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  “You had two goddamn dates with the man; you don’t owe him anything, Bri.”

  “Oh no,” she groaned when they pulled into her parking lot. “There he is.”

  “Who?” he asked, scanning the parking lot. When his eyes landed on Clint, he said, “You can’t be serious.” He pulled into a parking spot, threw his car into park, and cut the engine.

  She reached for his arm. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “I’m gonna set him straight.”

  Before she could stop him, he was out of the car, walking toward Clint.

  Brianna grimaced as she watched the two men shake hands. She wasn’t fooled for a second by her boyfriend’s conciliatory gesture. She knew from the set of his shoulders, he was seething. Running up to them, Brianna gave Clint a quick hug, which earned her a scowl from Ryan. The fact remained they had to work together, and she didn’t want things between them to be awkward.

  “Um Ryan, why don’t you head on home?” she asked, laying a hand on his forearm. “I’m sure Clint wouldn’t mind walking me up. I’d like to have a word with him in private.”

  “Nice try,” he said, shaking her off. “That’s not gonna happen, baby.” He shoved his hands into the pocket of his jacket and inclined his head toward the front door of her small apartment complex. “I do agree we should go inside, though. I’d like to have a word with Clint. If you don’t mind?”

  “Of course not, boss,” he said, tipping his cowboy hat.

  Brianna hated that she’d put Clint in the awkward position of having Ryan spell out the nature of their relationship, but she knew Ryan well enough to know he wouldn’t rest until Clint promised to back off. “Well, let’s go inside then,” she said, reaching into her purse for her keys. “I’ll make some coffee.” She only hoped she wouldn’t be parading two handsome men into her apartment under the watchful eye of her nosy neighbors. That would really give them something to talk about at the next social gathering.

  The small elevator barely gave her room to breathe as she watched Ryan punch the button for her third floor apartment. His head was bent in concentration as he scanned his emails, but the set of his jaw told her he was still on edge.

  “So, Clint,” Brianna said, smiling up at him. “How was your trip?”

  “Good. Productive.”

  She’d already learned Clint was a man of few words, and given the uncomfortable atmosphere, she wasn’t surprised he seemed reluctant to converse. He was probably waiting to find out whether his dreams of a successful music career were about to go up in smoke thanks to his poor choice in women. She wished she could say something to put his mind at ease, but she knew saying anything in front of Ryan was a bad idea until he’d had the opportunity to say his piece.

  “You’ll have to fill me in on that trip at the office,” Ryan said, barely sparing a look at Clint. “That’s not what I wanna talk about tonight.”

  Brianna sucked in a breath. Ryan wasn’t a man to mince words. In spite of his easy-going disposition, he was his father’s son. When backed into a corner, he always came out fighting.

  She led them off the elevator and her hand trembled as she fit the key into the lock. She hated confrontations, and she felt guilty that her actions had contributed to this situation. If only Ryan wasn’t so stubborn, she could have explained her relationship with him to Clint in private and spared them all the embarrassment of having this little chat with an extra person thrown in to the mix.

  Ryan stood behind her and took the key from her when she struggled to open the stubborn old lock. “Let me do that,” he whispered, his hot breath tickling her hair. He may sound calm, but he wasn’t fooling her.

  “Have at it,” she said, stepping out of his way.

  He turned the key effortlessly and opened the door, gesturing for her and Clint to enter the apartment ahead of him.

  Her tiny two bedroom had never looked so small with two large men crowding the miniscule entry. Her mother continued to lecture her about the importance of investing in real estate. She intended to take her advice just as soon as she had saved the down payment. “Um, why don’t you two have a seat while I make some coffee?” Even though the galley kitchen with a see-through window was only a few steps from the living room, she wasn’t sure that leaving them alone was a good idea.

  “Sounds good,” Ryan said, slipping his jacket off and tossing it on the back of the armchair he claimed.

  He’d visited her apartment numerous times in the year and a half since she’d lived there, but she would usually offer to go to his place rather than inviting him to her apartment. His home was spacious, open concept, professionally decorated, everything that hers wasn’t. One day, she told herself, one day she would be able to afford a place like his.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Ryan was trying to hold his temper. He kept reminding himself that Clint had done nothing to warrant his jealousy or rage. Clint didn’t know Ryan was interested in Brianna when he asked her out, but Ryan couldn’t wipe the image of him kissing her out of his head.

  He propped a boot on his bent knee and leaned back. “Why don’t you tell me why you’re here, Clint?”

  “I, uh…” He tipped his cowboy hat back and looked Ryan in the eye. “Thought me and Bri should talk.”

  “About?” Ryan asked, crossing his arms.

  Clint ran his hands over the armrests of his chair and said, “Look, I don’t want any trouble with you, man.”

  “We won’t have any trouble as long as you understand that Bri’s mine.” Ryan knew Brianna probably wouldn’t appreciate him being so territorial, but he didn’t care at the moment. Clint wasn’t leaving this apartment until he understood that making a move on Brianna would be akin to professional suicide.

  “I didn’t know you two were, uh…” He flexed his hands, looking uneasy. “You know, I didn’t know you two had anything goin’ on. That is, until I started hearin’ rumors about it today. I just wanted to talk to Bri to find out if there was any truth to them.”

  Ryan grit his teeth at the other man’s casual use of Brianna’s nickname. “It’s true. She and I are together now.”

  “You mind if I ask you a question?”

  “Depends on the question.”

  “Were y’all havin’ a fight when she agreed to go out with me? I mean, was she just usin’ me to make you jealous, or what?”

  Some of the anger dissipated as Ryan tried to put himself in Clint’s place. He’d met an incredible woman and came home to find out he’d arrived on the scene just a little too late. “No, we just started seein’ each other. We’ve been friends forever, but…”

  “But you wanted more?”

  “Yeah, I did. I do. A lot more.”

  “Can’t say I blame you, boss. That is one incredible lady.” Clint glanced at the wall that stood between them and the woman in question. “I kinda thought she and I could have somethin’ special.”

  “Just so we understand each other,” Ryan said, leaning forward. “That’s never gonna happen.”

  Clint held his hand up. “I get that now.” He got to his feet. “Don’t worry, I won’t bother her again. I promise.”

  “Glad to hear it,” Ryan said, rising to walk Clint to the door.

  “No hard feelings?” Clint asked, offering Ryan his hand.

  Ryan smiled as he accepted the gesture. “No hard feelings.” He slapped Clint on the back as he passed through the door. “Be at my office at nine in the mornin’. I wanna talk about your trip, see what we need to do to get you back out there doin’ some more promotional stuff. You know what they say about strikin’ while the iron’s hot.”

  “Listen, Ryan, I really appreciate the fact that you and your brother gave me a chance. I promise I won’t disappoint you.”

  “I know you won’t.” Ryan grinned. “’Cause I’m gonna ride your ass to keep this momentum goin’.”

  Clint smiled as he tipped his cowboy hat. He punched the button for the elevator and looked back at Ryan. “Tell Bri I sa
id good-night?”

  “Sure.” Being magnanimous was easy when he had everything he’d ever wanted.

  “You’re a lucky man, Ryan,” Clint said, sticking his hands into the pockets of his faded jean jacket. “Don’t ever forget that.”

  “I don’t intend to.”

  ***

  Brianna came back into the room to find Ryan sprawled out on the couch with the remote in his hand. “I thought I heard Clint leave. Where’d he go?” she asked, setting the tray of cookies and coffee on the small pine table in front of the sofa.

  “I said what I had to say and he left,” Ryan said, reaching for her wrist. He pulled her down on top of him. “He got the message, loud and clear.”

  “I hope you weren’t mean to him?” Brianna asked, settling into his strong arms with a sigh of contentment.

  “No, I didn’t have to be. He figured things out when I told him you were mine.”

  She slapped his chest and tried for outrage, but part of her was turned on by this new side of Ryan: jealous, possessive, and all hers. “You did not say that!”

  “Sure I did.” He tightened his arms around her and shifted slightly so she was lying in the crook of the deep sofa. He trailed moist kisses up her neck, stopping only when he reached her ear. “You don’t mind, do you?”

  “I should,” she said, breathlessly. “I’m a modern woman.” She was still trying to form a coherent thought as she watched him pop the buttons on her shirt, kissing every inch of creamy flesh he exposed. “I’m a lawyer for heaven’s sakes. I should object to a man, any man, staking his claim to me.”

  He popped the front closure on her bra and traced her nipple with his tongue. “Hmmm,” he asked, moaning deep in his throat. “Do you object, counselor?”

  “I… uh…” Allowing a man like Ryan to step too far out of line was a mistake, Brianna knew that, but with his talented tongue focused solely on her pleasure, she couldn’t find the will to object to his heavy-handed approach. Tipping her head back, she threaded her hands through his hair, holding him firmly in place as he worked his magic. “Oh God, Ry, that feels incredible.” She shamelessly rolled her hips, inviting him to move his explorations south.

  His chuckle was a strangled sound as his fingers bit into her hips, trying to hold her in place. “Baby, you keep doin’ that, and I won’t be able to walk out of here tonight.”

  “Who says I want you to?” she asked, looking him in the eye. “Spend the night with me.”

  He eased up her body, framing her face with his hands. “I want our first time together to be everything you deserve. I want it to be perfect.”

  “It will be,” she said, sliding her hands up his shirt and over his back. “Being with you will be amazing. It doesn’t matter where we are.” She kissed his neck, trying to persuade him. “Come on… stay.” She’d never propositioned a man in her life, but this was different. This was Ryan, and suddenly the thought of falling asleep and waking up in his arms was worth sacrificing her pride, if that’s what it took to convince him to stay.

  “I want to make love to you right now,” he said, kissing her tenderly. “You have no idea how much, but I’ve waited for this for so long, we both have, and for once, I want sex to be more than that.”

  She loved learning Ryan had a romantic side she’d never seen before, but at the moment, she’d gladly forgo romance to experience a taste of his unrestrained hunger. She reached for the hem of his long sleeve t-shirt, hoping he would feel differently without benefit of clothing. “This weekend will still be incredible. Even if we do make love tonight, that won’t make-”

  Ryan kissed her to silence her protests. “I’m borrowin’ my buddy Johnny’s place. You gotta see it. It’s incredible.”

  “Johnny Lewis?”

  “Don’t worry, he won’t be there,” Ryan said, smirking.

  “Thank God for small favors.”

  “Anyways, his place is on the market, and I’d like to buy it.”

  “Really? As a vacation home or a primary residence?”

  “Vacation home. It’s a couple of hours from here, on a nice little lake. Perfect for fishin’ and gettin’ away from it all. I thought spendin’ a weekend there would give us a feel for the place before I make an offer.” He kissed her cheek. “I want to know what you think of it, you know, since I’m kind of hopin’ you’ll be spendin’ a lot of time there with me.”

  She tried to ease out from under him, but he had nearly a hundred pounds and eight inches on her, so she wasn’t getting up until he decided to let her go. “I don’t want you to put too much stock in what I think, Ry. I don’t know anything about the real estate market. Maybe you should ask Sela to check it out with you.”

  “I’m not interested in it because I want to add to my portfolio. I want this to be somewhere we can go to just get away from it all.” When she didn’t respond, he swung his legs over the side of the sofa, sitting up.

  Brianna scrambled into a sitting position and repositioned her clothing. “Hey,” she said, reaching for his hand when she saw the disappointed look in his eye. “What’s wrong?”

  He released a shaky breath. “I know it shouldn’t, but it bothers me that you don’t even seem to want to talk about the future. I get that you want to take this slow, and I understand why, but I need you to at least give me the benefit of the doubt here, Bri. Come on, meet me half-way.”

  “You don’t think I want to?” Her anger and frustration was quickly bubbling to the surface and she could tell he felt the same way. “You’re a player, Ryan. You’ve probably slept with more women in the last two years than most men have in a decade.”

  He reared back as though she’d slapped him. “Is that how it’s gonna be?” he asked, jumping up. “Every chance you get, you’re gonna remind me that I’m a man-whore who can’t be trusted?”

  Brianna knew she had to tread carefully. His feelings were at stake, and she didn’t want to hurt him, but for this to work, they had to be honest with each other. “You know that’s not what I meant. Believe me, no one wants to forget your colorful past more than I do.”

  He glared at her before reaching for his jacket. “You know what, if that’s the way you feel, maybe I’m not good enough for you. Maybe I’ll never be good enough for you.”

  “That’s not what I’m saying and you know it,” she said, following him to the door. She reached for his arm, but he pulled back. “I never said you weren’t good enough for me, but you can’t deny your history with women would cause any woman to think twice about getting involved with you, especially when there’s so much at stake.”

  Brianna set her hand on his back, wishing she could say or do something to ease his tension, but there were too many unknown variables to start talking about forever so soon. She was a lawyer, trained to be pragmatic. She had to weigh all of the evidence before she could make a decision. As much as she hated to admit it, to Ryan or herself, the jury was still out on whether he could really commit for the long haul, to her or any woman.

  “I guess that tells me all I need to know, doesn’t it?” he said, throwing the door open.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” She felt the panic rising, making it difficult to breathe.

  “You don’t trust me. You don’t believe I’m the guy who’s gonna love you forever.”

  She wanted to believe that, more than she’d ever wanted anything, but giving her heart to a man like Ryan, who’d never had a committed relationship in his life, was a terrifying proposition.

  “You don’t have to say anything. I can see it in your eyes.” He slipped his jacket on. “You’re still havin’ doubts, about me, us, everything. Aren’t you?”

  She wanted to tell him that she believed in him, in them, as much as he seemed to, but she couldn’t. She’d never lied to Ryan before and she wouldn’t start lying to him now. “I want this thing between us to last forever, Ry. I do. It’s just…”

  “You’re not sure it will?”

  Brianna could see the bitterness in t
he hard lines on his face. She would do anything to make things right, anything except lie. He deserved better than that. They both did. “I want to tell you what you want to hear, but-”

  “But you can’t, right?” He gripped the door knob until his knuckles turned white. “Why am I not surprised? I thought you were different, Bri. I thought you got me in a way no one else does. I thought you knew there was more to me than the hard drinking player the world sees. I thought you trusted me,” he whispered.

  She hated seeing that pain in his eyes, hated even more that she was responsible for putting it there. “I’m sorry,” she said, reaching for his hand. “I never meant to hurt you.”

  “Let me ask you something. Do you think I’d ever cheat on you?”

  “What? No, never!” She knew Ryan wasn’t that kind of guy. He may not have been a one-woman man, but the women in his life always understood the ground rules before embarking on a casual relationship with him. She knew dozens over the years had hoped to entice him into wanting more than a casual fling, to no avail. “But I’m not going to be one of those women who tries to turn you into someone you’re not.” She reached for his jacket, pulling him closer, knowing she had to say or do something to bridge the widening gap between them. “I love you exactly the way you are. I don’t know whether you’re husband or father material yet, Ry, and quite frankly, neither do you. But a year or two from now, we’ll know for sure where we stand. I’m willing to invest the time and energy, to take the risk to figure it out. Aren’t you?”

  He took a step back, grabbing her wrists and forcing her to release her grip on his jacket. “I guess that’s the difference between you and me, Bri. I already know where we stand. I know what I want. Hell, I’d drop to one knee and ask you to marry me right now if I thought there was a chance in hell you’d say yes.” He started walking backwards toward the elevator. “But there isn’t, is there?”

  The hot burn of tears stung her eyes and she tried in vain to blink them back. “Please don’t leave like this. Stay, let’s talk.”