Alarm flares in Owen’s eyes. “Molly—”
“You said you loved me and asked for a deeper commitment just three months ago. Only to dothis?” Letting go of the knife, I hurl my napkin down on his pasta. Unfortunately, the wadded cloth immediately unfurls and the sauce doesn’t hit his clothes.
He looks around as his cheeks redden. “Calm the hell down. What’s wrong with you?”
“What’s wrong withme? You want to know what’s wrong with me after you dump me on my birthday?” My shaky voice attracts other diners’ gazes. Actually, my whole body is trembling, but I’m not going away quietly to suit Owen. He should suffer the consequences of his actions. “You were just playing with me all this time!”
“No, I meant what I said. It’s just that circumstances have changed.”
“Circumstances? Your feelings are so fickle, they change every time circumstances change? You said you loved me this morning before I left for work!” My chest heaves as I raise my voice. “Did you disclose your capriciousness to your brand-enhancing Dana?”
“Stop dragging her into it,” he says. “This is about you and me.”
“Itwas, untilyoudragged her into it to dump me. Were you cheating on me all this time, too?”
“Of course not! I’d never do that to Dana.”
Rage rocks me. “I’m notthe other woman, Owen!” I jump to my feet and start to reach for my glass of water. Let’s see if he can still play the good guy when I throw it in his face!
Owen’s gaze slides away from me for a moment, to focus on something behind me. The hair on the back of my neck bristles.Is Dana behind me?Or—
“Hey, Molly, what are you doing here?”
Nicholas?His voice sounds like warm chocolate syrup. I drop my hand before it can grasp the glass of water.
“I thought you were celebrating your birthday today. But it doesn’t look like you’re having a good time…?”
I turn and almost do a double take. He’s in a suit and tie, radiating power, authority and warmth as he looks at me. He’s even hotter than he was on Saturday, and my heart flutters.
Owen points at Nicholas like he’s an unwanted fly hovering over his meal. “Who is this?”
Oh my God, could he be any ruder?“Nicholas,” I say. “Georgia’s stepbrother.”
Nicholas stands close enough that I can feel his body heat. My mouth dries, and I try not to focus too much on how nice it feels or how the protective angle of his body is making me feel safe.
“Why is he standing so close to you like that?” Owen demands, his voice accusatory as he glares at Nicholas. It’s almost like Owen is some poor husband who just caught his wife in bed with another man.
What gives him the right to talk to me like that after telling me Dana is the one for him?
“Might want to watch your tone,” Nicholas says before I can think of a sarcastic response.
“My tone?” Owen says. “You have a problem with mytone?”
“That’s right. Nobody talks to my girl with disrespect. Not if you want to leave here under your own power.”
Did Nicholas just call mehisgirl? I have no idea what the hell is going on. I’m not drunk enough to hallucinate. Maybe I’m having a dream.Please, alarm, don’t go off right now!
Owen can dump me a hundred times, so long as it ends with Nicholas’s arm around me.
“Yourgirl?” Owen says with a raised eyebrow.
“Yup. I’m claiming her, since you’re obviously stupid enough to not recognize her value.”
My heart booms hard and fast in my chest, and I glance at Nicholas in shock. His feelings for me are platonic, but I can almost believe he sees me as a desirable woman.
Owen sizes Nicholas up. You don’t have to see him naked to know the man is built like a prizefighter. Not only that, he’s taller than Owen by at least half a head.
My now-ex-boyfriend does the math and decides to snort and give me a nasty look. “I can’t believe you acted all mad and shit when you’ve been cheating on me with this guy.”
