by Layla Hagen
“Hi!” I announce myself, stopping right next to him. Daniel snaps out of his thoughts, turning to me. His handsome face breaks into a wide smile, all traces of the frown gone. Excellent.
My heart skips a beat as he bends to kiss my cheek, lingering with his lips on my skin. He presses a hand at the small of my back. An electric charge jolts right through me. Oh, God. The touch isn’t intimate at all, but maybe the details of our night together are still too fresh in my mind. I swear every nerve ending springs to life. When we pull apart, my entire body is buzzing. Way to go, Caroline. I was not expecting this assault on my senses.
I do a full turn, sashaying my hips playfully.
“Both the dress and the shoes are courtesy of your credit card and Christa’s impeccable taste.”
He assesses my appearance, a playful twinkle in his eye...
The twinkle just turned scorching hot. I can almost read the question on his lips. How about the lingerie?
Better get that out of the way. “Not wearing the lingerie you bought me. I never wear new lingerie without washing it first. Too many germs.”
There. Nothing unsexier than germs.
If I thought that would turn him off, man, was I wrong. The corner of his lips twitch. Right, moving on.
“Let’s go before our reservation expires.”
We hike on a trail with towering trees on either sides. The smell of eucalyptus hangs in the evening air, energetic and fresh. The restaurant is chock-full when we arrive, but thankfully the wall opposite the entrance is lined with floor-to-ceiling windows, which are all open.
Feeling optimistic about the weather, I request to be seated at a table nearest to the door. Daniel is wearing a suit, so he should be fine, and I stashed a jacket in my purse.
“How was lunch with your dad?” he asks after we order.
“Nice. We’re both psyched that Niall will be here in two weekends. We’re moving the opening party of the bookstore to that Saturday, by the way.”
“Good to know.” Leaning slightly over the table, he narrows his eyes. “I’m still invited, right?”
“My dad invited you, so I can’t revoke it,” I say playfully.” Besides, you’re his top adviser. You’re basically a guest of honor. But I understand if you can’t make it. The change is very last minute.”
“I wouldn’t miss it.”
“Thanks. I’m so happy Niall will join us too. It’s been so long since we saw him.”
“He doesn’t call often, does he?”
I shrug, trying to downplay this. “He’s busy. Works like a hundred hours a week.”
“You can always make time for family.”
Well, dang. What can I say? He’s perfectly right.
The waiter arrives with the food, and damn the aromas are killing me. I ordered roasted chicken salad with sweet potato fries, and Daniel ordered a steak. Sighing, I dig into my sweet potato fries, and we spend the next fifteen minutes or so in companionable silence as we wolf down our food. When my plate is empty, I still feel like voicing one more thought. I didn’t say anything today to Dad or Niall because I didn’t want to make them sad, but I need to say it out loud.
“I miss Mom so much.”
“Tough thing, losing your mom. Lucky you’ve got mine, who fusses over you just like my sisters. She was all over me this week. ‘Don’t forget to call her. Buy her a nice present. Cheer her up. It’s her first birthday without her mom.’” He mimics his mother’s tone, and I can’t help but laugh.
“Ah, so that’s why you bought me presents,” I say playfully, touched at Jenna’s thoughtfulness.
He wiggles his eyebrows. “The lingerie was all my idea.”
“I bet.” I shift a little in my chair, feeling heat heading low in my body like an arrow. Suddenly, the table feels tiny. Is there really less than a foot between us?
Under the table, Daniel cradles my legs between his. There are two layers of fabric between us—his pants and my pantyhose—but the contact electrifies me as if it were skin-on-skin.
I change the subject before we head into dangerous territory, turning the tables on him.
“How are you doing?” I inquire. “Troubles at work? You looked worried when I arrived.”
“You got that?”
“Yeah.” A gust of wind rustles the trees around us, and I retrieve the flimsy jacket from my purse, shrugging into it. Doesn’t help much, unfortunately.
“You’re the birthday girl, so no talking about me.”
“Not fair. I can’t go on talking about me the entire night.”
“Oh, this is going to be an all-night event?” He flashes me his best grin, the one that sends my senses into overdrive.
“Not what I meant. Came out wrong.”
His grin becomes even wider. “Freudian slip?”
“Daniel!”
As another gust of wind rushes past us, I shudder. My flimsy jacket is useless. I run my hands up and down my arms to warm myself up, but it’s not working. Then Daniel rises from his seat, draping his own jacket over my shoulders.
“It’s not so chilly,” I protest, but oh boy, is the jacket cozy. Smells like him too, which is a bonus.
“It is, and you’re cold,” Daniel says in a tone that allows no argument. “You still don’t know how to dress weather-appropriate, I see.”
As my gaze meets his, I am certain he’s rehashing the same memory I am. Our first night together, the walk home where he gave me his jacket and his socks. The hot shower, the even hotter sex.
“Don’t worry. I won’t invite myself into your shower. Unless you want me to.”
I let out a nervous laugh, averting my gaze. “This escalated quickly.” My own fault, I suppose, for thinking we could keep this platonic. Squaring my shoulders, I gather my wits around me and look straight at him. “I’m the birthday girl, remember? You’re not allowed to make me uncomfortable.”
“Whatever the birthday girl wishes.” A smile is playing on his lips, and I instantly become suspicious. He’s letting me off the hook too easily, but I’m not about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Since neither of us wants dessert and the walk to the edge of the park will take a while, we decide to call it a night.
“I’m walking you home,” Daniel announces as we reach the exit of the Presidio. Maybe not the best idea, but I’m not ready to say good night yet.
“It’s seven blocks away. We can walk or take a cab. Unless you came with your car?”
“Nah, cab. Let’s take one.”
On the way home, I talk his ear off about the neighborhood, then point out my school, which is halfway between the park and my apartment. By the time we climb out of the cab in front of my building, I’m still not ready to say good night. But it’s the smart thing to do.
I shrug out of his jacket, hand it back to him.
“Thank you for the jacket and the evening. And the presents, of course. It was a fantastic birthday. I didn’t have much time to be melancholic about Mom, thanks to you.”
Daniel smiles warmly. “That was the point.”
“Wow, so you did have a master plan behind the shopping spree idea. And here I thought you were just hoping to see me in sexy lingerie.”
“I was. Still am.” He steps so close our chests almost touch. A shiver runs through me, and I’d love to blame the chilly wind for it, but it’s Daniel’s fault. It’s all Daniel. He rubs my arms with his hands, resting one on my shoulder, feathering his thumb in the crook of my neck. My mouth goes dry... unlike other parts of me. My pulse quickens. Oh God, can he feel it?
***
Daniel
I remember the first time I realized the connection between Caroline and me was more than friendship. Blake had been in a minor accident because of a fraternity dare. I was outside the campus infirmary, and the waiting was turning me insane. Caroline joined me the second I told her what happened, and just having her with me made everything so much easier. She said the right things to put me at ease, even made me laugh. She knew
exactly what I needed, and I realized she was more than a friend.
After Blake came out, with a bandaged arm and a shit-happens attitude, Caroline came with us to the apartment I shared with Blake. It was late, so I suggested she sleep in my bed. In the second it took me to add that I’d sleep on the couch in my room, her cheeks were red.
Just like now.
There are two things I love about Caroline’s Irish heritage. One, her clumsy attempts to perform traditional Irish dances at weddings. She’s hopeless at it, but adorable to watch. Two, she blushes like a redhead. Even though she inherited her father’s dark hair, her mom was a redhead, and Caroline inherited her light skin. Right now, even her scalp has a reddish hue.
“Which one’s your favorite?” I ask.
“What do you mean?”
“The lingerie. Which set is your favorite?”
She clears her throat, fiddles with her thumb. “The black one.”
“My favorite is the white set.”
Exerting self-restraint while choosing her presents wasn’t easy. I wanted to buy the entire damn floor. I saw the white set first and knew it was perfect for her. I can easily imagine her wearing it. My favorite part is the bra clasp in the front. I’d flick it open, and her breasts would spill right into my mouth.
“I was sure. You were always a fan of clasps in the front.”
When our gazes cross, she makes a small noise at the back of her throat. Fuck me. She’s thinking the exact same thing.
“I bet the red one looks sexy as hell. All that lace,” I continue, brushing a strand of hair from her face. Her breathing becomes more labored when my thumb brushes her neck. “Is it comfortable? Or does it... graze your skin?”
I trace a small line up her neck, and she presses her thighs together as if she felt my touch straight there. Oh fuck, fuck, fuck. It was a light reaction, but I saw it, and she knows I did.
“It’s comfortable. There’s no lace on the inside. Just cotton.”
“Everywhere?”
She swallows hard, avoiding my eyes and laughing nervously. “Everywhere.”
A few drops of rain splatter on the asphalt. One lands straight on her nose, making her jump.
“Head inside before you catch a cold,” I say.
Her eyes widen in surprise. I bet she was expecting me to push more, ask her to invite me upstairs. Any other time I would, but this has been an emotional day for her, and I won’t take advantage. She’s so responsive to me that I know how easy this night could end between the sheets. But that’s not what I want, or what she deserves. Our connection is still here, always has been, we just fought hard to ignore it. It’s how I knew she needed a distraction today, how she could tell I’m worried without even asking. We’ve had another incident with photos leaking, and I’m coming to a conclusion I don’t like at all.
“Yeah, sure. Okay. Have a nice evening.”
“Any other plans for tonight?”
She grins. “Oh yeah, I have a date. Really hot dude. Potty mouth, six-pack, hypnotic blue eyes. Pity he’s on screen and doesn’t even know I exist.”
“You still binge-watch TV shows?”
“Of course. Once a TV junkie, always a TV junkie.”
“I’ll leave you to your date.”
Taking her hand, I kiss her knuckles, then watch her enter her building.
We need to have that conversation, but I promised I wouldn’t bring it up today, and she’s still the birthday girl. For a few more hours.
Chapter Twelve
Caroline
A few minutes later, I slip between the sheets with my laptop and switch on my favorite streaming service. I have four brand-new episodes to watch. Rubbing my hands in excitement, I press Play.
I am midway through the third episode and my second glass of wine when my phone beeps. Someone who probably just remembered it was my birthday. I reach out for my phone without taking my eyes off the screen. The leads are just about to kiss for the first time, and it looks like the ten-episode wait will be worth it.
But then I forget all about the kiss as I read the message.
Daniel: 12:01, birthday day is officially over. Time to tackle that elephant.
I should have known he wouldn’t let me off the hook so easily. Pressing Pause on the screen, I sit up straight on the bed, my heart thumping in my throat. I can do this. It’s best to clear the air, and it’s easier to do it via text or on the phone than face-to-face.
Caroline: Tell me what you were worried about today.
Daniel: ????
Caroline: Don’t be cruel, ease me into this.
Daniel: Had two incidents with leaked photos from celebrity events to the press. The problem is I suspect someone from my team did it. On purpose.
I read through his text twice, my neurons a tad befuddled by the wine. But the second his meaning sinks in, my stomach coils. I call him right away.
“What do you mean, on purpose? Why?” I ask instead of saying hello.
“Money. Gossip magazines pay a good buck.”
“Let me get this straight. These are pictures of events you did for your famous clients?”
“Yeah.”
“And you’re sure some other attendees didn’t leak the pics?”
“Not one hundred percent sure, but everyone attending wants privacy. And it happened at two different events, no common attendees.”
I hug my knees to my chest, resting my chin on them. “What are you going to do?”
“Do a bit of detective work. I like my team. I trust them. Not looking forward to it.”
“I bet not.”
“So, time to bring up the elephant.”
Damn! I’d almost forgotten about it. Carrying out this conversation after I had two glasses of wine isn’t the smartest thing. I might let slip things I don’t mean... or worse, things I do mean but don’t want him to know. Breathe in, breathe out. I can do this. Time to rip off the Band-Aid.
“It was a one-time thing, Daniel. Let’s forget about it. These things happen, right? Wouldn’t be the first time two exes fall in bed with each other.”
A brief pause, and then he talks in a low, smooth voice. “It wasn’t just sex.”
His words wrap around me like a blanket of comfort. Knowing it meant more than sex to him too reaches somewhere deep inside me. Still, it doesn’t change things.
“No, it wasn’t, but it was still a one-time thing.”
More silence, which unnerves me. Daniel usually has no problem filling silences of any kind. My stomach twists and turns in anticipation.
“Why did you give up on me so easily, Caroline?”
Huh? Not what I was expecting at all. Tension gathers between my shoulder blades, but I try to keep my calm. “What do you mean?”
“When I told you it was best to break things off, you didn’t say anything.”
Right, out the window goes my determination to remain calm. “You’d broken my heart, what was I supposed to say?”
I climb out of the bed, suddenly filled with too much energy. Needing to walk it off, I just pace my bedroom.
“Something. Anything. Fight me on it. You accepted it so easily, as if it was what you’d wanted too.”
“Is this what you told yourself to feel better about being an ass?”
“Partly,” he admits. “But it did feel like you accepted it all too quickly.”
“I can’t believe this. I was twenty-one, and hurt, and it was clear you didn’t want me anymore. What was I supposed to do? Beg?”
“No, just... I don’t know, Caroline. I’ve been thinking about it many times, about how it could have gone differently.”
This catches me off guard. “Different how?”
“No idea, any way I got to keep you.”
Is he saying what I think he’s saying? No, it can’t be. Must be all that wine, and I’m reading into things. But not even I can read too many things in “any way I got to keep you.” Still, I gather the courage to ask for clarification.
�
��Dan, what are you saying?” I whisper.
“Of my top five regrets, losing you is right at the head of the list. I should have told you that a long time ago. I’m sorry I didn’t.”
Ah, but even hearing it now is more than I was hoping for. Time to put his mind at rest too.
“I didn’t want to break up, Daniel. I just didn’t know how to fight you, or fight for you. I thought pushing back would be humiliating.”
“And I’d just broken your heart.”
Despite myself, I laugh. “Yeah.”
More silence follows, but it’s not uncomfortable this time.
“You know what the second thing on that regret list is?”
“What?”
“Not getting my act together sooner and pursuing you again. I never stopped caring.”
Oh God, make him stop. Is he aware that this is every woman’s dream? Well, my dream at least. To find out that I still mean something to the man I could never forget? Who still means so much to me....
“I didn’t stop either. Caring, I mean.”
He lets out a long breath into the phone. Sounds like a relieved breath.
“Summer was right,” he says with a chuckle.
“You told Summer about our night? Aw, come on. The girls have been dropping hints about us for a long time. What are they planning? Setup lunches? Impromptu get-togethers where we somehow end up alone? Something even worse? I need to start preparing my defenses.”
I only stop because I’m out of breath. I even stopped pacing to concentrate on remembering the girls’ techniques, but I’m not naive enough to believe I remember them all. And regardless, they can whip up plans faster than I can come up with defensive techniques.
“Slow down, woman. Take a deep breath. Good to know I’m not the only one they’ve been pestering. And no, I haven’t told them. I’ve learned to keep my mouth shut unless I want everyone in my business. Come to think of it, I wouldn’t mind that right now.”
What does this even mean?
“But Summer said you and I have been involved with each other’s families because we didn’t want to let go.”
