a Pinot.”
Dinner was great, the conversation was even better. They laughed and joked around, and she listened intently as they rehashed their youth for her. Ian
He shook his head. “Don’t be. I respect your need to put some space between us. You were right to do that—especially after my behavior when I was at your loft. You didn’t do anything wrong.” He was studying her eyes closely. “In fact, I owe you an apology for that little outburst of mine.” He smirked.
She nodded slowly for a moment. “Well, regardless, I’ve regretted those words from the moment they came out of my mouth. They felt wrong.”
When she managed to look back at him, his jaw was tight and rigid, and his nostrils were flaring as he inhaled slowly.
“You know…” He glanced away for a moment. “…beyond the completely inappropriate things I admitted to you the other night, I actually do just like hanging out with you. I think I was more upset I couldn’t do that anymore than anything else. But I do understand. And I don’t want you to feel guilty about putting barriers in place between us.”
She nodded. “I like hanging out with you too.” She looked down at the ground between them. “And I don’t need barriers.”
He watched her for a moment. “Okay,” he said quietly. “You hungry?”
She smiled. “Yeah, actually.”
He pushed off the car then, offering her his arm. “Shall we go deal with your ridiculous boyfriend?”
She laughed and took his arm. “He’s your best friend.”
“Yes.” He looked down at her as they walked slowly back toward the restaurant. “You look nice. I like this dress, and I like your hair down.”
She thanked him as warmth settled into her cheeks, and she avoided looking at him lest it intensify into a full on blush. When they reached the front door of the restaurant, his hand met her lower back—not low enough to be inappropriate, but not high enough to be completely platonic, and he didn’t remove it until they were walking back into the private dining room.
Ian was sitting at the table patiently with his fingers steepled against his chin. He’d moved to the side of the table, so he was facing the door now, and as they entered, he smirked. “Glad I won’t be eating alone,” he commented.
She took the spot Ian had abandoned, and Jasper scooted her chair in before he rounded the table and took the place across from her.
Jasper’s focus settled on Ian. “You owe us both an apology.”
Ian glanced between the two of them for a moment, and then he rolled his eyes. “Okay.” He studied them some more, and then he cleared his throat. “You are both beyond fortunate to have me in your lives.” He paused smirking at them.
Jas looked at her, shaking his head in amusement. “Is this supposed to be an apology?”
She laughed shaking her own head too.
“Yes. Now shut up. As I was saying, however fortunate you both are, I do realize that, on occasion, I get…” He shrugged his shoulders. “…well, what I would consider a pretty damn good idea.”
Jas rolled his eyes, studying her some more.
“But!” Ian stuck his finger up in the air, standing from his chair. “The world apparently doesn’t revolve around me and my notions. Can’t imagine why not,” he muttered. “What I’m trying to say—”
“Yes. Get on with it already!” Jas cried as she laughed.
“I’m sorry.” Ian looked between the two of them. His expression was sincere without the slightest hint of his normal sarcasm or smirk. “I put you both in an awkward position, and that was wrong.” He sat down then as the waiter entered with a couple bottles of red wine. Ian glanced at her. “I know it’s red, but I couldn’t remember what—”
“Malbec you dick,” Jasper commented, but his eyes were on her, and she smiled.
“Well, fuck both of you. You’re going to have to live with a Cab and a Pinot.”
Dinner was great, the conversation was even better. They laughed and joked around, and she listened intently as they rehashed their youth for her. Ian
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