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him with that final vulnerability.
Surprise startled her. “Men don’t usually react this way when I can’t have an orgasm
with them.”
He snorted softly. “How do they react?”
“Anger. Ridicule.”
Anger did move over his face, but not the type she’d expected. “Then they’re stupid
fuckers.” He scrubbed one hand over his face. “You thought when you couldn’t come
that I’d reject you?”
She nodded.
“I’m not like those assholes, Leigh. Take all the time you need. Like I said, if you
ever trust me enough to talk about it, I’ll be here.”
Soothed and mortified by her behavior at the same time, she opened the door and
when she turned back, she said, “You’re not the man I thought you were, Craig
MacGilvary.”
“What kind of man did you think I was?”
“Hard. Unfeeling.” She shook her head. “I tried to peg you as the tough, ruthless
cop.”
“I can be all those things.” His voice dropped, deadly softness caressing her like a
touch.
She smiled, but it was half hearted. “Keep telling yourself that, MacGilvary.”
With that, she left.
Chapter Eight
Leigh sat in traffic watching emergency vehicle lights flash in the distance ahead of
her. Her stomach rumbled. She should have eaten lunch. She shouldn’t have gotten
caught in traffic on I-70. Shoulds. They never solved anything.
Yeah, like I can direct the universe to my will.
She sighed, resigned to sit here as long as it took. Her cell phone was attached to a
hands-free unit on the dash, and she dialed Celeste’s cell number.
“Where are you?” Celeste’s worried voice asked when she answered the phone.
“Stuck in the mother of all traffic jams on I-70 just as it enters the mountains.
There’s a big wreck in front of me. Fire trucks, ambulances, police. The whole taco.”
“Oh, no.” Celeste’s dismay came through loud and clear. “You’ll be late for the
party.”
“Looks like it. I have no idea how long this mess will take.”
Celeste sighed. “Wait. Someone just drove up. Oh, it’s Craig.”
“He’s early?”
“Yep.”
“That man constantly surprises me.”
“By being early?” Amusement filled Celeste’s tone. “He’s always early, just like you
are. Irritating isn’t it?”
Leigh snorted in soft disgust. “Exceedingly.”
“By the way, did something weird happen between you two lately?’
Heat blossomed inside her when she thought of the sensual adventure she’d
experienced with Craig a week ago. Discomfort at how they’d ended the night also
swamped her. “Weird?”
“Mick said Craig has had an attitude all week. Cool and detached.”
“You mean he’s not that way all the time?”
Celeste laughed. “Here he comes. I’ll see you when you get here. Drive safe.”
After they signed off, Leigh wished she’d quizzed Celeste more about Craig’s
“attitude.” Craig rarely came off loose and easy with his humor, his personality rough
rather than socially certain. She wondered if corralling him for the bachelorette party had
been a big mistake. After all, if he stood in the corner and glowered at the ladies, he’d
scare them. When he wanted to she imagined Craig could freeze water with his glare. She
didn’t really need Craig’s help, other than asking him to assist with anything related to
Celeste and Mick’s wedding. Despite the way they’d ended up after almost making love,
part of her ached to see him.
It took thirty more minutes of stop-and-start driving before traffic moved past a four-
car pile up. Her cell phone rang again.
“Leigh?” Craig’s voice came on the line, concern laced in that single word.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“You okay?”
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Celeste told me about the traffic jam.”
“We’re moving forward now. I passed the accident.” She hurried to change the tone.
“I’m glad you’re there early. The stripper should be there any moment.”
“Great.” His sardonic tone spoke volumes. “And Celeste knows about the stripper,
right?”
“She’d brain me if I had him jump out of a cake or something, so I had to tell her.”
Leigh ticked off a list of twenty other women attending the event. She also reminded him
on food preparation and set up. “Don’t let Celeste lift a finger. This is her party.”
“Roger that. It’s taken care of.”
She switched gears as traffic picked up speed. “The stripper is a super guy, so be
nice to him.”
Craig cleared his throat. “What’s this character’s name again?”
She sighed, his attitude making her smile even when she wanted to brain him. “Cal
Tate. He’s a computer software engineer who moonlights with Naughty Messages out of
Denver. It’s all there in your notes.”
“Right. Cal Tate. Naughty Messages.” His voice held thinly veiled amusement
mixed with disbelief.
“I had lunch with him the other day. He’s a sweet guy.”
Craig grunted. “Yeah. Well…aren’t you forbidden from having dates with someone
who is working the wedding events? The unwritten rule of wedding planners?”
Did she hear jealousy in his tone? No way. Couldn’t be. Yet she didn’t let it pass.
“There’s no such thing as an unwritten rule of wedding planners like that. I can date
anyone I like. Anyone at all.”
Prolonged silence echoed on the other end.
“Besides,” she said, “why would you care who I date?”
Laugher in the background crackled over the phone. “I gotta go. Guests are
arriving.”
“Okay. Later.”
She hung up, a little bemused. As she took the road slowly and steadily, she tried not
to wonder why he cared if she dated Cal Tate. Short of wanting to goad her, nothing else
explained why he’d give a damn.
What if he is jealous?
Hmm. The thought he might be jealous aroused satisfaction inside her. After all, if he
was jealous, he must care about her.
* * * *
Olivia, who looked like a studious librarian in her gray pants suit, opened the door to
Leigh as soon as she arrived at Celeste’s house. Sounds of revelry spilled from the home.
“Hey, welcome!” Olivia’s smile and hug gave Leigh a warm fuzzy. The party was
now in full swing, and Leigh hated that yet another traffic jam had made her even later.
As Leigh walked into the foyer, Olivia grinned. “Good thing you finally got here.”
“I’m really sorry. I left Denver early. There was a second traffic jam not that far out
of Gold Rush. What a mess.”
“Not to worry. Craig has it all in hand. What an organizer.” Olivia waggled her
eyebrows. “Under that gruff exterior is a softy. When he jumps in to help, he jumps in.
The ladies love him. If I were you, I’d hurry up and snag him. A couple of Celeste’s
friends from the charter school are eyeballing him like he’s Christmas pudding left over [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]