15. With His Protection by Kelly Favor

Author:Kelly Favor [Favor, Kelly]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2013-03-18T07:00:00+00:00

***

They sat on the couch together and ate pizza and drank wine. Scarlett knew it was a bad idea to have anything to drink with him, especially when it was late and she was tired. She needed to keep her head straight, but after the kind of day she’d had, Scarlett needed to relax even more.

So she sipped her wine and took a bite of pizza, as Bryson filled his own glass to the brim. “So, we’re friends again?” he asked.

Scarlett smirked. “Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

“I don’t think friends is getting ahead of anything.”

“Well, I’m not sure what we are right now. I’m still hurt.”

“But you said you understood why I did what I did.” He cocked his head at her.

“I know, but that doesn’t make the pain go away. And how can I be sure you’ve told me the truth? How do I know you didn’t sleep with her—or at least kiss her?”

Bryson shook his head. “Because I didn’t. And she never tried to go there, either.

I honestly think she was just lonely and scared and—“

“Well, I don’t trust her,” Scarlett said. She took another big bite of pizza, chewing and swallowing. “She’s too beautiful, and too self-involved, and too…everything. I just don’t like her.”

“Fair enough.” He tapped his glass with one finger. “I’m sorry I hurt you.”

She looked at him, pushing a strand of hair from her eye. “I appreciate you saying that. And I’m sorry I flew off the handle without giving you a chance to explain yourself.”

“No, I don’t blame you for that. It looked bad. Really bad.”

Scarlett thought about it. “Couldn’t you at least have texted me or something, just to let me know what had happened?”

“I was hoping I could tell you everything after she left my apartment. I knew it might be a long conversation and I didn’t think texting was going to the trick.”

“Still, you should have given me a warning or something.”

“You’re right,” he agreed promptly.

She thought about Eliza answering the door to his apartment and her stomach clenched. “I hope you’re not lying to me about anything.”

He stared straight into her eyes. “I’ll take a damn lie detector test if you want.”

“Maybe I do.”

“Fine. Name the time and place.”

“Here. Now.” She stared evenly at him.

His eyebrows rose. “With what equipment?”

She lifted her hands in the air. “These.”

“Oh, so you’re like a human lie detector.” He nodded as if it all made sense.

“Maybe I am.”

“Okay, I’m game,” he said, putting his glass down, pushing his sleeves up, and sliding closer to her on the couch.

His nearness was a little disconcerting, but Scarlett was pleasantly buzzed from the wine, and the playfulness between them had settled her nerves. She looked into his eyes and smiled. “I need to get your pulse,” she said, grabbing his wrists and pressing her thumbs against his skin, trying to feel the throbbing of his heartbeat.

Bryson allowed her to do so, and she could feel the relaxation of his arms as he let her find the steady beat of his heart as she examined his wrists.

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