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n the morning. After searching the room, she located her T-shirt, which she hadn’t worn but five minutes after her shower the night before. Then she dug through her bag for fresh panties.
They were back in Tripp’s town, this time at his ranch style home. She had to admit she liked the place, didn’t mind the quiet at all. Her decision to break off their affair had died a quick death, especially when she had been lying in Tripp’s arms and he’d suggested continuing indefinitely. How could she resist? She still wanted him—even three months after they first slept together.
Still, every time she saw him, she decided this was it. In fact the night before she had suggested it to him. “Maybe we should call it quits or at least take some time to cool off,” she’d said.
He’d frowned and drew her into his arms. When she would have pulled on a pair of shorts, he took them from her hands and tossed them aside. “Why? We’re great in bed together.” She’d begun packing her things. He emptied her bag. “You said you’re between projects. Stay another day or two.”
“Well maybe we’ll ease up on the dates.”
He’d shot that suggestion down as well. The extra day had turned into four. She still had three before she had to get back to New York, but she became more and more afraid the longer time she spent with him. Just the week before, she’d read an article that claimed men were able to handle no-strings-attached relationships a lot better than women. As far as she was concerned, she was already doing bad. Granted, Tripp wasn’t all that strict when it came to the rules of the game. He’d asked her about meeting his brother. She had turned him down flat. No freaking way she was going there. Not if she wanted to come out of this relationship with her heart intact when he was bored of her. Meeting family gave a woman expections, and that would just complicate matters.
She showered and pulled on a pair of panties. Now that it was May, she could put on lighter clothes, so she dressed in the shorts she had intended to wear last night. Coffee would wake up her brain, and Tripp would enjoy it too. He liked his black with so much sweetener he could fall into a sugar coma with one sip. Annoyed that she knew this detail about his routine, she stepped outside to drive ten miles to the nearest Starbucks.
“Small town,” she muttered as she got behind the wheel.
“Hello there,” a male voice called, and she froze. The man walking toward her was almost the spitting image of Tripp, but he had him by a good ten years at least. The dark hair was peppered with grey with more at the temples. Tripp’s older brother, she guessed and cursed under her breath. “Heading out?” he asked. Somehow the smile didn’t seem genuine.
“Yes, do I know you?” She pretended not to pick up on the resemblance.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m John, Tripp’s older brother.” He stuck his hand out, and she took it.
“You call him Tripp too? It’s your last name as well, right?”
He shrugged. “Everyone does.”
“So I’d heard.” Toya didn’t mean to be unfriendly, but she couldn’t get her attitude together. Something Tripp had mentioned the other day made her think John didn’t approve of their relationship.
“Tripp has talked about you a lot lately. I admit I’m surprised the two of you are still going strong. He isn’t known for lasting relationships with women.”
Toya stepped out of the car and slammed the door. She resisted the urge to put her hands on her hips and cuss him to his face. Instead, she kept control. “Is there something I’ve done to offend you?”
The dumbfounded expression pissed her off. “No, of course not.”
“Then what makes you think you can come here and tell me you’re surprised Tripp hasn’t dumped me?”
He held up his hands as if to placate a child. “Okay, there’s no need to get so upset, Taya.”
“Toya!”
“Toya,” he repeated, but she bet her ass he’d messed it up on purpose. “I’m just saying be honest with yourself. Do you really see a future between you and my brother? Not being his type for one, and—”
“His type.” Her resolve left. “Wait a damn minute. Just what the hell are you getting at, you small-minded jerk? What am I the wrong color?”
He fell back a step from her. “I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to. It’s written all over the way you’ve been acting since you walked up here.”
The fake, jovial expression he’d maintained the whole time fell away, and she saw the dislike. He didn’t even know her, yet he was judging what kind of person she was by whatever Tripp had told him and his preconceived notions.
“Look, I care about my brother. He’s been hurt bad in the past.”
“He told me about that. His ex-wife cheated on him. Everyone who’s been in a relationship has had their heart broken. I feel for him, but it’s also life, and I don’t get how you think I shouldn’t be with him because he’s been hurt.”
To her surprise, he reached out to touch her shoulder, but she shifted so he missed. He swung around as if he’d been stretching the whole time and looked toward the house. Toya suppressed a laugh. All the anger she’d been feeling ebbed away.
John reached inside his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He opened it and retrieved a picture. “Look at it.”
Toya took the picture and peered down at it. The image was of a beautiful woman with long auburn hair. An adorable little boy about two sat in her arms. The resemblance between the two of them was obvious, but his blue eyes were what made her run cold. She’d been staring into those same eyes every weekend for the last three months. Her stomach stirred, and she felt like she was going to throw up.
