I gripped the steering wheel and watched as they crossed the park, heading straight toward me. I’d spotted her car a couple of rows down from where I’d parked. His must be nearby too.
As they walked, he reached over and took her hand. Then she looked up and her eyes caught mine, and she dropped his hand immediately.
I felt like fist-bumping someone. It felt like the tiniest of victories. Until I saw the daggers shooting at me from Chloe’s eyes.
I opened the door and stepped out of my truck, taking a few steps toward the happy couple. A few feet from them, I stopped.
“What are you doing here?” Chloe asked, her hands planted on her hips.
“Y-you know this guy?” Bryan stuttered, standing beside her with his chest puffed out.
“Yeah. Bryan, meet Shaw. Shaw, this is Bryan.” Her voice was flat, unamused.
“Charmed.” I grinned at the bastard.
“What are you doing here?” Chloe repeated.
“What does it look like?” My voice was raw, but I couldn’t have masked my emotions right now even if I wanted to.
“Is this your . . . boyfriend?” Bryan asked.
Amused, I waited to see how she’d answer.
Chloe’s gaze fell from mine, down to the pavement between us. For the second time tonight, I wished I knew what she was thinking.
“No, he’s not.” Her voice was soft and she sounded tired.
Ouch. Why did that sting? It was the truth—it was even the answer I expected—so why didn’t I like hearing those words?
“Is everything okay?” Bryan asked her.
“I’d like to speak with you when you’re through,” I said to Chloe.
I watched as she led him away, walking her date over to his black compact sedan. They said good-bye—no kiss, only a hug, which pleased me. Then she stalked toward my truck.
“What the hell was that?” she asked, throwing her hands up in the air.
“Jason told me you were out. I was just checking up on you.”
“Well, you didn’t have to do that. I’m fine,” she huffed.
“I know I didn’t have to. I wanted to. There’s a difference.”
“I don’t know what the hell this game is, Shaw, but I’m fucking tired. Exhausted, actually. If you’ll excuse me.” She shoved her way around me and headed for her car.
I didn’t try to stop her. I just hopped in my truck and followed her home. She wanted to go home? Fine. But this wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.
When we reached her place, I got out and trailed her up the stairs. I thought she might try to stop me, but she didn’t. She let me inside without a word and closed the door behind me. I just wasn’t ready to let her go, even though I knew I was breaking my own rules.
Chloe left me standing in her bedroom as she went into the bathroom and closed the door. She relieved herself, then ran the water—brushing her teeth and washing her face, I was pretty sure. When she emerged, I’d turned out the lights and pulled down the blankets on her bed.
She shot me a curious glance but gathered her pajamas from a dresser drawer and stripped down—facing away from me—then changed into an oversized T-shirt and loose cotton shorts. She climbed into bed without a word.
Stripping down to my boxers, I climbed in beside her. I was breaking every rule in my playbook, but fuck if I could be stopped now. I pulled her close until her body was pressed up against the bare skin of my chest, and I held her there. It was crazy how perfectly she fit nestled in at my side.
“Is he nice to you?” I breathed against her neck.
She thought for a moment, and I knew I wasn’t going to like the answer. “Yes,” she said finally.
“That’s good.”
“Guess so,” she said.
“Tomorrow is Wednesday.”
“I know,” she whispered, and I couldn’t tell if that hint of hopeful longing I heard in her voice was just my imagination.
“Be here,” I said.
Chapter Twelve
Chloe
“So, how was your date? I heard you guys have gone out twice now?” Courtney asked.
“Huh-uh,” I grumbled around a mouthful of cinnamon roll. “No grilling me until I’ve had my fix.”
We were sitting at our favorite coffee place, eating my favorite treat, and this frosting was my crack. I wouldn’t be deprived my pleasure.
Courtney took a sip of her coffee and leaned back in her seat. “Fine.”
After a few bites, I wiped my mouth with a napkin and set down my fork. “Yes, we went out twice and he’s nice.” I shrugged.
“Come on. I need juicier details than that.”
I took a deep breath, knowing I wouldn’t make it out of there alive without at least divulging something mildly intriguing. So I blurted the most interesting thing about going out with Bryan.
“Shaw crashed my second date.”
Her brows wrinkled. “He did what? Why?”
“Toward the end of my second date in the park, Shaw’s truck was parked in the distance. He was watching us.”
Her gaze was inquisitive as she watched me, clearly trying to piece together if there was more to my friendship with Shaw than I’d let on. “And . . .” she said.
“When we got closer, he got out and kind of tried to intimidate Bryan.” At least, that was how it seemed.
She rolled her eyes, letting out a huff. “God, how annoying. So he tried to pull that older-brother protective bullshit on you?”