“How do you know I’m sleeping with him?”

“Are you?”

“Yeah.”

“Now I know.”

“Jealous?” I ask with a raised brow.

He sits back and actually thinks about it, surprising me. I expected a witty comeback, but instead he just answers honestly.

“Not jealous in the way I would have been five years ago, but worried because you mean a lot to me and I don’t want to have to kill him for hurting you.”

“I hurt him, Ben.” I sigh and push my fingers through my short hair.

“I like the haircut, by the way.”

“Oh, thanks. It was time for a change.” I take another bite of chip. “Anyway, I fell hard and fast for him. He’s a great guy. A cop.” I tell him all about Matt and his family, how we met, everything. And it feels good because I haven’t been able to tell anyone everything about my relationship with Matt, and I know that Ben won’t judge me.

“So, aside from the kinky sex, which sounds like a lot of fun to me, but makes me very uncomfortable in relation to you”—he cringes again—“he sounds like a solid guy.”

“He is.”

“So what’s the issue?”

“I broke up with him.”

“Why?”

I bite my lip and stare at the half-eaten basket of chips.

“Nicole…” Ben lowers his head to catch my gaze. “Why?”

“I thought he deserved better than me,” I whisper. “With my medical stuff and everything.”

Ben’s brow creases in surprise. “Nic, I’ve been around the block a time or two, and I’m telling you right now, there are few better than you.”

My jaw drops in surprise. “If you propose right now, I’m going to throw this margarita in your face.”

He laughs and shakes his head. “My girlfriend might have an issue with that.”

“Girlfriend!” I squeak. “You haven’t told me about a girlfriend! Is she here or in Wyoming?”

“She’s in Wyoming, but if I get the job here, I’m hoping she’ll move out here with me.”

“Who is she? Do I know her?”

“We’ll get to her later.” He waves it aside and reaches across the table to take my hand in his large one. “Do you love him?”

“Yeah. But to be honest, his family, although they’re great, they are damn intimidating. Half of them are celebrities, Ben. There’s money, and they’re all beautiful and just…I read about these kinds of people.”

“Are they assholes?”

“No.” I shake my head emphatically. “They’re really nice. I mean, they’re protective of each other, and there were some curious looks and questions, but they were great about making me feel welcome.”

“Good.” He nods. “Not all families are like yours.”

“My family isn’t that bad,” I reply softly. “They just don’t pay much attention to each other.”

“So being around a family that does pay attention is new.” Ben chuckles and shakes his head. “I always wondered why you weren’t one of those girls who calls or texts all the time, always in my way. For a while, I thought you just weren’t interested.”

“No, I guess it’s just not in my nature to have to always be in someone’s back pocket.” I smile and squeeze his hand. “You know I was interested.”

“Yeah, and then you decided to go to culinary school and break my heart.”

“I’m sorry,” I murmur. “I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“We got over it,” Ben replies with a shrug. “So you know you’re going to have to apologize to the guy for being a dumb-ass.”

“Yeah.” I laugh. “There will most likely be groveling involved.”

“Nah, don’t stoop to groveling, babe.” He winks and takes a sip of water. “So what are you going to do about it?”

“I’m going to talk to him. Probably tomorrow.”

Ben nods and then looks up at someone who’s approached the table.

I glance up, expecting to see the waiter, but instead, my eyes collide with a very angry blue gaze.

“Matt.” Holy shit. I pull my hand out of Ben’s, but Matt’s gaze follows my hand, not missing it.

Not missing a thing, I’m sure.

“Nicole,” he returns, coldly but softly. “I’d like to have a word with you privately, please.” He glances down at Ben, who grins and offers his right hand to shake.

“Hi, I’m Ben.”

He doesn’t clarify exactly who he is, which exasperates me and seems to amuse the hell out of Ben.

“I’m Matt.” He shakes Ben’s hand, out of manners hammered home by Gail more than anything, I’m sure, and pins me in his hard stare.

“Now.”

Chapter Nineteen

Matt leads me behind him, through the restaurant and down a short hallway to the restrooms. He opens the men’s room door and when he sees that no one is inside, he pulls me in with him and flips the deadbolt.

“Matt…”

“Two weeks.” He cages me in, my back against the door and his hands planted on either side of my head. “We haven’t spoken in two weeks, and now you’re out with some new guy?”

“It’s not what it looks like…”

“What it looks like”—he lowers his face closer to mine. His eyes are feral, angrier than I’ve ever seen them, and he’s panting—“is the love of my life allowing another man to hold her hand over dinner and flirt with her. What the fucking hell, Nic?”

“He’s just a friend,” I insist and glare at him, but my stomach quivers at the feel of him so close to me. “He’s a very good friend.”

He growls and plants his mouth on mine, not gently, not carefully, but with hunger and lust, as though he’s been without water for days and I’m a mirage in the desert. He cups my face in his hands and plunders my mouth, his tongue seeking my own. He bites my lower lip and then plunders again as his hands glide down my sides to my hips and thighs, where he gathers the soft material in his fists, yanking it up around my waist before ripping my panties in two, throwing them over his shoulder.

“You are mine. I stayed away like I promised I would, but I’m done, Nic.” His voice has softened, but it’s still intense. His hand glides up the inside of my thigh as he leans his forehead on my own, his eyes clenched closed. His hand drifts higher until his fingers graze my lips and circle my clit gently.