***
Dana's friend Olivia was beautiful and seemed like a sweet girl from what I could tell. She'd gotten home about an hour after Dana and I finally pulled ourselves from the sweaty sheets and made ourselves presentable. I'd rather have stayed in the bed for the rest of the evening, but Dana seemed pumped over getting to hang out with her best friend again.
"Olivia. This is Dr. Kendal Tarrington. He's a professor at UT in Dallas." Dana moved back with a huge smile on her face as Olivia extended her hand toward me. If I didn't know better, I'd say Dana was rather proud of my accomplishments, which just seemed to make me love her all the more.
"Just Kendal, please." I shook the busty blonde’s hand and gave her a warm smile. "Dana says you guys grew up together."
"We sure did." Olivia shook my hand firmly and moved back. "We ran the town and the school back in the day, didn't we?"
Dana chuckled. "Something like that."
A knock at the door interrupted the conversation.
"That's Luke. You guys grab whatever you need, and let's go to dinner. Luke got us reservations at this exclusive steakhouse. The man knows everyone who is someone." Olivia turned and walked toward the door as I reached for Dana's hand.
"Should be fun. I love a good steak almost as much as I love hearing you moan." I wagged my eyebrows at her as she gave me a “behave” look. As if.
I was just starting to breathe again. There was no way in hell I was forcing myself into submission just yet. It felt too good to let the more passionate parts of my soul out for a stretch.
We moved toward the door as Olivia opened it wider. The guy standing in the doorway was a little shorter than me, but didn't look at all like someone I'd associate with. He had a cocky look on his face that resembled every frat brother I'd ever encountered. The night was sure to be interesting if nothing else.
"I'm Luke Taylor. Partner at Taylor, Taylor and Barden." He extended his hand and I smiled. Of course the guy introduced himself by what he did. Most people who craved significance did.
"Kendal. Nice to meet you, man." I shook his hand and introduced Dana to the prick. We made small talk for a few minutes before Olivia shuffled us out the door and into the hallway.
Dana and I walked hand in hand behind them, but I couldn't help but overhear their conversation.
"Why didn't you wear the blue dress I like?" Luke sounded put off.
"Because it's at the cleaners." She pressed the button on the elevator and turned toward us. "I wish you guys were going to be in town longer. I'd love to show you the city."
"It's New York, Olivia. I'm sure they've seen it." He snorted and held the door opened as we walked in.
"Actually, I've never been here." I threw in my two cents. "Maybe we can come up over the holidays and spend a little more time looking around. I think Dana was just being nice to one of her nursing friends and came up to support her."
"Yeah, my friend Jackie that I mentioned." Dana moved closer to me, wrapping her arm around the back of my waist and tucking herself to my side. It was so natural to play the couple we both wanted to be. How hard was it going to be back home to have her beside me and not be able to reach out and claim her as my own anytime I wanted to?
"And what was Jackie wanting to do in New York this weekend?" Luke eyeballed me and Dana before reaching out and taking Olivia's hand. She looked a little surprised by his actions. Sad.
"Some hotshot doctor came down to Dallas a week or so ago and she fell for him hook, line and sinker." Dana shrugged and smiled up at me. "Never know where lust might turn into love."
"What is hook, line and sinker?" Luke's tone was slightly demeaning.
"It's a southern term that refers to catching a fish." Olivia pulled her hand from Luke's and walked out of the elevator in front of us.
I let them get a few feet ahead before glancing down toward my girl. "They're tense."
"Hell yeah they are. Order a bottle of wine at the restaurant?" She wagged her eyebrows at me.
"Liquor makes me horny." I kissed the side of her head as we paused by the front door.
Olivia turned to face us as Luke walked out to talk with the valet. "I'm so glad you guys are here. This place is honestly one of the best places to have dinner in the whole city. And we're buying. No fussing about it."
"That's not fair." Dana pulled from me and put her hands on her hips. "You're already giving us a place to stay. I'll pick up the tab for dinner."
"Nope. Luke will just charge it to the company. He always does." She glanced over her shoulder and I couldn't help but notice the way her smile faded as she watched him. She wasn't in love. Hell, she wasn't in lust from what I could tell.
"You're not going to give on this are you?" Dana reached out and took Olivia's hand.
"Nope." Olivia pulled her into a tight hug and glanced up at me. "I haven't had time to check into you, but you better be a good guy. This girl is a gem and a half."
I smiled, liking the woman even better for her stance to protect Dana. "I'm well aware. I don't deserve her, but fate’s obviously smiling down on me for the time being. Now to keep her is the challenge."
"Oh, you're stuck for sure." Dana moved back into my arms. It felt almost too right with her in my arms. As if she was supposed to be there. Just having her close left my thoughts on the present and not locked in my painful past.
"I'm thrilled to be stuck." I leaned down and brushed my nose by hers.
Luke's chuckle caused me to glance up. "You guys just start dating or what?"
"Yeah. Why?" I moved back and took Dana's hand.
"Just asking seeing that you can't keep your hands off each other. It's cute." He didn't look like he thought it was cute.
"I'm pretty sure we'll be doing this forty years from now."
Olivia nodded with a look of approval on her face. "I want that in my life too."
"Then don't pull away every time I reach for you, woman." Luke pulled her into an awkward hug and kissed the side of her face before releasing her and popping her butt. "All right, come on. Enough of this lovey-dovey bullshit. We're going to be late."
Dana glanced up at me and rolled her eyes before we followed the odd couple out to the car. Thank God we spent the afternoon wrapped around each other. It was all I'd be focusing on for the remainder of the night. Surely after I played a good boy during dinner with her friends I'd be rewarded in some way or another. I wanted only one thing.
Her... naked and panting again.