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“She and Faith went to the deli for sandwiches. They should be back in a bit.”
“I’ll grab the box and head home. Have Tancy call me so we can figure out what time works best.”
“You can probably run down and catch her now,” Ellie said helpfully.
“No thanks,” Teague snorted. “I’ll be staying off Main Street until the hoopla dies down. I’ve dodged enough thinly veiled propositions to last the rest of the year.”
Suit yourself.” Ellie shook her head. “Just know that the local population will be disappointed that our very own reality dating show is over before it began.”
“Something I can easily live with.” He trudged toward the conference room and thought about redirecting Tancy’s attention. Was there something else that would keep her entertained?
Sucking in a long breath, he wiped away the one that involved them lying in a pile of sweaty satisfaction. Not only would that require navigating rough waters, but put them in the direct path of a storm they may not survive.
Tancy studied the unfamiliar person lurking next to the pharmacy and wondered if he was the kingpin from a criminal syndicate. Greenville was a big, small town with a population of fifty thousand. She obviously didn’t know every person who lived within its borders but could easily pick out the ones that didn’t fit. And the man in the custom black suit stuck out like a sore thumb. And not just because he had a jaw that could cut glass and an ass that would easily inspire poetry.
“Who are you staring at?”
Startled, she pressed her hand against her chest. “Faith, are you trying to give me a heart attack?” She pulled her friend behind the tree that bordered the street. “I’m busy spying on a stranger.”
Leaning to the left, Faith let out a low whistle. “Who is the sexy beast reading the local paper?”
“I think he’s from the bratva or perhaps the mafia.”
Faith rolled her eyes. “Have you been binge-reading mafia romances again?”
“Yes, but that’s neither here nor there.” She bit her bottom lip. “But I will say for the record that Cora Reilly is a freaking genius and every one of her books is a treat.”
“If killing and revenge is your thing, then sure, the Italian mob love stories are a lovely indulgence.”
Tancy smirked. “Is this where I pretend that you don’t love a sexy man from the syndicate the same way I do?”
“Yes.” Faith dropped her sunglasses. “Why do you think that dark and delicious stranger is Russian?”
“Look at the ink peeking out his shirt cuffs.”
“Half the men in town have tattoos. That doesn’t mean a thing. But I will say that the cloud of testosterone and danger surrounding him isn’t something we see very often.” Faith tapped her mouth. “The scuttlebutt on the Outer Banks is that several mobsters are laying low in a big ocean-front mansion.”
“Interesting.” Tancy thought of her discussion with her brother and the Russian men he’d kept company with before the CIA got a hold of him. Was the man with dimples you could drown in associated with some criminal syndicate? And should she break her years-long dry spell and see if he’d have a drink together?
“If you’re done crafting a sexual fantasy, can we grab some sandwiches?”
She reluctantly tore her eyes away and turned toward the deli. “We might as well since dating someone from a mafia empire is probably not the best way to jump back into the dating pool. Not to mention the minuscule chance of a man that gorgeous being interested.”
“Teague is interested, so I don’t know why you’d say that.”
“My neighbor is a lot of things, but interested isn’t one of them.” She smoothed out her faux leather shirtdress. “The man prays daily that I will be abducted by aliens.”
“And yet he always seems to be in your company.” Faith rolled her eyes. “It’s not like you’re his only choice, either. His brother lives less than forty minutes away. He’s got dozens of cousins within a fifty-mile radius, and his best friend just moved back. Teague Moriarty has options and seems to keep choosing you. Over and over again.”
Her thoughts spun around like a blender without a lid. People kept insinuating that they were attached at the hip and regularly sought each other’s company.
Did they have dinner together several nights a week? Of course, but that was because Teague insisted on grilling the most delicious food. A person could only be expected to be so strong when mouth-watering aromas floated nightly into one’s backyard. As for the other dozens of things they did together, that was just for convenience’s sake. It’s not like she would go to Publix or Walmart alone if he was going as well.
“You like each other, and it’s your choice if that ever becomes more.” Faith tugged Tancy’s hand. “Let’s eat.”
She followed her friend, ignoring the implications she’d carelessly flung around like confetti. Had she concocted a few fantastical scenarios involving their naked, sweaty bodies somewhere along the line? Of course, but what woman wouldn’t, given that he had a near-perfect physique. She wasn’t dead after all.
And she would dare anyone in her position not to do the same thing. The man resembled the mythical Irish hero, Aengus, the god of love and poetic inspiration, and truth be told, she deserved a medal for keeping her naughty thoughts private.
