night? Things must be getting pretty hot and heavy between you and Tom Selleck.”
Kristen gave him a dirty look. How the hell had he heard that while carrying on his own conversation?
He’d taken to calling Matthew Tom Selleck shortly after she and the doctor started going out more frequently. The nickname was apt and funny—and not at all insulting because Tom Selleck was way sexy in her mind—but she pretended to be annoyed about it anyway.
She didn’t want to talk to Jason about Matthew, so she tried to change the subject. “Oh yeah. Hot and heavy, that’s us. Hey. I thought Monica was coming to this concert with you.”
He shrugged. “Don’t think Monica and I are going to work out.”
“Oh,” Kristen feigned disappointment, though his admission had her stomach doing flip-flops of joy. She didn’t want to acknowledge what that meant. While Jason and her trainer hadn’t started seriously dating, they had gone out on occasion, either for dinner or hiking. Every time Monica told her about their dates, Kristen had to beat down the uncharacteristic jealousy that crept in. “That’s a shame. I thought the two of you were well-suited.”
“She doesn’t like Buffett. Said all his songs sound the same.”
Kristen laughed. “You didn’t break things off with her over Jimmy Buffett, did you?”
He shook his head. “No. Actually, she was the one who suggested we call it quits.”
Kristen was surprised. “Really? I thought she liked you.”
He lifted one shoulder casually. “Yeah. I think that was the problem. She said it didn’t make sense for her to fall for a guy who was pretty obviously into someone else.”
His words ran over Kristen like a two-ton truck. “Someone else?”
He gave her a crooked grin. “Guess I’m not as good at hiding my feelings as you are.”
She studied his expression. Though his words were spoken lightly, there was definite pain in his eyes. Crap. Had she done that? “I haven’t slept with Matthew.”
She had no idea where those words had come from, but she hated thinking she’d hurt Jason even for a second. She wasn’t the type of woman to use one man to make another jealous and she’d never meant to put Matthew and Jason in competition for her affections. Suddenly she was feeling cold and cruel.
“Why not?”
She struggled for an explanation, but once again, her gift for words fell short. “He’s a nice guy.”
“And that’s a non-answer. Why aren’t you sleeping with him, Kris?”
Jason was the only person in the world who’d ever called her Kris. The nickname had never seemed to occur to anyone before him. She supposed people didn’t view her that way. Kristen was professional, older, more mature. Kris always made her feel like a young girl, someone who’d toss pom poms in the air and dirty dance with her boyfriend at a field party.
“Because…” She bit her lip. There was an obvious reply, but she wasn’t sure she should say it. “Because I’m not attracted to him like that.”
Because I want you and only you.
“Then I guess it’s a good thing hot sex wasn’t part of your requirements for a suitable husband.”
She nodded slowly, feeling like the world’s biggest idiot. How could she admit she’d changed her mind about that? Cocky Jason would love to hear she’d been wrong about sex. And he’d know exactly who’d taught her that lesson. “Guess so,” she murmured.
He grinned, then placed his arm across the back of her chair, his fingers lightly touching the nape of her neck. One soft touch after three weeks of nothing and her body was ready to go off like a firecracker. “I’ve missed you the past few weeks. Didn’t get chastised for my bad behavior once. It was almost boring.”
She rolled her eyes. “At your age, you really should learn to use your own conscience. How was the law conference? Any late-night hotel room hook-ups?” He’d certainly found willing colleagues in previous years. And he’d always been sure to
Kristen gave him a dirty look. How the hell had he heard that while carrying on his own conversation?
He’d taken to calling Matthew Tom Selleck shortly after she and the doctor started going out more frequently. The nickname was apt and funny—and not at all insulting because Tom Selleck was way sexy in her mind—but she pretended to be annoyed about it anyway.
She didn’t want to talk to Jason about Matthew, so she tried to change the subject. “Oh yeah. Hot and heavy, that’s us. Hey. I thought Monica was coming to this concert with you.”
He shrugged. “Don’t think Monica and I are going to work out.”
“Oh,” Kristen feigned disappointment, though his admission had her stomach doing flip-flops of joy. She didn’t want to acknowledge what that meant. While Jason and her trainer hadn’t started seriously dating, they had gone out on occasion, either for dinner or hiking. Every time Monica told her about their dates, Kristen had to beat down the uncharacteristic jealousy that crept in. “That’s a shame. I thought the two of you were well-suited.”
“She doesn’t like Buffett. Said all his songs sound the same.”
Kristen laughed. “You didn’t break things off with her over Jimmy Buffett, did you?”
He shook his head. “No. Actually, she was the one who suggested we call it quits.”
Kristen was surprised. “Really? I thought she liked you.”
He lifted one shoulder casually. “Yeah. I think that was the problem. She said it didn’t make sense for her to fall for a guy who was pretty obviously into someone else.”
His words ran over Kristen like a two-ton truck. “Someone else?”
He gave her a crooked grin. “Guess I’m not as good at hiding my feelings as you are.”
She studied his expression. Though his words were spoken lightly, there was definite pain in his eyes. Crap. Had she done that? “I haven’t slept with Matthew.”
She had no idea where those words had come from, but she hated thinking she’d hurt Jason even for a second. She wasn’t the type of woman to use one man to make another jealous and she’d never meant to put Matthew and Jason in competition for her affections. Suddenly she was feeling cold and cruel.
“Why not?”
She struggled for an explanation, but once again, her gift for words fell short. “He’s a nice guy.”
“And that’s a non-answer. Why aren’t you sleeping with him, Kris?”
Jason was the only person in the world who’d ever called her Kris. The nickname had never seemed to occur to anyone before him. She supposed people didn’t view her that way. Kristen was professional, older, more mature. Kris always made her feel like a young girl, someone who’d toss pom poms in the air and dirty dance with her boyfriend at a field party.
“Because…” She bit her lip. There was an obvious reply, but she wasn’t sure she should say it. “Because I’m not attracted to him like that.”
Because I want you and only you.
“Then I guess it’s a good thing hot sex wasn’t part of your requirements for a suitable husband.”
She nodded slowly, feeling like the world’s biggest idiot. How could she admit she’d changed her mind about that? Cocky Jason would love to hear she’d been wrong about sex. And he’d know exactly who’d taught her that lesson. “Guess so,” she murmured.
He grinned, then placed his arm across the back of her chair, his fingers lightly touching the nape of her neck. One soft touch after three weeks of nothing and her body was ready to go off like a firecracker. “I’ve missed you the past few weeks. Didn’t get chastised for my bad behavior once. It was almost boring.”
She rolled her eyes. “At your age, you really should learn to use your own conscience. How was the law conference? Any late-night hotel room hook-ups?” He’d certainly found willing colleagues in previous years. And he’d always been sure to
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