“What don’t you know? You either like her, or you don’t.”
“I like being around her. I like it a lot. She’s exciting and makes me feel...” He wasn’t sure what to say.
“Horny?” Darryl slapped his thigh with a laugh.
“Well, that too.” Reece raked a hand through his hair. “But there’s somethin’ about her. She makes me feel all different inside. Normally, I’d fuck a woman and go home. With Aria, I don’t want to rush anythin’.”
“The fuck ’em and leave ’em type of man.”
Reece grinned. “Yeah. Hell, man, she’s wormed her way into my life, and I don’t want a one night stand with her. I want to get to know her better, spend more time with her.”
“Yeah, I get you—Aria’s exciting. I’ll give her that. Although some consider her an ice maiden.”
He tensed. “Who?”
“Look, don’t get me wrong.” Darryl appeared to sense Reece’s irritation. “I like the gal, but she’s beyond everyone’s reach. The guys who’ve asked her out on a date got the cold shoulder.”
“Maybe she’s just picky.” He glanced out the window once more. If these guys only knew Aria’s past, they probably wouldn’t be so hasty in their judgment. No woman in her right mind would jump into any relationship after what she’d survived. His dinner had gone off better than he’d expected. The disclosure of her past broke his heart into a million pieces. Stepmother or not, how could the woman treat another woman with such blatant disregard and marry her off to a sick bastard.
“And you’re the right fit,” Darryl interrupted his train of thought.
Reece shifted his attention. “I didn’t say that.”
“If you are, it might be good for her. I like Aria. We’re good friends. But, I get the feeling she’s lonely.”
He studied Darryl for a moment. “Why haven’t you tried anythin’?”
“Me? Nah.” Darryl chuckled. “I have the hots for her friend.”
“Kelly?”
“One and only.”
“Have you asked her out as yet?”
“Nope. Every time I think of trying, I freeze up.”
Darryl didn’t strike him as the shy type, and Reece laughed. “Why the fuck are you waiting?”
“Nerves, I guess. Kelly is a heck of a woman. She’s witty, friendly, and freaking gorgeous—qualities most men want in a woman. But, I don’t have the balls to approach her. The most we’ve ever said to each other is good morning or goodnight. She’s like a nuclear missile. Strong, hot, and whizzes by before you can say ‘I.’”
“Get a move on, man. Women like her don’t hang around waiting. She’d probably go after what she wants,” Reece said. “And how do you feel about her kid.”
Darryl shrugged. “I don’t mind. And what about you and Aria’s kid?”
Reece smiled. “Prisha’s charming. Just like her mom, I guess.” While he thought of the little girl, images of him as part of her family flittered through his mind. Surprisingly, the idea appealed to him.
