“Gabe!”
“Stop it.”
“Oh,” she smacked her forehead. “That’s right. They probably went to bed. They said they were both really tired .”
Jed gave her a look that could have bored through steel. He leaned in front of her toward Bonnie and Edward. “We’ll be back.”
Before she knew what he was about, he’d grabbed her by the hand and was dragging her through the crowd of people, her protests lost in the din. He pulled her out the front door and onto the sidewalk.
Tori’s ears were ringing from the noise inside the bar, and she knew her cheeks were red with a heady mix of anger, embarrassment and something that felt like shame. “I am not some puppy dog you can drag around on a leash.” She looked at her wrist, red where his fingers had been, and rubbed at it.
He put his hands on hers, far more gentle now. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
She yanked them away. “You say that a lot. Maybe you should start behaving better so you don’t have to keep apologizing for being such an idiot all the time.”
He ran his hand through his hair. “Yeah. Maybe you’re right.”
Their eyes held a moment too long.
“I’m going inside,” she said.
“Wait. You’re obviously upset with me. I don’t even know what I did.”
She stopped, even as she told herself to keep moving. She stared through the glass into the crowded bar, knowing she didn’t want to be in there any more than she wanted to be out here.
“Talk to me, Tori.”
She shook her head. “No.”
He walked up behind her. “Is it something I said?”
The door to the bar opened, noise spilling between them, and Gabe stepped outside. “What’s going on out here?”
“None of your business,” said Jed.
“Don’t talk to him like that,” said Tori. “None of this is his fault.”
Jed raised his eyebrows. “All of this is his fault.”
“Ah,” said Gabe. “The old, ‘Gabe’s ruined the world’ conversation. I have to say, that argument’s wearing a little thin these days, brother.”
Jed moved to Gabe, their faces inches apart. “You think so?”
Tori pushed the two men apart. “Stop this.” She let out a huff. “Gabe, go inside, please. I need to talk to Jed alone.”
Gabe gritted his teeth, but nodded. “If you need me, you let me know.” He went back inside.
Tori turned to Jed and took a deep breath into her lungs. “I know you slept with Evelyn.”
“Excuse me?”
“I saw her car at your place last night, the same one she was driving at the restaurant. It was still at your house this morning.”
“Whoa, hold on. We were talking. She took a cab home.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Right.”
“It’s true. And why were you watching my house, anyway? I thought you weren’t interested in me at all?”
“Why would she take a cab home?”
“We were drinking. Now why were you watching my house, instead of Gabe’s hotel?”
“Why were you drinking with your ex-fiancé?”
“Because she wants me back.”
Tori snorted. “Really.”
“Yes, really.” His eyes darkened and his voice dropped. “But I don’t want her, Tori. I think you know that already.”
Tori’s cheeks flamed hot. “I don’t know what you want, Jed. That’s part of the problem.”
He stepped closer and tipped her chin up with his hand. “I want you.”
“Let go of me.” She lifted her chin out of his grasp, then sidestepped Jed and went back inside.
He didn’t even try to stop her.
~~~
Jed watched as Edward lit a cigar and blew smoke into the night air. The noise in the bar had calmed down long ago, the women had left and the band had gone home. Jed knew if he had any sense, he would follow their lead—tomorrow morning was bound to come earlier than he would like.
The door opened and a bit of smoke wafted inside. Jed pushed off his barstool and made his way outside. “Mind if I join you?” he asked.
“Of course not.” Edward reached inside his breast pocket.
“Stop it.”
“Oh,” she smacked her forehead. “That’s right. They probably went to bed. They said they were both really tired .”
Jed gave her a look that could have bored through steel. He leaned in front of her toward Bonnie and Edward. “We’ll be back.”
Before she knew what he was about, he’d grabbed her by the hand and was dragging her through the crowd of people, her protests lost in the din. He pulled her out the front door and onto the sidewalk.
Tori’s ears were ringing from the noise inside the bar, and she knew her cheeks were red with a heady mix of anger, embarrassment and something that felt like shame. “I am not some puppy dog you can drag around on a leash.” She looked at her wrist, red where his fingers had been, and rubbed at it.
He put his hands on hers, far more gentle now. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
She yanked them away. “You say that a lot. Maybe you should start behaving better so you don’t have to keep apologizing for being such an idiot all the time.”
He ran his hand through his hair. “Yeah. Maybe you’re right.”
Their eyes held a moment too long.
“I’m going inside,” she said.
“Wait. You’re obviously upset with me. I don’t even know what I did.”
She stopped, even as she told herself to keep moving. She stared through the glass into the crowded bar, knowing she didn’t want to be in there any more than she wanted to be out here.
“Talk to me, Tori.”
She shook her head. “No.”
He walked up behind her. “Is it something I said?”
The door to the bar opened, noise spilling between them, and Gabe stepped outside. “What’s going on out here?”
“None of your business,” said Jed.
“Don’t talk to him like that,” said Tori. “None of this is his fault.”
Jed raised his eyebrows. “All of this is his fault.”
“Ah,” said Gabe. “The old, ‘Gabe’s ruined the world’ conversation. I have to say, that argument’s wearing a little thin these days, brother.”
Jed moved to Gabe, their faces inches apart. “You think so?”
Tori pushed the two men apart. “Stop this.” She let out a huff. “Gabe, go inside, please. I need to talk to Jed alone.”
Gabe gritted his teeth, but nodded. “If you need me, you let me know.” He went back inside.
Tori turned to Jed and took a deep breath into her lungs. “I know you slept with Evelyn.”
“Excuse me?”
“I saw her car at your place last night, the same one she was driving at the restaurant. It was still at your house this morning.”
“Whoa, hold on. We were talking. She took a cab home.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Right.”
“It’s true. And why were you watching my house, anyway? I thought you weren’t interested in me at all?”
“Why would she take a cab home?”
“We were drinking. Now why were you watching my house, instead of Gabe’s hotel?”
“Why were you drinking with your ex-fiancé?”
“Because she wants me back.”
Tori snorted. “Really.”
“Yes, really.” His eyes darkened and his voice dropped. “But I don’t want her, Tori. I think you know that already.”
Tori’s cheeks flamed hot. “I don’t know what you want, Jed. That’s part of the problem.”
He stepped closer and tipped her chin up with his hand. “I want you.”
“Let go of me.” She lifted her chin out of his grasp, then sidestepped Jed and went back inside.
He didn’t even try to stop her.
~~~
Jed watched as Edward lit a cigar and blew smoke into the night air. The noise in the bar had calmed down long ago, the women had left and the band had gone home. Jed knew if he had any sense, he would follow their lead—tomorrow morning was bound to come earlier than he would like.
The door opened and a bit of smoke wafted inside. Jed pushed off his barstool and made his way outside. “Mind if I join you?” he asked.
“Of course not.” Edward reached inside his breast pocket.
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