“Smart ass,” she growled back.
“I’m sorry you have, until meeting me, terrible taste in men.” It was a risky joke but when her lips twitched, I knew it had landed well. And when a full-throated laugh escaped, I knew we were all right.
“Well, I mean you did ghost me on the one hand. Then again, you didn’t ask me for money so that puts you in the lead.”
“OH come on, Shannon, you have to get some new material. The whole ghosting thing is old news. I brought you lobster mac, remember?”
“And some very memorable orgasms,” she added with a shudder as if she was remembering one orgasm in particular. “Sorry.”
“I’m not. They were damn memorable.” Our gazes connected for a long, heated moment before she looked away. “But it’s clear you have terrible taste because what red-blooded man would use a woman like you for her money when there’s that hot body to explore?”
With those words, Shannon pushed away from the table with a laugh that shook her body. “It’s a good thing I’m wearing these ratty old clothes, because you are playing with fire, Miles.”
Am I, now? “I don’t know Shannon, you’re rocking that sweatpants and no bra look, pretty damn impressively.”
She looked down at her chest and then up at me with a sheepish smile and a shrug. “Thanks?”
We spent the entire evening together, barely touching at all, aside from the odd brush of the thighs or fingers. Somehow it was strictly platonic yet highly erotic all at once. By the time I left, with a braless hug, I had a much bigger problem.
I liked Shannon. I genuinely liked her and I wanted her, which was, of course, a damn recipe for disaster.
Shannon
“I can’t tell him, Mara. I just can’t.” I had no one else to talk to but I needed to talk to someone about my decision to keep this pregnancy to myself. “I learned some things about him, well his past, and I can’t share them with you but it’s clear that this wouldn’t be welcome news.” I couldn’t believe that his own brother had done him so dirty and while I didn’t pity him, I understood how that could create trust issues, the kind that would bubble up if a near-stranger claimed to be pregnant with your baby.
Mara nodded as if she understood but the dark expression on her face told me differently. “I still think you should let him decide, Shannon. To not tell him while you’re still here in town for the foreseeable future, it’s just cruel and you are not a cruel person.”
“Cruel? I’m just trying to do the right thing for all of us,” I told her and put a protective hand to my midsection. “I don’t want things to get ugly, especially now that we’re actually becoming friends.”
Mara scoffed and flipped the binder filled with marketing ideas and our new promotions calendar closed, and sighed heavily. “Are you friends, though? We’re friends and you told me about the pregnancy.”
“Because there’s no way in hell the baby is yours. And we work together.”
“And because we’re friends. If I can admit it, so can you.” She arched newly sculpted blond brows in my direction as she folded her arms, everything about her just daring me to deny it.
“Of course, we’re friends. I’ve worn you down successfully over the past two or three months. But it’s not the same.”
“Right. Because no matter what you say, you are not friends.” I opened my mouth to deny Mara’s claim when she held up a hand to stop me. “Even if you are friends, that’s not all you are.”
My shoulders sank with a resigned sigh. “Maybe you’re right and we’ve been lying to ourselves.” At least I was lying to myself. I think.
“That tends to happen when people are falling in love.”
I stood, shaking my head back and forth as I stood and smacked my hands on the kitchen table. “That is not what’s happening here. Not at all.”
“Isn’t it?” Mara didn’t look at all perturbed by my outburst or my anger. “Weird because it seems like that’s exactly what’s going on.” She shrugged and shoved the binder and tablet into her bag with a sigh. “A few of us are driving over to Tulip for Trivia Night and I’m going to visit with my foster mom. Wanna come?”
I wanted to say yes but as I opened my mouth, a yawn popped out instead of an answer. “Maybe next time? I’m exhausted and this is the perfect time to catch up on some sleep. I might even be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed tomorrow morning.”
“Please don’t,” Mara said with a visible shudder. “See you later.”
“Not if I see you first,” I shot back, enjoying the annoyed glare Mara shot back before she left me alone with my thoughts. And my doubts.