Finally, his glance landed on mine, and I felt my body engulfed in heat as his gaze drifted down my body. There was nothing hesitant or subtle about his appraisal, and I briefly wished I'd dressed up a little. I wore what I usually threw on when I came home from work—my mint-green lounge pants and matching slouch shirt. My hair was up in a careless bun, and my face was clean of makeup. Okay, I had a little mascara. I wasn't a complete slob.
"Can I get you something to drink?" The air felt tense and uncomfortable. Now that he was here, I didn't know what to say to him. Suddenly, this seemed like a very foolish idea.
"Water is fine."
Thankful I had something to keep me busy, I turned to fetch a glass before filling it with the filtered water I kept in the fridge. Our fingers touched as I handed over the cool glass and that simple exchange almost had me dropping the liquid over my carpet. I was an idiot to think the attraction between us could fade so quickly. If that sizzle was any indication, the sexual tension between us burned as bright as ever.
I moved across to the armchair, needing the distance. He took a long drink of the water, drawing my eye to the strong column of his throat as it bobbed. The silence between us lingered as he rolled the almost empty glass between his hands with his head bowed. Before I could ask if he was okay, he spoke. "Can I go first?"
Surprised and relieved that he wanted to make the first move, I nodded. He let out a breath before placing his glass on the coffee table in front of him. His hands ran up and down his thighs. "I've been here before."
I frowned before looking around my apartment as if I could spot evidence of his things lying around. "Huh? No, you haven't."
He shook his head before leaning forward. "Sorry, I didn't mean here," he clarified. "I meantthisapartment building."
Now it was my turn to lean forward. "What do you mean?"
He snatched his glass back up and finished the rest of his water. His fidgety behavior did not bode well for me. "Sofia and I had a sexual relationship a few years ago. It was casual, and it ended when she met Simon. In fact, I'm pretty sure she ended it with mebecauseof Simon."
A piercing stab of something akin to jealousy throbbed inside. I had to admit, I kind of saw this coming. When Brian told me he met Simon through Sofia, only one possible scenarioran through my head. Even though I’d braced myself for this outcome, his verbal confirmation still stung.
"I…see." I nodded slowly before leaning back in my armchair, exuding a casualness I was far from feeling.
He spread his hands in appeal, his tone becoming more urgent. "I didn't know that you knew Simon or Sofia, but I can assure you that there weren’t andaren'tany deep romantic feelings with her. She's since become a good friend, although that's probably gone to shit now," he mumbled.
I tilted my head. "Because of what happened at the engagement party?" I wanted to get to the crux of his reason for being here. I didn't know why he was trying to convince me that he and Sofia had no deeper connection than the physical kind. We all had a sexual past. Granted, none quite as incestuous as that group.
"Yeah. I was out of line yelling at Simon like that, but at the same time, I don't regret it."
That niggling curiosity reared its head again. "What happened exactly? Simon only said that you defended me and were quite pissed off."
"That's basically what happened. Your name was only brought up because Mila Mills raved about you."
My lips twitched, and I tried to fight the pleased blush that climbed my cheeks. It was always flattering to be praised.
"Once Mila left, Simon mentioned in a casual aside that he was a dick to you." He paused, his lips thinning until they turned white. "The thought of anyone being an ass to you set me off."
I couldn't resist seeing the irony in his statement, which he immediately picked up on. He raised his hands with a wry smile. "I know, I know. Believe me, if I could kick my own ass, I would."
"Hmm." I crossed my legs at his admission. "I dunno; I think the verbal ass-kicking I gave you was sufficient."
He let out a rough laugh that vibrated through me. "You certainly gave me a lot of home truths, that's for sure."
He quickly sobered and shifted positions. Brian had been antsy since he arrived, but instead of finding it annoying, my traitorous body felt endeared. We didn't know each other that well, but I could still pick up on his little tells.
"Maria, I'm not looking to pry into your relationship with Simon. That's none of my business. But I am sorry if I overstepped."
I shook my head and released a trapped breath of stress. "You didn't overstep."
I didn't want to tell him that I found it quite sweet. I couldn't fall back into the same loop where I praised and made allowances for a man who gave me the bare minimum. "Thank you for defending me. It wasn't necessary, but I appreciate it anyway."
His shoulders came down, and I could almost see the tension leave his frame. "Are there any questions you want to ask me?"
"About what?"
"About my relationship with Sofia. My friendship with Simon…anything, really."
I shook my head. "It's not really any of my business. Not anymore."
