her and hurried out of the restaurant before Grace could force him to take it back. Tanya came by her tenacity honestly.
The parking lot was barely lit and mostly empty. The winter wind whipped around him. “Am I still invited to the gym tonight or are you done with me?”
He liked the way her eyes widened at his question. “No, it would probably be good PR if you popped in again.”
Right. He looked at his SUV glistening in the moonlight, and then down the block toward the gym. If he suggested they drive, she would probably insult his manhood, so he zipped up his jacket and huddled into the collar as he walked.
“You know, that was sweet,” she said.
He glanced at her, and beneath the streetlights her smile seemed to glow. She’d been pretty in high school, but now she was beautiful—the kind of beauty that made a man study and stare. “What was sweet?”
“Leaving that money in the tip jar. Aunt Grace will get a kick out of finding it.”
He shoved his hands into his pockets. “So my money is good here after all.”
“In certain situations, yes.”
“But not when it matters most—to save your dad’s gym.”
She crossed her arms and wrinkled her face. “Even if I could get him to take the money, thirty grand comes with a lot of strings.”
“Then you take the money and give it to your dad. I don’t care what you tell him about where you got it, and I don’t want a penny back. Where are the strings?”
Her face had a hard edge, but it didn’t lose its beauty. “No matter what I tell my dad,
I’ll
know where the money came from. That’s a string.”
“Between you and me?”
She nodded.
He stopped, and when she realized he was no longer beside her, she stopped too.
She looked at him over her shoulder at first, and then she turned completely. “What?”
He stepped closer. “Why is it bad to have strings between us?”
When she didn’t answer immediately, he stepped closer again. Just a test. Because now that the reason for her flirting had been revealed, there was no reason for her to humor him … unless she felt the heat too.
She didn’t step back or turn around and walk away. Instead, her features softened, and her gaze darted from his eyes to his lips.
His skin tightened on the encouragement.
Kiss her
, said the voice in his head.
Get it over with.
If she kissed him back, he’d have his answer once and for all.
“Strings strangle people!” The words exploded off her lips, and her hands popped him in the chest.
Surprised as he was, he stood strong.
“The money my dad borrowed to help my mom? That’s a string, and look what’s happening now. It’s strangling my dad.” Her voice shook. Her eyes darted all around. “My brother Tyler and his soon-to-be ex-wife? They have a kid, and as much as I love that kid, he’s a string between his parents. That one sting is strangling two people, Tyler and Marissa.”
It was like some warped pep talk. The longer she went the more convinced she sounded.
She threw up her hands. “You know what happens to strangled people? They end up dead.” She seemed to catch herself, giving her head a shake, scattering her curls. “Figuratively speaking. My point is, who wants to live that way? Not me!”
Wow. He didn’t know what to say. Since her parents’ divorce she’d been a little negative toward relationships, but her cynicism had sunk to a whole new warped level. Someone had hurt her. She’d always been so strong. The idea of her crying over some asshole who hadn’t appreciated her stirred his anger.
He reached out and held onto her shoulder. “None of that applies to us. We aren’t married.” That seemed to sink in a bit—enough for her to look at him. He smiled. “We’re just friends. Giving you thirty grand isn’t going to strangle either one of us.”
But his charm attack didn’t have the desired effect. Her face twisted as she made a noise of frustration. “That’s not the point.”
God, he was so damn confused.
The parking lot was barely lit and mostly empty. The winter wind whipped around him. “Am I still invited to the gym tonight or are you done with me?”
He liked the way her eyes widened at his question. “No, it would probably be good PR if you popped in again.”
Right. He looked at his SUV glistening in the moonlight, and then down the block toward the gym. If he suggested they drive, she would probably insult his manhood, so he zipped up his jacket and huddled into the collar as he walked.
“You know, that was sweet,” she said.
He glanced at her, and beneath the streetlights her smile seemed to glow. She’d been pretty in high school, but now she was beautiful—the kind of beauty that made a man study and stare. “What was sweet?”
“Leaving that money in the tip jar. Aunt Grace will get a kick out of finding it.”
He shoved his hands into his pockets. “So my money is good here after all.”
“In certain situations, yes.”
“But not when it matters most—to save your dad’s gym.”
She crossed her arms and wrinkled her face. “Even if I could get him to take the money, thirty grand comes with a lot of strings.”
“Then you take the money and give it to your dad. I don’t care what you tell him about where you got it, and I don’t want a penny back. Where are the strings?”
Her face had a hard edge, but it didn’t lose its beauty. “No matter what I tell my dad,
I’ll
know where the money came from. That’s a string.”
“Between you and me?”
She nodded.
He stopped, and when she realized he was no longer beside her, she stopped too.
She looked at him over her shoulder at first, and then she turned completely. “What?”
He stepped closer. “Why is it bad to have strings between us?”
When she didn’t answer immediately, he stepped closer again. Just a test. Because now that the reason for her flirting had been revealed, there was no reason for her to humor him … unless she felt the heat too.
She didn’t step back or turn around and walk away. Instead, her features softened, and her gaze darted from his eyes to his lips.
His skin tightened on the encouragement.
Kiss her
, said the voice in his head.
Get it over with.
If she kissed him back, he’d have his answer once and for all.
“Strings strangle people!” The words exploded off her lips, and her hands popped him in the chest.
Surprised as he was, he stood strong.
“The money my dad borrowed to help my mom? That’s a string, and look what’s happening now. It’s strangling my dad.” Her voice shook. Her eyes darted all around. “My brother Tyler and his soon-to-be ex-wife? They have a kid, and as much as I love that kid, he’s a string between his parents. That one sting is strangling two people, Tyler and Marissa.”
It was like some warped pep talk. The longer she went the more convinced she sounded.
She threw up her hands. “You know what happens to strangled people? They end up dead.” She seemed to catch herself, giving her head a shake, scattering her curls. “Figuratively speaking. My point is, who wants to live that way? Not me!”
Wow. He didn’t know what to say. Since her parents’ divorce she’d been a little negative toward relationships, but her cynicism had sunk to a whole new warped level. Someone had hurt her. She’d always been so strong. The idea of her crying over some asshole who hadn’t appreciated her stirred his anger.
He reached out and held onto her shoulder. “None of that applies to us. We aren’t married.” That seemed to sink in a bit—enough for her to look at him. He smiled. “We’re just friends. Giving you thirty grand isn’t going to strangle either one of us.”
But his charm attack didn’t have the desired effect. Her face twisted as she made a noise of frustration. “That’s not the point.”
God, he was so damn confused.
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