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“Thank you,” Rebecca says as the bartender turns and leaves. “I’m relocating to LA, and I have a week’s worth of interviews and meetings lined up. So this is my home base for now. I’m going through a divorce.Homeisn’t exactly where I want to be at the moment.”
“Do you need legal advice? I’d be more than happy to help.”
“Handsomeandsweet.” Rebecca slides her hand over my shoulder and across my back.
She’s a sexy woman, but it doesn’t feel sexual. It feels like we’ve formed a friendship and that feeling is new to me. Especially since she’s hot enough that I’d typically want to sleep with her. I bet she’s a tigress in the sack, yet, I’m not interested in the slightest. Not sure what the fuckthatis all about.
“Says literally no one who’s ever known me. The handsome part, sure. But sweet? Never.”
“Eh, you’re a sweetheart. I see it. Anyway, my sister is a divorce lawyer. But thank you.”
I stand, lifting Rebecca’s hand to my lips. I kiss her knuckles, then lay it back down. “Good luck on the divorce, Rebecca. I always say, ‘people are shit.’”
She smiles, her row of perfectly whitened teeth almost gleaming in the dim bar lights. “Khalil Gibran said, ‘Faith is a knowledge within the heart, beyond the reach of proof.’ People prove to be disappointing, but have faith, Aleck, beyond what people have shown you in the past. Some people are our people and some people just distract us from the true life we’re meant to live. My husband was a very good distraction, but he wasn’t my person. When you findyourperson, your true life will start. I wish that for you.”
“Hmm. Well, what do you know?” I say with a smirk. “You’re just a shrink.”
Rebecca laughs and slides a card into my breast pocket. “If you ever want to unburden yourself or simply need someone to tell you to pull your head out of your ass, call me.”
I smile warmly, tapping my pocket, then turn around to make my way back to the table.
Winter slides out of the booth as a few servers arrive with a tray full of wine bottles and fresh glasses. I cut through the crowd, following her, and head to the hallway she just disappeared through.
Just as I round the corner, I see Winter slip into the women’s restroom, and as much as I want to charge in there after her, I wait, leaning against the wall outside of the bathroom door.
After a couple of minutes, Winter finally exits, smoothing out her dress.
“Sup…” I say, snapping her attention to me.
She smiles nervously, then fidgets with the hem of her dress. “Hey… What are you doing?”
“I wanted to see if you were okay.”
“I’mokay. Areyouokay?” Her tone harbors some edge. “You’re such a gentleman, kissing hands and everything. You’ve never been that nice to me.”
And there it is.She probably didn’t even have to pee. She probably went into the bathroom to poke my voodoo doll with pins.
“I’ve been plenty nice to you. Thus, this check-in.” A slow smile curls my lips. “Are youjealous, Winter?”
“No need to check-in,Aleck. I’m a grown woman. And I’mnotjealous.”
“Well, you’re acting like a child. A very jealous child.”
Winter huffs like the cutest little disgruntled child I’ve ever seen. “It’s just, you went up to order drinks for God’s sake. Women just put their hands all over you immediately after meeting you, huh? Is that normal for you?”
I cross my arms over my chest, almost tickled she’s become so heated. “Are you done?” My tone pandering and my smirk amused.
“Don’t play with me, Aleck.” She takes a thick step to stomp away, but I snake my arm around her waist, pulling her into my body. I turn us around and back her into the wall.
“I know her,” I say. “There’s nothing romantic between us, but even if there were, I wouldn’t be able to notice, because you’re the most beautiful woman in the building.”
She opens her mouth to speak, but I temporarily lose my fucking mind and crash my lips over hers.
I’m sure she’ll slap me in the face or push me away. In addition, I’m sure I’ll deserve it. Because I don’t know exactly what has come over me, but the urge to feel Winter close has been building and building into thisthingin my life with its own weight and gravity. Instead of watching her walk away from me again, something snaps inside me like a rubber band, and the need to feel her swallows me entirely.
And for the record, shedoesn’tpush me away, or slap me in the face. She kisses me back.
She kisses me back.
