Granted, five months wasn’t what you’d call a long-term relationship, but Sara lost her heart to Terry early on. Their physical attraction came about easily enough, and Sara found it difficult to keep her mind away from the warmth of Terry’s body against hers.
The soft, lavender scent of Terry’s skin.
The feel of her fingers brushing through the tufts of Terry’s hair.
How Terry’s hands knew exactly where to touch Sara to send her over the edge…
Sara spent the last three months mourning their relationship. Her heart belonged to Terry, no matter how hard she tried to reverse course and move on. While neither of them ever said the words, Sara knew Terry loved her. It was in her eyes, her kiss, her touch—everything she did.
So why the hell did she break it off? No amount of calling got Terry to speak to her. And Sara was desperate to know. She deserved to know, right? Terry could at least answer her damn phone.
Sara’s phone rang, and she nearly jumped out of her skin. She answered it automatically, not bothering to check the caller ID. She instantly wished she had.
“I understand you’re single again,” a sensuous voice said. It reminded Sara of fingernails on a blackboard.
“That’s not any of your damn business, Angel.”
“So that would be a yes. Look, we didn’t exactly get off on the right foot when we went out this summer. Let me make it up to you. Dinner tonight? Your choice.”
Sara hardly believed her ears. “Seriously? Are you kidding me? You want to go out? I thought Liv told you to stay away from me?”
“I didn’t realize Liv spoke for you. You’re a grown woman, Sara.”
“And this grown woman is hanging up on you.”
“I wouldn’t recommend that.”
Sara’s finger hovered over the disconnect icon. Yet she heard something in Angel’s voice that caused her to pause. She took the bait. “Why not?”
“Your new boss.”
“What about him?” Sara’s stomach twisted in a knot, and she regretted eating the Pop-Tarts.
“Greg Rutherford. He’s my cousin.”
“So.”
“Can you imagine what he’d do if I pulled my clients from your bank? I can go to Royal Bank of Canada without a problem. They’ve offered me a good deal. Wouldn’t take much to move over there.”
“Are you blackmailing me into going on another date with you?” Sara heard herself speak, but the words sounded like they came from someone else.
“No. I’m letting you know where I stand at the moment. I’m sure Greg can work something out for me. I sell a lot of real estate, as you know.”
“I’m well aware.”
“Think about it. This can really work out for you. What have you got to lose?”
“My dignity.” Sara winced at her own comment. But Angel deserved it. She’d treated Sara like shit on their disastrous first date. “And maybe an eye.”
“I didn’t hit you that hard,” Angel said.
During the long pause Sara knew she was expected to speak, but she kept quiet.
“I apologized. Why can’t we get past it? We did have fun, right?”
“Up until the time you decided to be pissed at me for not wanting to have sex with you, yes. We had a nice time.”
“That was the wine talking. Let me make it up to you. Please. I promise not to drink too much.”
Sara knew this wasn’t a good idea. Her brain screamed at her to say no. She heard Liv’s voice adding to the cacophony in her head. Could Angel really harm her? Was declining one date worth potentially losing a major client for the bank? Angel was the top real estate agent in the city. She could go anywhere she wanted with her clients for mortgages. That she’d stayed with The First National Bank of Whitehorse was a big deal.
“Fine. Pick me up at six.” She ended the call and slumped her shoulders in shame. She was so not going to tell Liv about this. She’d go to dinner with Angel and be done. No harm. Right?
****
“You couldn’t wait until tomorrow to talk to Sara?” Grace asked once they were inside.
Liv sighed. “No. I’m pissed she went out alone and got drunk. Anything could have happened. It’s lucky the woman wasn’t a thief or murderer. What if she was like Angel and got violent with Sara? What would she do then? She can’t just go picking up women like that.”
“And yet it was okay when you did it?” Grace narrowed her gaze at Liv, and Liv wilted at the intensity of those dark eyes. Grace added, “Hypocritical much?”
“Hardly the same. And I can handle myself much better than Sara. Plus, I’ve never been so drunk I didn’t remember anything. She never gets that drunk.” Liv voiced a horrible thought. “What if the woman put something in her drink?”
“You’re being overly dramatic, dear.”
“No, I’m being protective.”
“No, you’re being dramatic.” Grace stopped unpacking and moved into Liv’s personal space. “None of that happened. Sara’s fine. Chastising her or making her feel horrible about it won’t solve anything. She can’t take it back. She’s in a bad place, and you know it.” Grace touched her forehead to Liv’s. “She needs her best friend, not a lecture on safe dating. Sara’s hurting.”
“I don’t know how to help her. I want to go to Terry and strangle her.”
“I know you do.” Grace kissed her, and it took away a lot of the anger. “But you also don’t know what’s going on with Terry. She might have a good reason for breaking up with Sara.”
“Sara’s amazing. Who the hell would dump her?”
Grace raised her eyebrows. “Seriously? You forgot already you dumped her for me? Not that I’m complaining, but you did break up with her. And why was that again?”
Liv knew Grace was goading her on purpose. “Because we were too different. We don’t have the same ideas on what we want for the future. But we’re still friends, and when I met you, we were just friends with benefits. There was no dating.”
“You are and it didn’t happen overnight. Maybe she and Terry need more time to work through this. You don’t know they won’t be friends later.”
“They broke up in October. Three months ago.”
Grace laughed softly. “Is there a time limit on these things? I mean, I don’t have any ex-girlfriends hanging around to find out.”
“Ha-ha. If your ex hung around here, she’d end up in hospital because I’d beat the shit out of her.”
Grace’s smile faded a little, and Liv’s stomach sank. She was an ass for mentioning Carly. She knew better. “I wouldn’t let you and you know it.”
“I’m sorry, baby.” She kissed Grace once more, hoping to soften the blow of her careless words. Though if she did actually see Carly Sanders at any time, she would probably hurt her badly. The scars she left on Grace, both physically and emotionally, were always right there and sometimes hard for Liv to ignore. Like now, when her protective gene went into overdrive. As it did with Sara.
It’d taken Liv a long time to convince Grace to love again. Carly broke her, and Grace had yet to fully heal. Liv would never let anyone hurt Grace again. She’d make sure Grace knew nothing but love for the rest of her life.
Liv kissed her sweetly and said, “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” The smile returned, and Grace’s rich brown eyes reflected her words.
Liv changed the topic. “Want to talk about the wedding now?”
“Sure, but let me get unpacked first. I need to call Ojiichan to make sure he’s okay.”
“Your grandfather is probably asleep in front of the TV. You really want to wake him up?”
A week before their trip to Seattle to celebrate the new year with Grace’s family, Hariku “Harry” Kato, Senior, Grace’s grandfather, turned ninety-four. Harry wasn’t up for traveling this year, and Grace called him nearly every day since they left. Liv loved the old man and respected him as a business owner. His mine, Gracie’s Glory,
always made enough gold profit to keep it a small operation, while paying his employees well and allowing Harry a bit of savings in return. In his words, the mine was his grandchildren’s inheritance.
Grace still lived with him in his tiny cabin, when not staying the night with Liv. Most of her stuff, what little she owned, had made its way to Liv’s house. Grace planned to move in at the end of the mining season in October. Now it was January and Grace had yet to complete the move. Frustration marred Liv’s thoughts. She wanted them to be together now, not wait until after the wedding in the spring.
They’d had this argument already, and Liv had no intention to revisit it. She bit her lower lip as she asked, “Do you need me to drive you home?”
“I was hoping to stay the night,” Grace said, her hands now under Liv’s T-shirt. Their warmth spread across Liv’s flesh, causing her to tremble. “I’m sure Ojiichan will be glad to see me, but you and I haven’t had much time alone and I thought—I thought I could make it up to you.” She placed kisses along the outline of Liv’s breasts.
Liv desperately wanted her damn T-shirt off. “Point made.” She removed the band that held Grace’s long, silky hair in a ponytail. It fell gently over Grace’s shoulders, and Liv ran her fingers through it. She loved the feel of the soft strands on her bare skin. “Call Harry. Tell him, hi, we love him, and we’ll be over tomorrow.”
“I might have to talk to him for a whole minute,” Grace teased, her fingers now pressed against Liv’s taut nipples. “Think you can wait that long?”
“You might need to bring the damn phone to bed.” Liv kissed her hungrily, pushing Grace against the wall as she did. She wanted to rip the woman’s clothes off right then and there and might have, if Grace hadn’t captured her very busy hands.
“Two minutes. You get ready and I’ll be right in.”
“Two minutes,” Liv said, her T-shirt already in her hand. “Two minutes.”
****
Apprehension filled Sara the more she thought about the date with Angel. She took an hour to decide what to wear, finally settling on a navy-blue skirt, matching blouse, and flats. Since Angel used her business at the bank as leverage to coerce Sara on this date, she’d make sure she dressed businesslike.
She checked herself in the mirror, happy with her chestnut-brown hair in a French braid.
As she gazed at herself, doubts entered her brain.
What the hell? Last night, she’d been out at the pub, dancing and drinking, and it ended with a great night of sex.
Now she found herself going out with Angel of all people.
Their last date was disastrous. Sara touched her cheek and remembered the sting of Angel’s hand hitting her. She hurt more from the action than the act itself. No one, not even her parents, ever hit Sara. Yet Angel had. And all because Sara wasn’t interested in sex on the first date.
But last night she’d had sex on the first date with someone whose first name escaped her.
Angel Harrison could be a professional model. Sara knew few people comparable to Angel in beauty and sex appeal.
What, exactly, stopped Sara from having sex with Angel that night? Some weird gut feeling? Or a complete lack of chemistry?
Did she have chemistry with the blue-haired woman?
Perhaps the beer loosened her up enough to drop the ideal of no sex on the first date.
The moment Terry dumped her, a switch flipped in Sara’s brain. Maybe Sara didn’t care anymore. The woman she wanted more than anything was no longer available to her. So why bother looking for a new relationship—a new woman to replace her. She was an adult and free to go out with whomever she wished and have sex with her, or not.
Wow. Her life played out like a bad soap opera.
And these thoughts led back to her first date with Terry. She looked handsome in a white golf shirt and black jeans. Her blue eyes twinkled when she opened the door of the nightclub for Sara. Always courteous, Terry even pulled out the chair when Sara went to sit down. At the end of the evening, a taxi waited to take them home. Sensible, in case they chose to drink. Terry dropped her off first, kissed her softly on the lips, and disappeared into the night, but only after she made sure Sara was safely inside.
Sara recalled leaning against her door and remembering the evening. The dancing where their bodies melded together like two halves of a whole. Their movement electric and hot as hell.
But Terry didn’t try anything with her, though Sara felt sure she wanted to as badly as Sara did. Like they had an unspoken agreement—sex could wait.
And it did. They slept together on the fourth date, and it was well worth the wait. Like they’d been together for years, they made love well into the morning, watching the sunrise together.
That was the moment Sara knew, in her heart of hearts, she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Terry. Stupid. You can’t be in love with someone after a few dates and really good sex. That sort of thing took time.
People like Liv and Grace weren’t normal. They fell in love in a few weeks and never looked back. Sara recognized her naivete for thinking she and Terry would, or could, do the same. Terry made it very clear after five months. She wasn’t in love with Sara.
Except Sara was still in love with Terry and had no idea where the hell to put the damn emotion. She feared it was written all over her face.
The doorbell rang and pulled her out of her reverie. It was a good thing, too, because any more reminiscing and Sara would end up crying over a tub of ice cream and a box of Pop-Tarts.
She straightened her skirt and answered the door, giving Angel her best smile. “Want to come in?”
“Sure.” Angel stepped inside, the four-inch heels adding enough to her height she was now taller than Sara, who regretted wearing flats. Angel’s black skirt hugged her hips, complemented by a red, satin shirt under her black jacket. Her golden-brown hair hung loosely over her shoulders, and the makeup she wore enhanced the sleek lines of her face beautifully. Sara wondered why the hell Angel wanted to go out with her. She could have any woman she wanted.
“Nice little place you have here.” Angel did a quick tour of the living room. The apartment wasn’t much: two bedrooms, one bathroom, open-plan living room/kitchen area.
“It suits me. I don’t need a ton of space. I’m hardly ever here as it is.”
“Ah, wild lifestyle?”
She couldn’t tell if Angel was teasing or not. “I like to go out on the weekends sometimes. You know this because you’ve seen me at the pub or out dancing.”
“I have, but I haven’t seen you for a few weeks.” She spun around and pinned her gaze on Sara. “Rumor has it you’re single now.”
“I am.”
“Good.” Angel’s grin widened, and alarm bells went off in Sara’s brain, but she chose to ignore them. She’d made a date, and she’d damn well stick to it.
“You ready to go?” Sara asked. “I’m pretty hungry.”
“Of course.” Angel opened the door for her and waited while she locked up. “I booked us a table at Josephine’s. It’s a high-end place I take clients to. I thought it might be nice to treat ourselves.”
“I’ve been there on business several times over the years, but it’s not usually my thing otherwise,” Sara said as she got into Angel’s mint-green Jaguar. “I’m a pretty simple person. Burgers and fries are fine with me.”
“Yes, but sometimes you have to go outside your comfort zone, right?” Angel got behind the wheel and started the engine. Sara felt a rumble under the seats as the powerful motor came to life.
“Right,” Sara said, realizing she was already out of her comfort zone.
“I should also apologize.”
“For what?”
“First, for bringing up my business with the bank. I was sure you wouldn’t give me the time of day, and it was the first thing I thought of to get you to reconsider. I hope you know I’d never do anything like pull my business. I’ve got a good deal with
First National, and my clients have never had any issues with their mortgages or loans.”
“Good to know. I’m sure Greg appreciates it as well.”
“He does. He’s on the weird side, but he’s smart.”
“He’s a good boss.”
Angel’s hand rested on Sara’s knee after she pulled out of the driveway. “I want you to know I’ve been waiting a long time to take you out again. I was such an ass the last time we went to dinner, and I can’t stop apologizing for it.”
“You don’t need to. You already did and that’s enough.” Sara gently moved Angel’s hand to her own leg. “But you should know I’m not interested in a new girlfriend. It’s too soon.”
“I understand. I’ve been there and not all that long ago either. I’d just broken up with my girlfriend when you and I went out. I think that’s why I acted the way I did. I took my anger with her out on you.”
Sara couldn’t see Angel’s face very well in the dim, early evening light, but she seemed sincere, which made sense. She’d already dealt with anger over being dumped by Terry, along with the other emotions of shock, hurt, dismay. Why wouldn’t Angel have the same feelings over her breakup? “Breaking up sucks.”
“It does indeed.” Angel stole a glance at her as she entered the highway. “Let’s try not to talk about our exes tonight, okay? We deserve a fun evening with overpriced food in a fancy restaurant that will cater to your every whim.”
“Every whim?” Sara asked. “Like if I ask them for Pop-Tarts they’ll go get me some?”
Angel raised one perfectly trimmed eyebrow. “Pop-Tarts? Blueberry or strawberry?”
“S’mores.”
“Wow,” Angel chuckled. “That’s like a sugar overload.”
“No such thing.” Sara felt the tension fade and laughed. “Sugar and overload do not belong in the same sentence.”
“I wouldn’t be able to sleep for a week if I had s’mores of any kind. I love them, but that’s way too much sugar.”
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