He grinned. “I am handsome, aren’t I?”
I chuckled before I took a drink of my wine. “I used to have a crush on Hades when I was young, and you look very similar.”
“I bet you would have had a crush on me instead if we’d met.”
I shrugged. “Maybe I would have liked you both.”
“Two men…that’s a lot for one woman to handle.”
I smiled. “Not for me.”At the end of the night, we said goodbye at the door. Sofia and Hades carried their kids to the car and went home. Ash shook hands with everyone before he walked to his car at the curb outside. I was the last one to leave, giving Anna a hug. “Now, I get a sister. I’ve always wanted a sister instead of a brother.”
She laughed as she hugged me back. “I know you don’t mean that, but thank you. And thank you for being so kind to me since the beginning. The instant we met, you were so easy to talk to… You made me feel welcome. I really appreciate that.” She pulled away and gave me a slight smile.
“Well, I tend to like everyone unless they give me a reason not to.”
Damien stood there, watching us. My father had already gone to bed because he was wiped out after all the festivities. He had a distinct joy for life, but it made him burn out quickly. Damien came to me next, being a gentleman by walking me to my car outside since it was late in the evening. “Good call on the ring.”
“Told you,” I said when we were out of earshot. “If you gave her that candy ring, she probably would have said no. And if she didn’t, she should have.”
“It wasn’t that bad, but you’re right. She seems to really love it.”
“Damn right, she does.”
He stopped when he reached my car. “Saw you talking to Ash.”
“Yeah, I talked to everyone there.” I expected my father to push me onto somebody, but not my brother.
He didn’t say anything more about it, just stared at me with his hands in his pockets. He didn’t mention Heath just as he said he wouldn’t, but his gaze showed his disappointment perfectly.
“I hope you didn’t invite him just for my sake.”
“No. Ash and I have become good friends over the years. I was surprised Dad took such a liking to him.”
“Because Dad likes everybody.” I rolled my eyes.
“Not everyone.” The meaning of that statement was unmistakable.
I brushed it off. “Well, congratulations. I’m really happy for you.”
“Thank you. And thank you for being so good to her.”
“Of course,” I said. “Even if I didn’t like her, I would be nice to her—for you.” There was no double meaning to my words, but after I said them, I realized they could be interpreted in a different way. “You know what I mean…”
He didn’t say anything.
It would be easy for me to dislike Anna because she’d been married to the same man—twice. That relationship caused a lot of turmoil for my brother, put my family in jeopardy, even briefly held my own life in the balance. But that wasn’t how I judged people. I saw them for who they were, not their baggage. But maybe that kindness put me in the situation I was in now…
“Good night, Cat.” Damien turned away and headed back to the house.
I watched him walk away, already feeling the change in our relationship, feeling the change in everything. “Goodnight…”ThreeHeathMy ability to read people so well was one of the main reasons behind my success.
Along with my brute force, intelligence, and savage sarcasm.
And since I knew my woman so well, I could read her like she was under a microscope. There was definitely a barrier around her, a bit of distance that was still in place between us. I felt it diminish when we were together, when our eyes were locked and the love flowed between our hearts. But then it returned, subtly.
I decided to let her work it out on her own, not to question her in case it spooked her.
But she’d gone home for the weekend, and now it was Tuesday, and I hadn’t heard from her. No text. No phone call. Nothing.
I was too proud to chase after someone who didn’t want to be chased, but my patience was my weakness because I didn’t have any. If I had it my way, I’d burn her apartment to the ground and move her ass into my place.
But that wasn’t going to work on a woman like her.
She’d kick my ass.
And I’d enjoy every second of it.
When my patience had officially expired, I caved and texted her. Baby. That was all I said, that single word packed with an entire essay.
She texted back right away, those three little dots appearing. Sorry. Just been busy.
I didn’t like that excuse. Remember what happened last time you were too busy for me. I didn’t mean to threaten her, but threatening people was my entire life, and it just came out. I was frustrated she wasn’t there with me, that she wasn’t at least sleeping with me before she took off to take care of things.