Page 77 of Challenge
“Dr. Ryan,” Tanner leers. “Nice to see you again.”
“Call me Belle,” she says with a giggle.
“I prefer Dr. Ryan if it’s all the same to you. And hello to you, too, Dr. Porter.”
Indie’s eyes haven’t left mine the entire time. She’s staring at me with a sort of shocked, embarrassed half smile—one that makes me wish I could read her mind. I know I just saw her today, but seeing her now, under the moonlight, dressed in street clothes with her hair down…well, she looks like the woman I used to know. Not the one I forced myself to make peace with earlier today.
Belle jabs Indie in the ribs with her elbow.
“Ouch,” Indie says through clenched teeth. “Hi, Tanner.” She looks at me. “Hi, Cam.”
“Hello,” I reply. “Is seeing you here really just a coincidence?” If so, the fates are cruel, cruel bastards.
Her brows lift. “I have a feeling this isn’t a coincidence.”
She looks at Belle and Tanner, who both smile knowingly.
“I’m a huge fan of Irish Way,” Tanner says, breaking the tension with a comment about the band. “And I just happened to run into Belle today, and she had the inside scoop on where I could score some tickets.”
“We love Old George,” Belle adds, walking over and sitting down on the bench beside Tanner’s feet. “This is our hangout spot, and it’s fun when bands play here.”
Tanner begins small talk with Belle while Indie remains standing here, staring at me awkwardly. She shifts from one foot to the other as she plays with the frame of her glasses.
I could tell Tanner we need to leave. I could leave by myself. I could go to the bar and get a drink, go to the loo, go to another pub, go hit on a different girl, go crazy!
But I don’t.
“Can we go talk for a minute?” I ask, sliding off of the table, not waiting for her response.
Tanner watches me like he thinks I’m going to go take her to the toilet and fuck her.
Indie looks at Belle and gets a silent nod of approval. When she turns to walk away, my hand instantly goes to the small of her back. I hear her sharp intake of breath, so I pull my hand back and clench my fist, wishing Tanner’s face was nearby again. Indie Porter likes space…and, fuck, I wish I didn’t want to be inside of her right now.
She stops by a thick cluster of ivy, away from the crowd of people, and turns around to face me. She crosses her arms over her chest. The warm bulbs cast a halo around her head and it all seems ironic.
“Do we have a problem that I don’t know about?” I ask, stuffing my hands into the pockets of my jeans. They’re one of my tightest pair, but today I noticed that my stitches are completely dissolved, so this is the first time I’ve been able to wear them in two weeks.
Her gaze slides down my abs and lingers somewhere around my legs. “What makes you think we have a problem?”
“Because you look like someone kicked your puppy.”
“I’ve never had a puppy.” She glowers before my meaning finally dawns on her. “I’m fine.”
I nod. “Good. We can be around each other, can’t we?” I ask out loud, wondering the same thing myself.
“I guess so. Does your brother know about us?” She looks down and I can see the shame blanket her. As much as I don’t want to, I take it personal.
“He knows, but don’t worry about him. He’s a sod but he’s a decent sod.” I watch her face and register the tension knitted between her brows. I can’t help myself as my hand reaches out and lifts her chin. I pin her with a serious look. “He won’t judge you, Indie.”
She exhales when she sees the sincerity in my expression. “Good. So are you really just out for a fun night with your brother, or is this where your book club meets?”
My brows lift at her little attempt at a joke. It feels like the Indie I grew to like. “Book Club meets on Sundays,” I wink. “What about you? Tequila Sunrise night I take it?”
Her eyes flash with a tiny level of anguish over how well we know each other. Our late-night pillow talk saw to that. “I’m off for four days this time,” she replies.
I want to ask her what her plans were for tonight—if she really was going to try to find her number two—but I bite my tongue.
“Let’s go try and have some fun.” I toss an arm around her shoulders and exhale when she doesn’t tense this time. She actually tucks into me a bit, and the familiar scent of lemons and freshly washed hair makes my heart pound.
