which was juvenile and stupid. I didn't even know him back then, and even if it were now, it was none of my damn business.
"Damon Bryant."
"From McKenzie and Bryant? The accounting firm downtown?" I lifted my eyebrow as shock rolled through me.
"You know them? Or Damon?" His turn to lift an eyebrow. "You haven't slept with him, right?"
"What? No." I shook my head and snorted. "There is no way I would sleep with him. He's like Dallas' most eligible billionaire bachelor, which means he's a whore. Sorry, but it's gotta be true."
"No, it's true, or was. He's really a-" He shook his head and pulled into a small hole-in-the-wall Italian place. "Enough about him. So the girl I slept with through college was a real bitch, just a hooker and a half."
"Sounds lovely." I got out of the car and smiled as he gave me a stern look.
"You promised no judging."
"I lied?" I gave him a cheeky grin and opened the door for us. The place was packed, but Kendal pressed his hand to my lower back and moved us to the bar.
He leaned over and pressed his mouth beside my ear, speaking loudly.
"You good sitting at the bar?"
"Yes." I turned my face a little, putting us too close together.
He moved his hand back as his eyes widened a little. "Sorry. I forget most women don't appreciate a man leading them around like he owns her."
I moved toward the bar and waited until we were seated in a high-top table in the corner and addressed his comment.
"I think most women like a man who takes charge. I do."
"Good to know." His eyes lingered on me a little longer than was comfortable.
I'd have given a million bucks to look more like Jackie. He deserved a long, lean, beautiful girl to sit across the table from him and yet he was stuck with me. Just friends. Nothing to worry about.
"So the dean calls me in the other day, and guess who the new professor in my department is? And before you answer, let me add in that I've been set up as her mentor, you know, someone to guide her through the next year of her career."
"Oh my God. Are you kidding me right now?" I sat back in shock. With everything going on with his sister, I wasn't sure how he could honestly handle much more.
"No, I wish I was." He picked up the menu as the server walked over.
"What'll it be, love birds?"
"Oh, no, we're just-" I tried to save us, but Kendal cut me off.
"What are you having tonight?" He winked and handed me the menu.
Warmth raced up my chest and coated my cheeks, leaving me to realize that I was blushing around him. How fucking embarrassing.
"Bud light, please." I glanced up to find him studying me again.
"Me too." Kendal handed the guy the menus, but kept his eyes on me.
"Stop staring at me. You're making me uncomfortable."
"What? Why?" He leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. "Because you have a boyfriend?"
"No, because it's just uncomfortable. I don't know." I shrugged and glanced around the bar, thinking it was a good time to go to the restroom. What was I doing? I was setting myself up for the motherlode of all heartaches. The beautiful man across the table wanted a friend and I was going to what, pretend to be one?
"Why is it uncomfortable, Dana?" He leaned forward, forcing me to return my attention back on him.
"Because Kendal. I look like your ugly-duckling little sister. It is what it is, but it doesn't mean I want to dwell on it." I was making no sense.
"You're shitting me, right?" He reached for his beer as the waiter returned and lifted it to his lips.
"Whatever. So this woman... did she hit on you?"
"Oh yeah. She's a whore and a half. I have no clue how I'm going to get her off my case. She's trying to blackmail me into sleeping with her." He chuckled. "Have you ever heard of something so ridiculous?"
"No, I mean, I can see why she would, but still..."
"Why would she? Because she's damn desperate?" The way he watched me left me feeling nude, bare, unraveled in front of him.
"Because you’re attractive."
"Am I now?" He wagged his
"Damon Bryant."
"From McKenzie and Bryant? The accounting firm downtown?" I lifted my eyebrow as shock rolled through me.
"You know them? Or Damon?" His turn to lift an eyebrow. "You haven't slept with him, right?"
"What? No." I shook my head and snorted. "There is no way I would sleep with him. He's like Dallas' most eligible billionaire bachelor, which means he's a whore. Sorry, but it's gotta be true."
"No, it's true, or was. He's really a-" He shook his head and pulled into a small hole-in-the-wall Italian place. "Enough about him. So the girl I slept with through college was a real bitch, just a hooker and a half."
"Sounds lovely." I got out of the car and smiled as he gave me a stern look.
"You promised no judging."
"I lied?" I gave him a cheeky grin and opened the door for us. The place was packed, but Kendal pressed his hand to my lower back and moved us to the bar.
He leaned over and pressed his mouth beside my ear, speaking loudly.
"You good sitting at the bar?"
"Yes." I turned my face a little, putting us too close together.
He moved his hand back as his eyes widened a little. "Sorry. I forget most women don't appreciate a man leading them around like he owns her."
I moved toward the bar and waited until we were seated in a high-top table in the corner and addressed his comment.
"I think most women like a man who takes charge. I do."
"Good to know." His eyes lingered on me a little longer than was comfortable.
I'd have given a million bucks to look more like Jackie. He deserved a long, lean, beautiful girl to sit across the table from him and yet he was stuck with me. Just friends. Nothing to worry about.
"So the dean calls me in the other day, and guess who the new professor in my department is? And before you answer, let me add in that I've been set up as her mentor, you know, someone to guide her through the next year of her career."
"Oh my God. Are you kidding me right now?" I sat back in shock. With everything going on with his sister, I wasn't sure how he could honestly handle much more.
"No, I wish I was." He picked up the menu as the server walked over.
"What'll it be, love birds?"
"Oh, no, we're just-" I tried to save us, but Kendal cut me off.
"What are you having tonight?" He winked and handed me the menu.
Warmth raced up my chest and coated my cheeks, leaving me to realize that I was blushing around him. How fucking embarrassing.
"Bud light, please." I glanced up to find him studying me again.
"Me too." Kendal handed the guy the menus, but kept his eyes on me.
"Stop staring at me. You're making me uncomfortable."
"What? Why?" He leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. "Because you have a boyfriend?"
"No, because it's just uncomfortable. I don't know." I shrugged and glanced around the bar, thinking it was a good time to go to the restroom. What was I doing? I was setting myself up for the motherlode of all heartaches. The beautiful man across the table wanted a friend and I was going to what, pretend to be one?
"Why is it uncomfortable, Dana?" He leaned forward, forcing me to return my attention back on him.
"Because Kendal. I look like your ugly-duckling little sister. It is what it is, but it doesn't mean I want to dwell on it." I was making no sense.
"You're shitting me, right?" He reached for his beer as the waiter returned and lifted it to his lips.
"Whatever. So this woman... did she hit on you?"
"Oh yeah. She's a whore and a half. I have no clue how I'm going to get her off my case. She's trying to blackmail me into sleeping with her." He chuckled. "Have you ever heard of something so ridiculous?"
"No, I mean, I can see why she would, but still..."
"Why would she? Because she's damn desperate?" The way he watched me left me feeling nude, bare, unraveled in front of him.
"Because you’re attractive."
"Am I now?" He wagged his
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