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Like this engagement party.
Still, she had to go on smiling and pretending she was having the time of her life, and that she wasn’t hungry when she was actually longing to give in to the temptation of the yummy-looking calorie-laden appetizers at various locales on the beautifully decorated patio.
Even worse, she had to pretend that the engagement and wedding excitement didn’t trigger flashbacks to sitting in her fancy white dress, alone on her wedding night.
Johnny’s exit had just been more dramatic, but every man Riley had ever cared for had left, leaving her done with romantic involvements.
So why was her gaze constantly on the man on the opposite side of the party venue? The very gorgeous man she couldn’t keep her eyes from straying to no matter how many times she dragged them away?
Hot, steamy Dr. Justin Brothers—the heartthrob orthopedic surgeon all the females at the hospital oohed and ahhed over twenty-four-seven.
Riley didn’t ooh or ah over Justin. Much. Sure, he was tall, muscular in a non-gym-rat kind of way, and had the most amazing blue eyes and smile. But she knew his type. Male—which equated to love ’em and leave ’em.
Justin was one of those fast guys who didn’t waste time before declaring, “Next!” From the moment he’d arrived on the Columbia Hospital scene, he had never been with the same woman twice. He wasn’t interested in pretending he’d stick around.
Wasn’t that what Karen, one of his more recent exes, had told Riley when they’d bumped into each other at the grocer’s? Justin was fun while it lasted, but knowing that hadn’t prevented the woman from being heartbroken when he’d moved on.
Riley did not want to be the next Karen. Or Nancy. Or Stephanie.
So what if she enjoyed their hospital banter? The way he made her fight laughter more often than not? Made her fight the awareness that, although she’d sworn off romance, her body was still young and hormonal?
Regardless, she wouldn’t risk a repeat of what had happened with Johnny. Not ever, ever, ever.
That was why she’d told Justin no when he’d asked her to dinner.
Twice.
She hadn’t been sure he was serious the first time, and had figured the second time had been about wounded pride.
But if ever she was tempted to date again, Justin would be the one to make her do it.
When Justin had come to work at the hospital six months ago she had felt good old-fashioned lust surge to life. Something she’d thought impossible to feel again. Something she hadn’t wanted to feel again.
Which was why she avoided him when she was outside the safety of the hospital.
The less she knew about Justin, the better.
The more she thought of him as a player—no better than any other man who’d ever walked the earth, looking for a female’s heart to crush—the better.
The sooner she snuck away from this party, the better.
Why had she thought she could attend an engagement party? Wasn’t that like having all her shattered dreams tossed right into her face? A vivid reminder of her own engagement party?
Romantic happiness was like a vapor. Here one moment, gone the next. Riley had sworn off pursuing that elusive mirage. Life was so much better since she had.
She gripped her glass tighter. She should have known Johnny would invade her thoughts tonight. She had known.
Laughing a bit too loudly at a comment someone made, Riley wanted to fall through the floor. Surely enough time had passed that she could leave without being noticed?
She glanced at her fitness watch. Her heart sank. Had she really only been there just over thirty minutes? How was that possible when it seemed hours had gone by since she’d arrived a little late, with her roommate Cassie and her on-again, off-again boyfriend Sam?
An hour. She had to stay at least an hour.
Then she could go home, change into something comfortable, eat celery while telling herself it tasted way better than chocolate, grab her six-pound Maltese terrier, and lie on the hammock in her backyard to let the night sky and her loving dog soothe away her raw nerves.
Across the room, Justin Brothers clanged his glass, causing the crowd to hush.“Can I have your attention, please?”
Oh, he had Riley’s attention, all right. Way too often and almost non-stop since she’d arrived and seen him putting shame to every other man present in his tailored black pants and perfect-fitting light blue button-down shirt. He’d undone a couple of buttons at his throat and rolled up his sleeves to reveal tanned mid-forearms. He looked phenomenal. Someone should put him on a billboard.
