“So Guy, Lil tells me you’re from California. Miss it?” Sierra poured a margarita into a clean glass and handed it to Guy.
“Only in the winter. Philly is a fun town, but dude, I don’t know how you people get used to the cold.” He shook his head and drained his glass
“Oh. That’s easy. Not all of us are blessed with a body like that.” She waved her hand up and down the length of Guy. “God’s doing the rest of us a favor by limiting bathing suit season.”
Guy coughed on his margarita and the three of us laughed.
“Touché ... and thanks for the compliment—I think.” He looked right at me. “But from where I’m looking, I think he’s doing a serious disservice to the male population keeping the two of you lovely ladies covered up five months of the year.” He flashed those adorable dimples.
“You’re a keeper! I like you. You’re welcome at ladies’ night any time, dude,” Sierra added.
I was glad she was getting a taste of the fun, flirty banter I had told her about. Suddenly, Sierra’s eyes shifted above my head. Her mouth dropped open like she was going to catch a fly at any moment.
“Lili, can I have a word with you?” The deep gravelly voice was unmistakable. Goosebumps rose over the flesh of my arms, and a shiver ran down my spine. His voice alone had my body completely under command. A command that was not familiar. I slowly turned my head to look over my shoulder.
“So you must be Dr. Colton?” Sierra wasted no time.
“Yes. And you must be the best friend I’ve heard so much about.” He answered Sierra, but his stormy gaze never wavered from his target. Me.
My stomach fell into my lap and heat began to pool from my core. Suddenly, the two emotions that had been completely consuming me since I met this man were waiting for a puck to drop to face off, anger vs. desire. Emotions I steered clear of for the past three years.
My mind silently supported the well-deserved anger, while my traitorous body succumbed to desire. What did this man want from me? And why the hell was he standing in this bar?
Maybe his medical groupies fell over themselves to kiss his brilliant ass, but that was not me. Would never be me. It did not matter how riddled with unfulfilled desire I was, I would never willingly hand anyone that power.
Unlike our previous interactions, the tension was glaringly obvious; a dense fog smothered our table. It was choking. Guy’s eyes pinballed between his boss and me, while Sierra sat cross armed, studying Chase. This was the moment that life decided to push pause.
I had no control of my physical reaction to this man, but I had the power to push play.
“Um. Chase. This is Sierra Baldwin. Sierra, meet Dr. Chase Colton.”
Chase barely broke his gaze. He silently shook Sierra’s outstretched hand. Sierra played it well. Her body language read calm and cool, but my best friend’s eyes screamed what-the-fuck. I explained the “intensity” factor to her pretty well, but I had a gut feeling we would revisit that topic again in the very near future.
“Lili. A moment.” He motioned with one hand toward the door, his unapologetic eyes bolted on me.
“Ohhkaay.”
“Excuse us.” Chase pulled my chair out, making room for my exit. Presumptuous much?
“Hey Chase. The lady is off the clock. Can’t whatever it is wait until Monday? Why don’t you pull up a chair and have a drink?” Guy leaned back and waited for Chase’s response. He didn’t respond, at all.
“Um … it’s okay, Guy. It’s fine. I’m sure he just needs to go over a few things. Um, we’ll be right back.”
Guy and Sierra exchanged inquisitive glances.
“Why are you here, Chase?” I pushed through the front door into the humid night air, looking up at the cloudless midnight blue sky. Lord help me.
“We need to talk.”
I spun on the heel of my ballet flats and tightened my arms around my waist trying to tame the butterflies. I was tempted to ask what the hell was wrong with the past seven days.
“We do?” I sarcastically questioned.
“You know we do, but I would rather not have this conversation here. Let me take you home. My car is right around the corner.”
My eyes narrowed and I frowned.
“Why would I leave with you, Chase?”
“You don’t have to, but I want you to. I owe you an explanation.”
Damn straight he did.
“Damn straight you do.”
He reached for my hand, but I backed away slightly, breaking the connection. The heat from his fingertips sent shivers up my arm. He sensed my trepidation, because his eyes morphed from intense to something softer, something genuine. My stomach lurched and I knew I was screwed. But it didn’t stop me from remaining pissed.