When he pulled away, I looked at his family again.
Cassini was watching us, a slight smile on her lips. “You guys are both pussies. Just leave it at that.”
Heath leaned into me and kissed the corner of my mouth. “If this is what it’s like to be a pussy, I don’t mind it.” After he held my gaze for a few seconds, he faced forward again, grabbing his glass and taking a drink.
I had to force myself not to stare at him, to think about the other people at the table. I thought it would be awkward after what happened on the sidewalk, but now that the ice had been broken, it felt right. “Do you know what you’re having?”
“A boy,” Balto answered. “A little man.”
“Aww, that’s so sweet,” I said. “Got a name picked out?”
“No,” Cassini said. “No idea. But we’ve got time.”
“Heath is pretty nice…”
Balto gave him a cold look. “I would never do that to my son.”
“Oh, shut up,” Heath responded. “I’m gonna pretend to be you all the time and teach him shady things.”
“I’ll kill you,” he snapped.
“Or I’ll kill you and pretend to be his dad forever.” He shrugged and swirled his wine.
“Baby.” Balto turned to his wife. “This was a terrible idea.”
She patted his arm. “He’s just teasing you.”
“Or am I?” Heath shrugged. “Cassini and I would be great together—”
Balto grabbed his steak knife even though he wouldn’t use it for dinner. “I’ll slit your fucking throat.” It was clearly a joke, but that didn’t matter to him.
“Balto.” Cassini pulled the knife out of his hand and put it on her side of the table. “Your brother likes to get under your skin, and you’re making it so easy for him to do that.” She rubbed his arm to calm him down.
Heath turned to me, a slight smile on his lips. “This is fun.”
Damien and I teased each other, but we never took it this far. It was a side to Heath I was unfamiliar with. He was playful, sarcastic, funny. He wasn’t just the intense man that I knew best.
“Anyway…” Cassini turned to me. “Tell us about yourself.”
“Where did you learn to punch like that?” Balto asked, grabbing his scotch and taking a deep drink.
“This guy I used to date a few years ago.” He taught me everything I knew, and he was right, it probably saved my life.
Heath didn’t react to my comment even though it probably annoyed him. After our last fight, he knew he had to work on things as much as I did.
“And I’m a dancer—for the ballet.”
“You’re very talented,” Balto said.
I raised an eyebrow. “Have you come to the show?”
He nodded to his brother. “Heath dragged me along a couple weeks ago. Not really my thing, but he wanted me to see you dance.”
I turned to Heath, surprised he would bring his family along.
“I wanted to show off how hot you were.” His hand moved to my shoulder and gave me a gentle squeeze, leaning close to me to show me the affection in his eyes.
“For the record, I do not think you’re hot.” Balto raised his hand and looked at his wife. “Heath is just trying to throw me under the bus.”
“You don’t think I’m hot?” I asked, pretending to be hurt.
Heath immediately caught on to what I was doing and grinned.
Balto faltered at the question. “Uh…”
“You think I’m ugly?” I asked, pouting my lips.
“No, that’s not what I said,” Balto said quickly. “You’re very beautiful. I just—”
“Excuse me?” Cassini snapped, playing along. “Did you just check out another woman while your pregnant wife is sitting right here?”
Balto looked away and sighed before he grabbed his scotch and took a drink. “Fuck all of you.”
Summer heat hung on by a thread, about to slip through my fingers and disappear for nine months. The nights started to get cold, and while I continued to wear dresses, I paid for it dearly.
We said goodbye on the curb of the sidewalk, their truck somewhere farther down the road.
Heath kept his arm around me, trying to keep me warm.
“Thanks for dinner,” Balto said. “But it was the least you could do after being an ass all night.”
Heath shrugged. “It’s the least I could do since I’m the richer one.”
Balto narrowed his eyes. “Fuck off, Heath.”
“Ooh…did I strike a chord?” The taunts never ended.
Cassini reached out and shook my hand. “It’s nice to formally meet you—on much better terms.”
I laughed. “Thanks for giving me another chance. And, again, sorry about before…”
“Don’t worry about it,” she said. “It’s a funny story we’ll tell years down the road.”
I stared at her blankly as I focused on what she’d said, the implication of her words. Did that mean she and Balto expected me to be around for a long time? Or was that something Heath had said to them? Or was I simply reading too much into it?
Balto extended his hand to me next. “It was nice to see you again.”
I gave him a firm grasp and nodded. “You too.”
He pulled away and tapped his fingers against his cheek. “Keep up the good work. More women need to know how to throw a punch.” He turned to his brother next and didn’t show him physical affection before he turned away. “Night, asshole.”
“Night, bitch.”
As Balto walked away with his arm around his wife, he raised his hand and flipped him off.
Heath called out after him, “Love you too.” He turned to me next and wrapped his arm around my waist before he walked me to the truck. “My place or yours?”
Seeing the way he interacted with his brother made me adore him more, for reasons I couldn’t explain. It humanized him, showed a playful side I’d never met before. It was sexy. “Yours.”
“You got it.” He opened the door for me.
I eyed the gesture in surprise.
“What?” he asked. “I can be a gentleman.”
I
