“I’m not sure how to break this to you,” she said as soon as Brandon answered.
“Break what to me?” he responded, his voice husky, which made her wonder if she’d awakened him. “You couldn’t have found someone with a bigger telescope.”
She knew he was teasing but, feeling herself flush, decided to ignore the innuendo. “I, uh, told a little white lie about you.”
“Did it make me look good or bad?” He didn’t sound too excited by the prospect either way.
“Maybe a little opportunistic?”
“Okay. Let me have it.”
She drew a deep breath. “Kyle and Noelle think we’re seeing each other.”
“That’s it?”
“Not quite.”
“I’m waiting....”
“They also think we’re sleeping together.”
“Really.”
“I don’t know what got into me,” she said. “Kyle pulled me aside and said it was killing him to know he was causing me pain, and I... I couldn’t stand being so transparent and vulnerable. So I told him I’m not hurting at all, that I’m already seeing someone else.”
“Me.”
“Right. I could’ve named someone from Sacramento. That’s what I should’ve done, obviously. He couldn’t have proven that one way or the other. But...”
“It wouldn’t have been half as much fun.”
“No, it wouldn’t have had the same impact.” She’d found Noelle’s reaction even more satisfying than Kyle’s, but she didn’t mention that. She was fairly sure her sister would be a sore subject with Brandon, even after the number of years that had passed since she’d invaded his privacy. “I hope you’re not too sorry you stopped to help me.”
“Not at all. I just wish I could’ve seen Kyle’s face.”
She smiled as she remembered. “He went white as a sheet.”
“Good. Maybe it gave him the jolt he needs.”
“In what way?”
“I haven’t given up hope that he’ll come to his senses and call the whole thing off.”
Olivia pictured Kyle and Noelle as they’d been at dinner. They hadn’t seemed particularly close, but they were dealing with a lot of stress, even more than normally accompanied a wedding. She wasn’t convinced she could get an accurate reading from what she’d seen. “Maybe he loves her.”
“You and I both know who he loves.”
She hadn’t expected Brandon to be so candid. “There is the baby—”
“Jumping into a marriage destined to end in divorce won’t help the baby.” He lowered his voice in a way that demanded an honest answer. “Would you take him back?”
“No!”
“You’re done with him no matter what he does, no matter how much he begs?”
“He won’t beg. You know Kyle. Once he’s made up his mind, that’s it. He’d never embarrass Noelle, my parents or your family by backing out. Whatever else he might be, he’s a man of his word. But I’m done with him.”
“And now you’re all mine.”
The zap she’d experienced earlier, the one that left her feeling slightly giddy, struck again, like a lightning bolt out of the clear blue sky. Which made no sense. She was still in love with Kyle—although their relationship was completely and totally over.
Assuming it was basic chemistry, the kind that could come out of nowhere even with a complete stranger, she shrugged off her reaction. He was merely referring to what she’d said earlier. “Or so they think. I’m sorry I went that far. I had no right to drag you into something that could have long-term repercussions inside your own family. But...it won’t turn out to be a big deal. I let both him and Noelle know it’s not serious. We don’t have to go around holding hands or anything. Maybe a smile or two at the wedding—that’s all.”
“You’re saying you implied we’re not making love, just having sex.”
“Exactly. But I made sure they knew it was mind-blowing.” She tried to joke a little herself but the images that flashed through her head—images of Brandon’s mouth on hers—made her words anything but funny.
“There’s only one problem,” he said.
“What’s that?”
“If you told them it was casual, they already know you were lying.”
For some reason, she was having difficulty catching her breath. “What makes you say that?”
“Honey, you’re not capable of casual.”
She’d certainly been more circumspect than he had. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t play the same game of Catch Me If You Can. “How do you know? I’m just as capable of being free and easy as anyone else.”
“You’re speaking from experience? You’ve had other ‘free and easy’ relationships?”
She thought of the two men she’d slept with. Both had been long-term, steady boyfriends. “Not yet,” she admitted. “But after what I’ve been through, I’m not looking for a commitment. I think everyone understands that. Emotional entanglements are too...sticky and...and confining.” The memory of Kyle coming forward to tell her he’d been with Noelle made her want to bang her head on the steering wheel again. “Not to mention painful,” she added. “And when they don’t work out you have to deal with regret for getting involved in the first place.”
“I couldn’t have said it better myself.”
“Why shouldn’t I have my fun just like everyone else?” she asked, warming to her defiance. “I’m an adult. I can do whatever I want.”
“Now you’re getting me excited.”
She heard the humor in his voice but chose to ignore it. “Maybe I’ve been playing it too safe. Maybe I wouldn’t be the one nursing a broken heart if I was willing to take a walk on the wild side once in a while.”
“I’ll buy that.”
Again, she ignored the subtle smile in his voice because she loved feeling empowered. Just the idea of breaking the rules and getting away with it seemed to revive her flagging spirits. She could fight back if she wanted to!
But her enthusiasm dimmed as fast as it had dawned when he said, “Great. Come on over. Venus is out tonight. I’ll show you.”
Shit. She’d gone too far. She’d merely wanted him to respect her
