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“Are you sure about that?” That night at the hotel, she’d been drinking to forget. That’s what her father did, too. He just did it every night. “Because it doesn’t feel any different.”
“I’m sure,” Lauren said, covering her hand with hers. “You’re allowed to drink every once in a while, Daisy. There’s nothing wrong with moderation.”
Yeah, and look what had happened when she drank.
She slept with a man she didn’t know…
Or thought she didn’t know, anyway.
Lauren rested a hand on her shoulder, squeezing. “I’ve never met him, but you’re not your father. Steven was like him, when we first slept together. But now…” She trailed off, smiling. “Now he’s not.”
“Because of you,” Daisy said softly, knowing it was true even if Lauren didn’t.
“No. Because deep down, he’s a good guy. Just like you’re a good woman, who won’t lose herself because she had one drink.”
Was Mark a good guy, too?
It didn’t matter if he was or wasn’t. She wasn’t interested in dating a vet…not even if the vet was Mark. Heck, especially not then. He was too…too…
Too much.
He could keep on working at the Shillings Agency, and she’d keep on doing her thing at the precinct. Separately.
“He’s here,” Lauren said, brightening like a lightbulb as she waved him over to join them. “Looks like he’s not alone.”
Probably Holt. They were attached at the hip almost as much as Holt and Lydia were. “Is Lydia with them, too?”
“No. It’s not Holt. It’s…oh, crap.” Lauren shot her a look. “Before you freak out, this wasn’t me, I swear it. I didn’t know he was coming.”
“Didn’t know…who…?” Oh God. Oh no. Please, no. Please. Anyone but him. She turned slowly, dread creeping up her spine to settle in a tight ball in her throat, choking her. Sure enough, Mark stood beside Steven, talking and laughing as he shrugged out of his suit jacket. He hadn’t noticed her yet…at least, she assumed he hadn’t, because he was still smiling. “I have to go.”
She stood, fully intending to slide out before she was seen, but Mark chose that moment to look her way—and he froze, the smile he’d been wearing became plastic and brittle. His gaze dipped down her body, and by the time his eyes met hers, she felt like she was on fire.
Literal. Flames. Of. Fire.
And he was a bucket of ice cold water.
I need some frigging water.
Turning, she picked up her cosmo and took a big sip before she remembered it wasn’t water. Choking, she set it back down with a clang on the bar. Cheeks hot, she turned back to him and checked to see if he saw her big failure. His lips twitched with amusement.
Yep. He totally saw it.
Even from across the room she could see his chin dimple, and her fingers itched to touch it, to press her thumb into that stupid little hole in his chin, rise on tiptoe, and kiss him. His blond hair was swept to the side, and he had a sexy five-o’clock shadow going. Had he been stuck working late at the agency like Steven? It made her wonder who took care of his daughter when he was out late. Chances were he wasn’t a deadbeat dad like hers had been…
So someone had to be with the child now.
His mom? His sister? His nanny?
And what, exactly, did he do at the agency? Was he the type of agent that guarded clients, or did he work in IT, like Holt? She knew nothing about him besides the fact he was good in bed.
Really, really good.
Swallowing hard, she fanned her cheeks and forced her mind off him. Or, tried, anyway. And failed. No matter how much she wished otherwise, she recalled with picture perfect clarity how hard his body was under those black pants and blue dress shirt.
She wanted to latch on to his gray tie and yank him close until their lips met…
And nothing else mattered.
