“Well, a one-night stand of kissing on the couch isn’t exactly what I had in mind, but…”
He groaned and stood with her, taking her in his arms. Just a hug. “I’m tempted. Please know that.”
“But…what?”
“This is complicated.”
“It doesn’t need to be.” She narrowed her gaze, trying to read him.
He took her hand and pressed it against his chest. He wasn’t hiding how much he wanted her. “Maybe it shouldn’t be complicated, but—”
“It doesn’t need to be,” she repeated. Her hand quested lower, dangerously low on his belly now, and God damn it, he liked that. He liked her fingers and the warmth of her touch on his skin through his dress shirt. The eager expression in her eyes, like she wanted him to show him how he liked it.
He’d like it anyway she wanted to touch him, but it wascomplicated.He needed to focus. “Here’s the thing,” he said, catching her hand gently before it could drift low enough he’d lose willpower again. “I met Brent tonight.”
She frowned. “When did you meet him?”
“At the bar.”
“You didn’t say anything.”
“I didn’t realize it was him until after you pointed him out.”
“But you talked?”
He took a deep breath. “Not exactly.”
“What does that mean?”
Evan rolled his lower lip between his teeth. He wasn’t going to out the guy to her, but he wasn’t going to lie, either. “I watched him. He caught my attention, and I was observing him in that way one does. People watching.”
“And you saw him do something you want to tell me about,” she said tightly.
Her hand was no longer on his belly.
Damn it.
He took a deep breath as she crossed her arms tightly over her chest. Then he smiled. “Hey. I’m your friend here.”
“Okay.” But she was guarded now. Cautious. As she should be—she was a woman recovering from a break-up of her marriage. She had every right to be careful here, and maybe for more reasons than she even consciously knew.
He decided to pull the bandage off quickly. “He checked someone out at the bar. Definitely interested. So if you’re hung up on him still, I don’t want to take advantage of you knowing that he’s moved on.”
Her mouth dropped open.
Her eyes, though, weren’t as surprised as he expected them to be. Her gaze raked his face. Looking for denial? Affirmation?
He couldn’t tell.
Fuck, he couldn’t read her at all, actually. His pulse pounded in his neck. “Jess…”
“That’s what makes this complicated? You and me? Because he checked someone out?”
He frowned. “Yes.”
A long, heavy silence stretched between them. “Was thatsomeoneyou?”
Jesus. He’d bungled this badly. “You should talk to him.”
