Page 89 of Tangled Up In You

“I don’t know,” she said simply, wide-eyed.

He laughed. “You’re a hell of a cute drunk.”

The look in his eyes as he watched her … it wasn’t exactly desire. Or, it wasn’tonlydesire. There was adoration, too. It reminded her of the way he looked at her last night, under the stars and on the wet sand.

“Are you going to kiss me now?”

He took a step away from her. “No. You didn’t say anything to Gavin, did you?”

“No, silly. I’m not stupid, you know.” She looked wistfully at the bar, thinking of her fiancé now, just as she should have earlier. “I love him so much. Do you know that? He is the sweetest, most wonderful man and I never, ever want to hurt him.”

He nodded. “Drink your water. Sober up a bit so I can go back inside.”

“Oh, yeah. You’ve got Natalie to fuck,” she said and laughed.

“Yes, I’ve got Natalie to fuck. And whoever else I feel like. No guilt-trips from you, Miss Can’t-Hold-Her-Liquor.”

She grabbed the finger he had playfully shaken at her as he spoke. “Tell me something,” she said. “Do you want me?”

The question had just spilled out of her. Damn those Cosmopolitans.

“Stop it, Sophie,” he said without conviction.

Still, she wanted to know. So, instead of obeying his weak command, she wrapped her arms around his neck and looked up at him. “I was wondering if you’re really attracted to me, or if you were just lonely and I was convenient.”

He watched her for a long, silent moment before taking her hands and pushing her away from him. He seemed to waver briefly before finding his answer. “You were just a convenience for a lonely man, honey,” he said softly. “Now I’ll go find a more suitable form of release.”

“Oh. Okay. Go ahead.” She suddenly sobered. She wasn’t sure what her motives were or what she was expecting, but his response was like being doused by a bucket of cold water.

“You’ll be okay?”

“I am fine. Thanks, Connie.”

He nodded and left her to go back inside the bar.

She downed the rest of the water, took a deep breath, and made her way back inside as well. She found Gavin standing at the bar, surrounded by half a dozen young women. He was chatting amiably with them as he waited for the bartender to refill a tray full of pint glasses.

Winding her way through the women, she wrapped her arms around Gavin’s waist and pressed her face to his shoulder.

“Where’ve you been, darlin’?” he asked, holding her to him.

“Aye, leave off, then, girlie. We were here first,” a woman whined, and got the others complaining as well.

“Come, ladies,” Gavin said, his voice raised. “This here is my lovely fiancée. You wouldn’t stand between a man and his true love, would you?”

With reluctance, the crowd broke up.

“Gavin, will you take me home?” Sophie asked quietly.

“What’s wrong, sweet girl?”

“I got drunk.”

“Is that why you made that spectacle of yourself?” he asked.

She pulled away and looked at him, worried that he’d seen her with Conor just now. “What do you mean?”

“Dancing with Patsy like that. You know, you turned on half the men in here with that.”

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