wasn’t the least bit tempted. Because while Whitney was undoubtedly attractive, he was not attracted.
He couldn’t stop thinking about Harper, wanting Harper. Despite the fact that she’d given no indication that she felt the same way and all kinds of hints to the contrary, he knew he couldn’t be with one woman when he was preoccupied by thoughts of another.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “There’s too much going on in my life to start a relationship right now.”
“Who said anything about a relationship?” she challenged. “I just want to have a good time.”
Which he didn’t need to be a linguistics expert to know translated into simple no-strings sex. A one-night stand. He hadn’t had a one-night stand since...Harper.
What was it about the woman that all of his thoughts seemed to circle back to her? Was it a natural consequence of their circumstances—living together and raising a child together? Or was it more than that? Because even though he knew a relationship between them would be messy and complicated, she was the only one he wanted.
“Ryan?” Whitney prompted.
“Let me pay the bill and I’ll take you home.”
She smiled. “I’m just going to make a quick trip to the ladies’ room to freshen up.”
Ryan signaled for the bill, then pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to Harper.
how’s everything there?
Good.
oliver settling down ok?
He’s already asleep.
He hadn’t expected that and was, perhaps, a little disappointed that he obviously wasn’t needed at home.
Is everything okay there? she prompted.
great
He sent the single-word message, then followed up with another.
i might be late
No problem.
He figured she couldn’t make it any more obvious that she didn’t want the same thing he did.
He signed the credit card receipt and tucked his phone away again as Whitney came back to the table. “Let’s go.”
Chapter Eight
H arper stared at the message that Ryan had sent and wondered why the man couldn’t seem to capitalize or punctuate his text messages.
i might be late
It was laziness, she decided, annoyed that he couldn’t be bothered to make an effort. Or maybe she was more annoyed by the content of the message than the delivery, because the brief statement confirmed that he was having a great time on his date with Whitney and wasn’t in any hurry to come home.
She was annoyed, too, with her own response.
No problem.
But what other response could she have given? What could she have said? She didn’t want to admit that she still struggled when she was on her own with Oliver, and she definitely didn’t want to admit—even to herself—that the idea of Ryan with another woman drove her insane.
Which was crazy, because she didn’t want him. Or—as he’d pointed out—she did want him, but she didn’t want to want him. And if she hadn’t had enough reasons four years ago, their current situation added another.
And her current situation was pacing the floor with an unhappy baby.
“You said he was sleeping.”
She jolted at the sound of his voice from the doorway. “And you said you were going to be late,” she reminded him, shifting Oliver to her other shoulder.
He shrugged. “Change of plans.”
“Well, Oliver was asleep,” she said, then sighed. “He woke up when I put him in his crib and hasn’t stopped crying since.”
“Do you want me to take him?”
She responded by transferring the little boy to his arms.
Of course, as soon as she did so, Oliver drew in a long shuddery breath and stopped crying.
She shook her head. “Sometimes I wonder why I’m even here.”
Ryan rubbed Oliver’s back as the baby snuggled against his shoulder. “Because he needs you.”
“Apparently he needs you .”
“And when you’re not here, he’s just as fussy for me,” Ryan told her. “He needs both of us.”
She crouched down to pick the scattered toys up off the floor. “I just thought I’d be better at this by now.”
“You’re doing
He couldn’t stop thinking about Harper, wanting Harper. Despite the fact that she’d given no indication that she felt the same way and all kinds of hints to the contrary, he knew he couldn’t be with one woman when he was preoccupied by thoughts of another.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “There’s too much going on in my life to start a relationship right now.”
“Who said anything about a relationship?” she challenged. “I just want to have a good time.”
Which he didn’t need to be a linguistics expert to know translated into simple no-strings sex. A one-night stand. He hadn’t had a one-night stand since...Harper.
What was it about the woman that all of his thoughts seemed to circle back to her? Was it a natural consequence of their circumstances—living together and raising a child together? Or was it more than that? Because even though he knew a relationship between them would be messy and complicated, she was the only one he wanted.
“Ryan?” Whitney prompted.
“Let me pay the bill and I’ll take you home.”
She smiled. “I’m just going to make a quick trip to the ladies’ room to freshen up.”
Ryan signaled for the bill, then pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to Harper.
how’s everything there?
Good.
oliver settling down ok?
He’s already asleep.
He hadn’t expected that and was, perhaps, a little disappointed that he obviously wasn’t needed at home.
Is everything okay there? she prompted.
great
He sent the single-word message, then followed up with another.
i might be late
No problem.
He figured she couldn’t make it any more obvious that she didn’t want the same thing he did.
He signed the credit card receipt and tucked his phone away again as Whitney came back to the table. “Let’s go.”
Chapter Eight
H arper stared at the message that Ryan had sent and wondered why the man couldn’t seem to capitalize or punctuate his text messages.
i might be late
It was laziness, she decided, annoyed that he couldn’t be bothered to make an effort. Or maybe she was more annoyed by the content of the message than the delivery, because the brief statement confirmed that he was having a great time on his date with Whitney and wasn’t in any hurry to come home.
She was annoyed, too, with her own response.
No problem.
But what other response could she have given? What could she have said? She didn’t want to admit that she still struggled when she was on her own with Oliver, and she definitely didn’t want to admit—even to herself—that the idea of Ryan with another woman drove her insane.
Which was crazy, because she didn’t want him. Or—as he’d pointed out—she did want him, but she didn’t want to want him. And if she hadn’t had enough reasons four years ago, their current situation added another.
And her current situation was pacing the floor with an unhappy baby.
“You said he was sleeping.”
She jolted at the sound of his voice from the doorway. “And you said you were going to be late,” she reminded him, shifting Oliver to her other shoulder.
He shrugged. “Change of plans.”
“Well, Oliver was asleep,” she said, then sighed. “He woke up when I put him in his crib and hasn’t stopped crying since.”
“Do you want me to take him?”
She responded by transferring the little boy to his arms.
Of course, as soon as she did so, Oliver drew in a long shuddery breath and stopped crying.
She shook her head. “Sometimes I wonder why I’m even here.”
Ryan rubbed Oliver’s back as the baby snuggled against his shoulder. “Because he needs you.”
“Apparently he needs you .”
“And when you’re not here, he’s just as fussy for me,” Ryan told her. “He needs both of us.”
She crouched down to pick the scattered toys up off the floor. “I just thought I’d be better at this by now.”
“You’re doing
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