Dark Escort by E. L. Todd Page B

since she wouldn’t tell me. But I would feel like a jackass if I went behind her back and asked Joey about it. But if he told me on his own…that would be a different story. “She made her decision. You should just accept it and move on.”
    “Easier said than done,” he said bitterly. “If she gave me a chance, she would love again. She’s just too scared. So she finds you and drags you along like a cat toy on the end of a string. She’ll pull you along for a while then cut you loose, just like she always does.”
    “I’m going to marry her.” The words echoed in the office and landed on both of our ears.
    He turned to me with frosty eyes. “What did you say?”
    “I’m going to marry her.” I met his gaze unwaveringly.
    He shook his head then turned away again. “No, you aren’t.”
    “I will,” I said. “We’ve already talked about it.”
    His head snapped in my direction. “You’re full of it. She would never remarry—at least for love.”
    Remarry ? So, she used to be married? What happened? Did he leave her for another woman? When did this happen? Maybe she got divorced right before we met and that was why she didn’t stick around the following morning. Now my mind was buzzing with more questions. While Joey answered my question, it led to more questions. “She’s had enough time to move on. And I’m a very patient man.”
    He released a light laugh. “Seriously, do you even know her? You talk about her like she’s a completely different person.”
    “Because she’s a completely different person with me.”
    He shook his head. “I assure you, her only interest in a marriage with you is convenience. If you don’t want to get your heart dragged through the mud, you should get out while you can.”
    “She loves me.”
    “Cut the shit,” he said.
    “She does,” I repeated. “Ask her.”
    He studied my face, searching for a lie. “That’s just not possible. I’m sorry.”
    “I’m a pretty good-looking guy,” I said with a smug look.
    He rolled his eyes and fell silent.
    I rested my hand on my thigh and wondered what was taking Katarina so long. “Why are you so into her?” I understood her charms and beauty, but this guy was borderline obsessed with her. I didn’t like it.
    “Because she’s the one,” he said quietly. “She’s been the one since I could remember. I had a real shot with her. We were getting so close. Then Ethan showed up and it all went to shit…”
    “Close as friends, probably,” I said.
    “No. I saw it in her eyes. She was considering me. But then he came into the picture and swept her off her feet. They weren’t together very long, two months, before they got married. It had disaster written all over it.”
    I couldn’t imagine Katarina being spontaneous like that. She was so uptight now. Sometimes I caught glimpses of her playful side but it wasn’t strong enough to suggest she would marry a man she hardly knew. “She followed her heart. You can’t blame her for that. Just because it didn’t work out doesn’t mean she regrets her decision.”
    He turned toward me again and narrowed his eyes. He didn’t blink while he examined me. “Now I know without a doubt you’re full of shit.”
    I had no idea what he meant by that so I kept my silence. It was the smart thing to do.
    “She would never fall in love with another man and not mention Ethan. The fact you don’t know what happened is a dead giveaway. This is clearly just a fling and she doesn’t trust you.”
    Fuck, I hoped I didn’t screw Katarina over. I wasn’t sure how to fix it or what to say. I wasn’t even sure what I said to give him the indication I didn’t know about Katarina’s personal life. “No man wants to hear about his girlfriend’s ex-husband.” That seemed pretty safe.
    “I think they would since he’s been dead for five years.”
    ***
    After Joey left, Katarina and I walked to the restaurant.
    “Is this okay?” she asked. “The closest place is ten