7 Months (Time for Love 8)

“No problem,” I replied easily. “I’ll let you know when the next one is.”

“Thanks,” he said. “Hey, I may need you to give me directions back toward your place. I haven’t been in this part of town before.”

I started to agree, then realized what I wanted, no, needed, to do.

“Hey, instead of home, can you drop me somewhere else?”

“Sure, where to?”

“Thanks, man,” I replied, then gave him directions to Ming’s loft.

Chapter Sixteen ~ Ming

The unexpected knock at my door had me throwing my blanket onto the back of the couch and placing my reading tablet on the coffee table. My brain was distracted, still stuck on the fact that the main character in my book had just found out that her brother was still alive, so that was why it took a second for the fact that Brady was standing in my doorway to register.

“Hey,” he said, after I stood there just looking at him for a few seconds.

“Hi,” I replied, my eyes looking him over. Devouring him as if it had been ages since I’d seen him, rather than just days.

I fought the urge to jump him, my body tingling at the sight of him.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, because I was pretty sure that we’d discussed the fact that our “relationship” was over, and him showing up like this, at night, and obviously a few drinks in, was kind of cruel.

How am I supposed to say no to him when he is leaning against my door looking sexy as hell with a devilish-looking grin on his face?

“I needed to see you,” Brady said, and I felt my body sway toward him of its own volition.

“Brady,” I warned, but I wasn’t sure if it was a warning for him, or for myself.

He held his hand up and said, “No touching, I promise. You said you didn’t want things to be that anymore and I’ll respect your wishes, but I needed to see you. Can I come in?”

I stood to the side and let him enter, my brain harping on his no touching promise. It was great that he was abiding by my wishes, but when he walked by and his scent hit me, I had to curl my fingers into a ball to keep from touching him.

“Did you drive?” I asked.

“No,” he replied with a shake of his head. “Doobie dropped me off.”

“Doobie?” I asked, trying to keep my voice calm, even though I was desperate at the thought that he was here to share things about himself with me … finally.

“Yeah, my partner,” Brady replied, then when he caught the surprised look on my face he asked, “I’ve never talked about him?”

“Uh, no,” I replied. Did he honestly not realize that he’d never talked with me about anything?

He shook his head and muttered, “I’m such a shit.”

“Hey.” I crossed over to him and maneuvered him toward the couch. Once he was sitting, I asked, “Are you okay?”

His beautiful eyes looked sad, and when he asked, “How did your date with the suit go?” My heart clenched painfully in my chest.

Tucking my hair behind my ear, I answered, “Uh, it was more of a group hangout thing. I’d just won a case I’d been working on a while, so we all went out to celebrate.”

Brady didn’t say anything, just kept his intense gaze on me. I suddenly felt like I was under his microscope, and he was determined to figure me out.

“So, uh, you had your partner drop you off … Were you guys out or something?”

“Poker night,” he said in response. “It was his first time.”

“Did you tell him about me, or…”