Stir Me (Rouse Me 2)

"I wan

ted it as much as he did."

Alyssa looks at me. Her eyes are on fire, but I don't know what to make of it. She did want to be with me as much as I wanted to be with her, but she was awfully hesitant about it.

"That isn't how I imagined it," Samantha says.

Alyssa pulls her gaze away from me. "Well, look at him. And the mouth on him. Jesus, he can talk some serious trash. Of course, he does back it up."

Samantha's jaw hits the floor. She struggles to compose herself. "Yes, he does. And he's very... handsome. But you were engaged to Ryan."

"You know what that's like, being with a man you don't love, trying to convince yourself you should love him, drifting through life like a zombie. Then you meet someone and you finally feel alive."

Samantha swallows hard. "But for Luke that was awfully cold. I mean, he knew you were engaged to his business partner and he still went after you."

"I'm sure he didn't mean for it to go that far."

"I'd hope," Samantha says.

"It's not like he owed Ryan anything. It's not like they're family."

Jesus Christ. She's flat-out challenging Samantha. Or maybe she's challenging me. I should be annoyed--Alyssa isn't playing nice--but truth be told, I like this side of her.

Samantha clears her throat. "Luke and Ryan never did get along. Back in law school, they argued all the time. And he was always complaining about that asshole who wouldn't stop sucking up to the teacher."

"It's a good business," I say.

"You could have started it on your own," Samantha said.

"Yes, well, you both know Ryan," I say. "He made a very compelling argument for starting the firm together. And I would have been a fool to leave a business partner who was willing to put in eighty hours a week."

Alyssa runs her fingers over her menu. "Nothing Ryan loves more than work."

Samantha offers a fake smile. Anyone can see how fake it is.

She shakes her head and looks at Alyssa. "I already know so much about this obnoxious man. I want to hear more about you. He's quite taken with you, you know."

Alyssa smiles. "Is he?"

"You should see the look he gets when you text him. And then he tries to hide it and apologize like I asked him not to have a life."

"Don't start," I say. It's true, technically, but it's only half the story. It's only the part where she pushes me away, not the part where she breaks down and asks me to stay, to spend the night holding her, apologizing again and again for how she ruined my life.

"I tried to tell him he should be spending his time with you. But you probably know how he is by now."

"I'm sure," Alyssa says.

"I do. But he doesn't listen. He's very stubborn."

She nods.

A silence falls over the table. These two might be dead set on derailing dinner, but I'm going to keep the conversation pleasant.

"Alyssa is an actress," I say.

Samantha struggles not to roll her eyes, but she manages. "I'm afraid I'm rather TV illiterate."

"She's also been in lots of films," I say.