Testosterone…that’s what happened.
She’d just set the last of the food onto the table and they were about to sit when that onion stench grew stronger.
“Sky.” Ugh. There he was. “Is it okay if I use your bathroom?”
She forced her lips to stretch into a smile as she turned to look at Tony. “Of course. It’s just down the hall.” She led him into her hall and opened a door. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” He didn’t go inside. Instead, he stepped closer to her, eliminating some of the space between them. “I have to admit, I’ve been struggling with this a bit.”
“This?” she asked.
“You and…him. I really enjoyed our date, and—”
“It was hardly a date, Tony. It was dinner with my parents.”
“Regardless of what it was, I had a good time with you. And I thought you had a good time too.”
How on earth had he thought she’d had a good time? She had to have yawned at least half a dozen times, and they hadn’t even finished eating when she’d made a pathetic excuse to leave. Something about needing to feed her fish. She didn’t have a fish!
“I wasn’t planning on dating Becket. It just happened.” Understatement of the century.
Tony stepped forwardagain, almost touching her. “It’s just hard to let go of the idea of you and me when your father’s spoken so much about what a good match we’d be.”
Well, let it go, man. “Tony—”
“Everything okay here?” Becket asked as he entered the hall, tall and broad…and angry. He stopped beside her and tugged her close. And even though this thing between them wasn’t real, it was a relief to be closer to him than Tony.
Safe. That’s what she felt when she was near Becket.
Tony’s eyes narrowed and he moved back.
Okay, her hallway was feeling far too small right now. “It’s fine,” she said, looking up at Becket. “I was just showing Tony to the bathroom.”
Tony straightened. And…was he pushing his chest out? “Strange that Roger didn’t even know you existed a week ago, especially because you live next door.”
“Just because someone doesn’t know I exist doesn’t mean I’m not here.”
Tony scowled and opened his mouth, but Sky put a hand to Becket’s chest. “Come on, we should get back to my parents.” She pushed, but he didn’t move.
“I’ll see you out there,” Tony said, staring at Sky.
“Wewill see you out there,” Becket corrected. Then he led her out of the hall, her heart beating far too fast. Because Becket was fighting for her like hewasactually her boyfriend, and it felt far too real.
CHAPTER8
Becket leaned back in his seat, half listening as Esther Williams spoke. She’d been the one doing most of the talking all evening.
His plate was empty and his stomach full. The food had been good. Another new thing he’d now learned about Sky—she was a hell of a cook. Although, even the good food couldn’t make up for the cold tension Tony and her father were putting off.
What the hell was wrong with her dad? Inviting a guy Sky clearly didn’t like, because he thought her boyfriend wasn’t coming. Did he not care about whatshewanted?
“And she sleepwalked right out into the backyard, let the stray dog inside, and went back to bed,” Esther continued.
Becket glanced at Sky. “You sleepwalk?”
She shook her head. “I don’t—”
“She does,” her mother interrupted.
