Page 28 of Single Malt

Because he wasn’t. Not to me. And I wasn’t different for him. We’d had great sex, and that was all.

Which meant it didn’t matter that he had another woman hanging on his arm less than five hours since he’d brought me to climax in the supply closet.

I turned back to the history professor I’d been talking to and tried to resume the conversation without showing that anything had changed. Because it hadn’t. Absolutely nothing had changed.

“Cicily mentioned that you might be available to share your expertise regarding this collection,” Professor Sackoff said. “I plan to bring two of my classes here on Tuesday afternoon. Would that fit with your schedule?”

“Um.” I paused, trying to get my mind back on track. Tuesday afternoon. “Yes, I only have morning classes on Tuesday.”

“Great!” Professor Sackoff smiled. “My students will be thrilled. First, lectures from an archeologist and then a private showing of this exhibit. Such wonderful opportunities.”

“I haven’t heard about an archeologist visiting.” My interest would have been greater if I hadn’t been trying to simultaneously listen for anything Brody and the woman were talking about and trying to ignore him. I was honestly surprised I managed to get out a competent statement.

“What do you know, she’s here.” Professor Sackoff’s gaze was focused on something behind me. “I hadn’t realized she was coming tonight.”

I turned to follow where he was looking and found myself staring right at the dark-haired woman talking with Brody.

“Her?” I reminded myself that I didn’t know this woman. If she and Brody were involved in any way, it was all on him. I refused to be one of those women who blamed everything on the other woman.

Shit.

If they had some sort of understanding, that meantIwas the other woman.

“Paris Carideo.”

I looked at Sackoff. “Pardon?”

“That’s Paris Carideo, one of the youngest field archeologists out there. Graduated from Yale.”

Despite myself, I was impressed, and then I realized that meant Brody had a type even though the archeologist and I looked nothing alike. I just sincerely hoped that I hadn’t helped him cheat on whoever she was. If she’d just been his date for the night, that wouldn’t be great, but it’d be something I could just brush off. But, if she was his girlfriend, I was going to be pissed.

I should’ve known better than to fuck a guy like him more than once.

Eighteen

Brody

“Is this the newest one?”Paris held up a bottle. “Because I don’t remember seeing this one before.”

I shook my head. “You tried that at Christmas two years ago, remember?”

Paris squinted at the bottle. “Is this the one that knocked me on my ass?”

I laughed. “Yes, that’s the one.”

“Right.” With an overly exaggerated shudder, Paris put the half-empty bottle into the crate. “I’ll stay away from that.”

“We’ll take it to Fury. He likes it.” I fake scowled at her. “And he handles his liquor better than you do.”

“I refuse to respond to that on the grounds that it’s true.” Paris grinned at me, dark eyes glinting with humor.

I loved all of my siblings equally, but Paris and I shared a love of adventure that had always given us a lot to talk about, especially after Eoin – the brother closest to her age –enlisted in the army. And even he hadn’t been into some of the crazier things Paris and I had both tried over the years. He was more of the rebellious thrill-seeker. Paris and I just loved adrenaline.

“Thanks for coming tonight,” I said as I reached for one of the empty bottles that had been left on the bar. Most of the others were back in the case as I’d requested, but it looked like the bartenders had slacked off a bit at the end of the night.

Considering how beat they’d looked the last time I’d seen them, I didn’t mind the bit of extra on my part. Educators and wealthy art patrons could drink fraternities under the table, and young bartenders sometimes underestimated groups that they weren’t a part of. I had a feeling that was what happened here.

I refused to acknowledge that part of my reason for staying after had to do with being able to linger without actually looking like I was waiting for someone.