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A blush flushes my cheeks. Okay, that was a little swoony.

“You’re welcome. I’ve had a great time tonight,” I lie. I’ve worn a black spaghetti strap dress I borrowed from Ali’s closet. It’s a little more revealing than I would usually go for, but in the spirit of trying new things and trying to break from my shell, I took a risk and Patrick’s roaming eyes have made it very clear that the dress is a hit.

“I’d love to take you out again. What are you doing tomorrow?” Patrick asks as he signals the waiter for the check.

I’m going to LA with Brad. “I am going away with a couple of girlfriends.”

“Nice, where are you going?” The waiter places the leather bill holder in front of Patrick, and he pulls out his wallet, slips his black Amex card inside it and hands it back to the waiter who leaves with it.

“LA, my friend has an audition with a new dance company, so we are going with her for support.” The lie slips off my tongue so easily, but then again, I’ve been lying and people pleasing all my life. What’s one more.

Patrick nods, placing his elbows on the table and resting his chin on his fists. “I like you, Gabby, and I want to see you again, so how about I whisk you away when you get back from your trip? I have a place in the Hamptons we can go for the weekend.”

I blink rapidly, trying to think of an answer. I don’t think I’m ready to go away with him. It feels too soon. I don’t note how easily it was for me to say yes to going to LA with Brad. I don’t have time to unpack that because Patrick is waiting for an answer from me and giving me puppy dog eyes.

Ugh. No, not the puppy dog eyes.

“Can I call you when I get back and we a make a plan then?”

“Sure, I look forward to your call.”

To my surprise, Patrick shuffles in his seat and edges it towards mine. He reaches for my chair and tugs it towards his, and suddenly his mouth his on mine. I go with it. When his tongue pushes through my lips, I open, and instantly, a feeling of betrayal washes over me. I feel like I’m cheating on Brad. But we aren’t anything. I’m not Brad’s, and he isn’t mine, and that idea hurts my heart. I break the kiss and pull away, clearing my throat.

I need to sort out my head and my heart and get them on the same frequency before someone gets hurt, because I think that someone is me.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Brad

We landed in LA earlier this afternoon, and I didn’t realize how much I needed to get out of New York and clear my head until I felt the California sun on my skin. Maybe asking Gabriella to come with me wasn’t my smartest idea, but having her near me brings me an inner peace I didn’t know I was capable of reaching until we started hanging out more over the last few months.

I rented a place in the hills, a two bed, three bath white brick house with an infinity pool that overlooks the Hollywood Hills and lying out in the sun, soaking in the view, confirms that I miss living in a hot climate. New York is where my family is, and by family, I mean the ones I’ve chosen as my family, aside from my sister and nephew, but living in Miami after leaving the Marines confirms I need to be in a hot place.

I don’t have any meetings until tomorrow, so the rest of today will be spent hanging out around the pool and ordering in. The sun is beginning to set, and an orange glow blankets the hills. I worry Gabriella is avoiding me. She said she had to teach a virtual Pilates class as she left for LA so last minute which I understood and I watched in awe from the living area out on the patio as she taught her class by the pool and contorted her body into all sorts of ways that had my dick pulsing and my heart racing.

We haven’t had sex, yet I think not allowing it to go that far may be the only thing that will help me move on when this is all done with, but it’s becoming harder with every passing day because she is all I see, and all I want but I know she’s giving this Patrick prick a chance and that’s a good thing. If I’ve helped her find the confidence to date, then I’ve achieved what we agreed to. I said I’d help her find herself, but then why do I have this painful weight that sits in my stomach, knowing I am helping her fall into the arms of another man and not into mine?

I give my head a shake and run a frustrated hand through my wet hair after my swim, looking up to see Gabriella appear, holding two glasses and wearing a tiny pair of denim shorts and a cropped black t-shirt, her toned legs flexing with every step she takes.

“Hey.”

“Are you all done with your classes now?” I ask, holding a hand above my eyes to block out the sun.

“Sure am. One of the other instructors is going to cover my morning class tomorrow, so I’m free now till we go back.” She places the two glasses on the table beside me, and I note their pink color and the cherries inside them.

“What are these?”

“Cherry Negroni. The perfect mix of bitter and sweet,” she says with a little smirk.

“Just like us,” I say flirtatiously.

“How poetic.” She sits on the lounger beside me. “I saw there were cherries in the refrigerator, so I looked up a cocktail recipe. Don’t worry, I’ve removed the stones so you can eat them.”

I lift the tumbler to my lips, and I am hit with the sharp taste of the gin along with a floral tang. Two cherries float in my glass, and I take one out and bite it from the stem. It’s cold, and the sweet juice fills my mouth, causing me to release a little moan. “Hmmm, tastes just like you too.” Her mouth falls open, and I give her a wink.

She lies on her side to face me, and her eyes light up. Any worries I had earlier about things being weird between us leave me. I decide I am just going to enjoy this time with her and worry about everything else when we are back in New York.

“Do you have a party trick?” she asks, her voice full of excitement.