walked into a room, the way she averted her eyes, as if just looking at him was a carnal act. She hadn’t always looked at him like that, but ever since her boyfriend had moved out, the way Reese looked at him made him feel like a Greek god.
And ever since her boyfriend moved out, Ben had been looking at Reese like she was a goddess.
It was all a fucking mess that made him feel guilty. About the secrets he kept from his brother. About the reason she looked at Mark like that. About the past.
“I’m not looking for a relationship,” he told Halie.
Halie laughed, surprising him. “Neither is Reese.”
Hell. Maybe that was why she was suddenly so infatuated with him. Because back when she’d been looking for love, she hadn’t wanted anything to do with Mark. It was nothing new. He understood what women expected from him. Why should Reese be any different? “Why do you want to involve me in this?”
A slow, devious smile curled her lips. This woman was dangerous. “Think about what could come of it. Use your imagination.”
He didn’t have to. He could easily list ten reasons why he’d like a woman like Reese on the other side of a candlelit table. And one why he couldn’t. “She’s Ben’s.”
Halie arched one perfect brow. “Is she? He’s interested? Romantically? He’s told you this?”
Fuck . No and no.
“More importantly,” Halie went on, “does Reese want him?”
“Well, once—”
“I’m not talking about the past. Does she want him now ?”
“I hadn’t thought of it like that,” Mark muttered. He shouldn’t want anything to do with Reese, but that hadn’t stopped him six years ago and it didn’t stop him now. “Listen, I appreciate what you do, but I think you’ll need to find someone else for this. It’s too complicated.”
Halie stood, smoothing her skirt again. She withdrew a business card from her purse. “Think about it.”
And he did, but not for the reasons she thought.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“What’s sexier than a Halloween masquerade ball?”
“Exactly,” Reese said, clutching the phone and breathing a giant sigh of relief. In a week’s time, she’d found a location, a caterer, and a band, and now she’d secured a sponsor in Corrella’s Closet, a high-end lingerie store. “Would you be interesting in donating an item or two to our silent auction as well?”
“Oh, I have just the thing,” Corrella purred. “I’m so excited I can be part of this event. I adore Halie so much. Her program saved my marriage.”
Reese’s phone buzzed, and she grabbed it as the woman detailed the troubles in her pre-SG 101 marriage.
Her phone said she had a text from Ben, so she slid her finger across the screen to open it.
Brunch at my mom’s in the morning? Or would that send your potential dates the wrong message ?
Reese bit back a smile.
“But suddenly,” Corrella was saying, “all these men from my past were showing up in my life and I took a closer look at my part in ending all those relationships. It was eye-opening.”
“That’s wonderful,” Reese said as another text message made her phone vibrate in her hand.
If it would help, I’ll be rude to you the whole time. Call you names, flip you the bird. Whatever Lance would have considered appropriate between friends .
Reese stifled a giggle and forced her attention back to her phone call. “I can’t tell you how excited I am for you to be a part of our event. Almost Home makes a difference in so many women’s lives.”
“Happy to do it, Reese,” Corrella said. “Send that contract over, and I’ll get to it first thing Monday.”
Reese ended the call and turned her attention back to her cell.
Can you give me a ride? she typed.
Pick you up at nine .
She imagined this was what it was like to have an addiction. On the one hand, she knew she needed to change things between her and Ben if she really wanted to eventually have a meaningful relationship. On the other hand, he was her best friend, and being
And ever since her boyfriend moved out, Ben had been looking at Reese like she was a goddess.
It was all a fucking mess that made him feel guilty. About the secrets he kept from his brother. About the reason she looked at Mark like that. About the past.
“I’m not looking for a relationship,” he told Halie.
Halie laughed, surprising him. “Neither is Reese.”
Hell. Maybe that was why she was suddenly so infatuated with him. Because back when she’d been looking for love, she hadn’t wanted anything to do with Mark. It was nothing new. He understood what women expected from him. Why should Reese be any different? “Why do you want to involve me in this?”
A slow, devious smile curled her lips. This woman was dangerous. “Think about what could come of it. Use your imagination.”
He didn’t have to. He could easily list ten reasons why he’d like a woman like Reese on the other side of a candlelit table. And one why he couldn’t. “She’s Ben’s.”
Halie arched one perfect brow. “Is she? He’s interested? Romantically? He’s told you this?”
Fuck . No and no.
“More importantly,” Halie went on, “does Reese want him?”
“Well, once—”
“I’m not talking about the past. Does she want him now ?”
“I hadn’t thought of it like that,” Mark muttered. He shouldn’t want anything to do with Reese, but that hadn’t stopped him six years ago and it didn’t stop him now. “Listen, I appreciate what you do, but I think you’ll need to find someone else for this. It’s too complicated.”
Halie stood, smoothing her skirt again. She withdrew a business card from her purse. “Think about it.”
And he did, but not for the reasons she thought.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“What’s sexier than a Halloween masquerade ball?”
“Exactly,” Reese said, clutching the phone and breathing a giant sigh of relief. In a week’s time, she’d found a location, a caterer, and a band, and now she’d secured a sponsor in Corrella’s Closet, a high-end lingerie store. “Would you be interesting in donating an item or two to our silent auction as well?”
“Oh, I have just the thing,” Corrella purred. “I’m so excited I can be part of this event. I adore Halie so much. Her program saved my marriage.”
Reese’s phone buzzed, and she grabbed it as the woman detailed the troubles in her pre-SG 101 marriage.
Her phone said she had a text from Ben, so she slid her finger across the screen to open it.
Brunch at my mom’s in the morning? Or would that send your potential dates the wrong message ?
Reese bit back a smile.
“But suddenly,” Corrella was saying, “all these men from my past were showing up in my life and I took a closer look at my part in ending all those relationships. It was eye-opening.”
“That’s wonderful,” Reese said as another text message made her phone vibrate in her hand.
If it would help, I’ll be rude to you the whole time. Call you names, flip you the bird. Whatever Lance would have considered appropriate between friends .
Reese stifled a giggle and forced her attention back to her phone call. “I can’t tell you how excited I am for you to be a part of our event. Almost Home makes a difference in so many women’s lives.”
“Happy to do it, Reese,” Corrella said. “Send that contract over, and I’ll get to it first thing Monday.”
Reese ended the call and turned her attention back to her cell.
Can you give me a ride? she typed.
Pick you up at nine .
She imagined this was what it was like to have an addiction. On the one hand, she knew she needed to change things between her and Ben if she really wanted to eventually have a meaningful relationship. On the other hand, he was her best friend, and being
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