Baby For The Mountain Man

“Noticed what?”

“How drop dead gorgeous Anderson Lawrence is. Come on, you must think he’s attractive. You’d have to be blind not to!”

I cleared my throat. “Well, I’ve known him for a long time. Ever since I was a kid. He and my brother are best friends. They grew up together.”

“Bummer,” Libby said. “So he’s like a brother to you, huh? Maybe you don’t realize how hot he is then.”

I pressed my lips together, knowing that couldn’t be further from the truth. Fortunately, Libby was looking down at her salad, and I had time to recompose myself before she placed a forkful in her mouth and looked up at me again. “He’s seeing

someone though, right?” she asked.

I felt a swoop go through my stomach, and was pretty sure some of the blood had drained from my face.

Anderson, seeing someone?

“What makes you say that?” I asked with bated breath. I gripped my glass although I didn’t want another sip.

Libby’s mouth twisted into a contemplative pout. “Seems like I remember hearing that he was seeing someone at some point. Or several someones, more accurately. That man has quite a reputation, from what I’ve heard. But that’s to be expected, right? He’s too good-looking for his own good. I’m sure he’s got women fawning at his feet everywhere he goes, worshipping the ground he walks on. And he’s a natural flirt. Was he always that way?”

I cleared my throat. “Um…Yeah, he was like that in high school.”

“That figures,” Libby said. “It’s just not fair. Some of us have to go through an awkward phase as teenagers, but Anderson, he was probably born beautiful.”

I took another bite of my sandwich although my mouth had gone quite dry and I’d lost my appetite. “So, you think he’s with someone right now?” I asked, trying to keep my voice level and ignoring the knots forming in my stomach. I hated how jealous I felt, knowing I had no real claim to Anderson. There was nothing official between us. We were merely sleeping together occasionally. He hadn’t made any serious commitment to me, and I hadn’t made one to him. I had no right to feel jealous about what was possibly going on between him and other women…

But I still hated it.

Sitting across from Libby and working myself into a silent fury, I was forced to acknowledge that I wished I had a claim to Anderson.

I wanted him, badly. All to myself…

“If I had to take a guess,” Libby said, “I’d say he was single and just playing around, if you catch my drift. But I don’t know… There’s just something about him. He seems like the kind of guy who wouldn’t ever really settle down and get serious with anyone. He reminds me of an uncle I had. The whole family knew Hell would have to freeze over before that man ever got married.”

I tried to force a laugh, but it sounded so disingenuous that I stopped instantly and took another sip of my lemonade, even though it had begun to taste like water.

While I enjoyed Libby’s company, I was suddenly ready for lunch to be over so that I could be alone with my thoughts.

My thoughts which were filled with Anderson.

CHAPTER 15

Anderson

It was a new work week, which meant new trials and tribulations, as well as new projects and frustrations. And most of all, more boring meetings to attend.

Earlier in the day, I had almost forgotten about the upcoming staff meeting entirely. I supposed that wasn’t surprising though; my thoughts were so preoccupied with Joanna these days, I sometimes thought I would forget my own head if it weren’t attached to my neck.

As the meeting got started, my co-workers all put forth a valiant effort in paying attention. I, on the other hand, couldn’t even muster the energy to pretend. I stared down at the table before me, drumming my fingers on it and letting their voices turn into distant drones, knowing Tobias would fill me in on the details later. Granted, I’d caught his irritated glances, informing me that he knew I wasn’t paying attention. Yet I couldn’t bring myself to care.

I suppose part of the problem was that I’d had too many sleepless nights. It seemed that every night when I closed my eyes, I would have visions of Joanna’s soft eyes, her beautiful face, the feel of her soft skin, and the pleasure of her body on top of mine…

And then the frustration would kick in as her face slowly morphed into that of her brother’s. Her seductive eyes would turn into his judgmental ones, and I’d spend the rest of the night wondering how Joanna and I were going to carry on once he eventually found us out.

I kept telling myself that Joanna and I needed to have a serious discussion about it. We needed to be mature and fess up before things got too far out of control. I knew that it would be best if we told Tobias rather than letting him find out on his own. As long as we continued to sneak around behind his back, it made it seem like we were consciously deceiving him, which we were. The realization of this had started to make me feel disgusted with myself.

What kind of friend was I to do this to my best buddy?

I just didn’t know how much longer I could keep all the bullshit up.