“So, how long are you going to be here, Connor?” I ask, popping a bit of blue cheese in my mouth. I love the bite of it, the tang it adds to the flavor of the steak and fries. I wonder why blue cheese fries isn’t a thing. Or is it? I want some, now.

Well, maybe not now. I’m nearly full.

“Until I decide to leave,” Connor says, his tone so sharp, I feel my whole body respond. Wondering why he’s so short tempered all of a sudden, I study him.

His tone is a bit softer when he speaks again. “I think I’ll stay the rest of the week,” he says, and I wonder why he’s choosing to stay if he could leave any time. It’s not like this place it the hot vacation spot. The hotel sucks, obviously, and there’s not much around to do unless you’re looking to go play on the beach with everyone else who came here for the beach.

No, thanks. Too, many bodies for me. I’ll stay in, watch TV or my Netflix, and pretend the world outside doesn’t exist for a while.

“Me, too,” I say as the waitress stops by. I give her my brightest smile as she refills my sprite and Connor’s water.

“How as the food?” she asks Connor in a seductive tone and I try to bite back my frustration.

“It was great!” I tell her, realizing that maybe me being kind to her is what she needs. Maybe something has been going on in her life and she needs affirmation that not all women are backstabbing bitches. She continues to ignore me, but I’m fine with it. I don’t know what the fuck is going on in her life, and I’ve no right to judge.

“The food was amazing,” Connor says, his tone all honey and fire. Everything about him sets my body alight, and I really want to kiss him again. Thoughts of how sexy he’d been back at my place, his lips on mine, his whole body blocking me in the corner behind my door…

How I manage not to moan is a mystery to me. I feel I’ve earned a medal for it.

Connor isn’t done yet. “However, your continued rude attitude to my date leaves me feeling like I need to speak with your boss about how you treat customers.” His gaze moves past her toward some point behind me and he takes a sip of his water. The indication that the conversation is over isn’t subtle. I stare at him, wondering why the hell he’d stand up for me like that. Zac would have been flirting with her and maybe even getting her number on the down low while I was in the restroom or something.

This guy who kidnapped me has more regard to how I should be treated than the guy I’ve been dating for more than year. What the fuck is wrong with my life?

The waitress turns to me with the fakest smile I’ve ever seen. “I’m sorry,” she says, but I’m not going to stoop to the level of cat clawing and hissing that often comes with this kind of bullshit.

“Me, too,” I say, genuinely sorry for whatever is making her act this way. I’m sure she has a reason. Just because I don’t know what it is doesn’t make it lass valid. “I didn’t take into account that maybe you’ve had a bad day. I hope that everything is going well for you.”

Connor stares at me, his eyebrows furrowing a bit, as if he’s trying to figure me out.

“What?” I ask, “Everyone has bad days. We don’t know that she isn’t having a bad day.”

The waitress leaves quickly and I see Connor’s surprise as he looks into her face and back at me again. And I feel the need to explain myself.

“When Zac cheated on me, I hated all women. I wanted to hit on all guys to feel better. I wanted to know I was still attractive.” Even now, the memory hurts. I’d trusted him, I’d gone to bat for him against friends that I don’t have anymore. He’d betrayed me deeper than anyone ever has before. I’d lost friendships over it. I’d lost a hell of a lot of myself, too.

“He cheated on you?” Connor’s looking at me like he hardly believes anyone would want to sleep with Zac, period. Which is kind of amusing.

But he doesn’t understand all of the issues I’m going to be facing. “It sounds stupid, I know, but I feel that daddy’s going to be disappointed in me; he likes him.” Once he finds out I dumped Zac, there will be hell to pay. I’m sure there already is, actually. I just don’t know it yet because my phone is back at the hotel room.

God, I hope dad doesn’t drop everything and come out here because Zac tells him I’m cheating. How humiliating.

“I doubt it.” Connor says, but he doesn’t know my dad. “I think he wants you to be happy,” He says.

But there’s more to it than that.

“Maybe,” I say, not feeling like it’s possible. I mean, I’m sure he wants me happy, as long as my happiness fits into his narrow view of things that should make me happy. Which generally don’t line up with things that actually make me happy.

I take a bite of salad and comment on it, “I don’t normally eat-” I look up and he’s staring at me like he’d like nothing more than to spread me out on this table and eat me instead of the rest of his dinner. “What?” I ask, feeling lightheaded with all the excitement swirling through my body at the thought of his lips on the most sensitive flesh I have.

“I’m enjoying myself,” He says, his tone serious. The words make me happier than they really should. It’s such a simple compliment, but coming from those lips in that voice, it feels like an honor of the highest sort.

“Me, too,” I say, smiling like an idiot. I bet he’s thinking about what an idiot I am right now. But that’s okay, because I am an idiot. Not just because I’m grinning like a fool, but also because we’re not here on a date. I’m not here because I even want to be. Not really. I’m here because he’s protecting himself and making sure I’m not a threat.

It doesn’t matter how much I’m enjoying myself, this man would never even seriously consider a girl like me. After meeting Zac, he likely thinks I’m too stupid to live, much less date. I stare at my plate, hating myself and the mess my life has become as I mess with a soggy rogue fry.

It’s not fair. I like Connor. I mean, really like him. The deep conversations we’ve had shows a side of the man that not only makes him more attractive, but more frightening. He’s willing to do evil things for the people he loves. More than I think most people would. And while that’s scary, it’s also kind of nice.

Especially since I feel like my dad would do anything for Zac. When he hears about what’s going on, I bet he blows a gasket at me.

As if we’re deciding together, we both rise from our seats.

For a moment, I expect Zac’s voice to say “Oh, babe, I forgot my wallet, would you get this?” But no, I glance over at Connor who drops a couple hundreds on the table and takes my arm. I arch an eyebrow at him and he lifts his shoulders.

“I’m taking a bit of your philosophy here,” he says, his arm around my shoulder in a protective manner that’s likely meant to keep me from running, but it feels so very protective. “I don’t know if she’s having a bad day. Maybe that will help.”

I smile, but inside, I’m aching. He’s amazing. And not mine.