The Wrong Man (Alpha Men 3)

You didn’t.

I did. I shouldn’t have interfered. She read the message a couple of times, and a few minutes elapsed before she responded.

I’m sorry my date flirted with you. Her phone rang thirty seconds later, and his name popped onto the screen. She accepted the call immediately.

“Brand?”

“The guy was a dick. He shouldn’t have gone out with you and flirted with other people,” he said, his gravelly voice thick with annoyance.

“You knew, didn’t you? That’s why you invited us to sit at the table.”

“I didn’t like that he was playing you. It pissed me off.”

“I think it’s really sad that he feels like he has to pretend to be something he’s not.”

“Yeah, well, he can fucking pretend with someone else.” Why did he sound so indignant about something that had no direct effect on him?

“Well, no harm done,” Lia said, her voice deliberately light. “Part and parcel of being lost in the dating wilderness again.”

“So this wasn’t a one-off thing? You’re definitely dating again?”

“I know I must seem like an indecisive idiot.”

“No. Just hopeful.” His voice was heartbreakingly gentle. “I’m glad you haven’t given up on that hope, Lia.”

“I feel so stupid,” she admitted softly. “I keep putting myself out there and then this.”

“How are you meeting these guys?” he asked curiously, and she drew in a huge breath as she tried to settle her erratic emotions and concentrate on answering his question.

“Well, Michael was obviously through Mrs. Kendrick, and Gregory is my friend Tilda’s brother’s colleague.”

“So you have a network of connections? Like an analog dating site?”

“More like an old-fashioned matchmaking ring,” she corrected with a laugh. “And it’s safer than online dating, because murdering me would mean they’d have to murder the friend who set us up, too, in order to cover up the crime.”

“Jesus, that’s fucking grim. Don’t talk like that.” He sounded genuinely freaked out, and she laughed again, more heartily this time.

“I’ll be perfectly safe, Brand. You don’t have to worry.”

“Do you have your next date set up already?”

“Of course not. How awful would that be? Like I was anticipating failure with Michael before even going on a first date with him. I’m not that pessimistic.”

“It’s good to plan ahead.”

“No, this is stressful enough without thinking about more than one date simultaneously. I prefer taking it one guy at a time. It feels less cold-blooded.”

“You’re dangerously naïve, sunshine.”

“And you’re hopelessly cynical, Brand.”

“Will you let me know when you go on your next date?” he asked, not responding to her statement. She snorted in answer to his question.

“Of course not. And have you show up at all of my dates like some overprotective father figure? I don’t think so! I already have a dad, and he trusts me to make the right decisions.” That was true, even though she had often failed in her decision making. Her father—both her parents, really—remained supportive.

“I just want you to be safe. Look, I know we’re not flinging anymore, but I did promise you I’d help you find your man, remember?”

“I remember. I also remember telling you that the thought of an arrangement like that made me uncomfortable.”

“Yeah, but only because we were fucking.”

“Brand, you’re not going to be my Mr. Matchmaker, okay?” she said in her most no-nonsense voice. “I told you before . . . you don’t get to play this role in my life. I don’t need you to be my hero.”

“Lia?”

“Yes?”

“Will you come over?” His voice was gruff, and Lia sighed and shook her head.

“No.” She hung up without saying good night.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Brand was at the animal shelter the following morning when she stopped by. Which led her to conclude that he’d changed his usual visiting time to coincide with hers. He was with Trevor, as usual. According to Siphiso, the dog had started taking treats from Brand. Not every time, but he would venture forward with every third offer or so. It was slow going, but it was definite progress, which meant that Trevor was now a viable contender for rehabilitation and no longer an immediate candidate for euthanasia.

Lia ran into Brand when she was visiting the rehab dogs. He was sitting inside Trevor’s pen, animatedly chatting with the dog. Lia’s heart leapt in fear at the sight of him sitting inside the cage.

“Are you sure that’s safe?” she asked without any preliminaries. Brand’s face lit up when he saw her.

“Hey, sunshine. I was just talking about you.”

She chose to ignore that, keeping her eyes glued on Trevor. The dog’s head and ears were down, and he was staring at her warily.

“Should you be in there? He has a history of aggression.”

“Somebody has to take the first step and trust him. He was just scared before. He’s a pretty mellow guy. Aren’t you, Tyson?”

“Do the handlers know that you’re in here?”

“Siphiso knows, he stayed for a while and observed. He left a couple of minutes ago. It’s sweet that you’re worried about me, sunshine.”