Time Will Tell (Maybe #3)(7)

“Yeah, may as well,” I tell Zach, looking back to him. “What time will you be leaving?”

“Whenever you’re ready to go is fine,” he says, downs his drink, and then stands up. “I’m going to go and wish April happy birthday. Xander, keep an eye on Trill for me, will you?”

Xander nods and sits down next to me. I watch Zach hug April and pull her in for a dance.

“That doesn’t bother you?” Xander asks in a deep rumble, watching the same spot I am looking.

“Why would it?” I ask, turning to look at him.

Hazel eyes framed by thick, dark lashes meet mine. “I feel like I’m missing something here.”

My lip twitches. “Why do you say that?”

He licks his bottom lip. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter.”

“You get in today?” I ask, knowing that he did. Zach didn’t mention this morning that he was arriving today, just that he was going to arrive.

He nods. “Yeah, I rode in a couple of hours ago.”

“You must be tired,” I say, playing with the label on my bottle of water.

He shrugs his broad shoulders. “I can sleep tomorrow. Zach really wanted to go out, and now I guess I know why.”

I’m confused. “Why?”

He looks down at my dress and clears his throat. “You never mentioned you knew Zach.”

“Neither did you,” I say, staring at his profile before turning away.

“Small town,” he mutters, shifting in his seat. “I should have known.”

Is he bored? Maybe he wants to dance with someone else. Shit, I’m horrible at making small talk, and I have no idea what to say. All I know is that I don’t want him to stop talking to me.

“Thanks for the ride here,” I say.

He turns to me, eyes softening slightly. “You’re welcome. I’m surprised you haven’t been on a bike before, seeing as you’re close with Zach.”

I shrug sheepishly. “He’s tried before, but I always told him no.”

His gaze turns intense at that, his eyes searching mine. He wants an explanation as to why I let him, a stranger, when I wouldn’t let Zach, someone he can obviously see I’m close to. I don’t have an answer either, so he isn’t going to get one.

“Why did you go with me then?” he asks, his brows furrowing.

“I don’t know,” I say. “I guess I decided it was now or never.”

I can’t explain it.

“I’m sorry, by the way,” I blurt out. “About your dad.”

Real smooth, Trillian. Reaaalll smooth.

He looks my way. “Zach told you about that, huh.”

I glance down at my hands. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up. Especially, when you’re out trying to have a good night.”

“It’s all right,” he says. “And thank you.”

“If there’s anything I can do…” I trail off, even though I don’t think there is. I don’t think he’ll want to talk to a stranger about how he’s feeling, and I don’t think baking him something will help.

Shit.

Maybe I should just stop talking.





Chapter Three


Xander


Anything she can do to help?

Images of her lying out bare before me flash through my head.

Fuck, she is a beauty.

A natural beauty.

Midnight black, thick, long hair that I want to run my hands through. Clear, porcelain skin, and wide blue eyes that stare back at you like she can see into your soul. A pouty red mouth that I want to taste and a lush, curvy figure that I wouldn’t mind exploring.

She’s also off limits.

Just my f*cking luck.

When I saw her standing at the bar tonight, I was drawn to her. She has a rare natural beauty to her, a much-understated beauty. I knew I had to talk to her. And she’s sweet—soft-spoken, kind and sweet. Every time she blushed, I wanted to push her against the closest wall and have my way with her. Taste her sweetness. Keep it for only me. I don’t remember ever being so instantly attracted to a woman in my life.

And she’s connected to Zach somehow, which changes things.

Although he said she wasn’t his woman, his actions say differently. He also asked her if she is going home with him tonight, and she said yes without hesitation. Are they just casual f*ck buddies? For some reason, I don’t like that. This girl, Trillian, deserves more.

Trillian.

An unusual name, but it suits her. It’s pretty and unique.

Fuck, am I going to start writing poetry or some shit soon?

Why did she dance with me, take a ride with me? Especially if she’d never been on the back of a bike before. I don’t understand this girl. Sure, we didn’t kiss or anything like that. Technically, we didn’t do anything friends wouldn’t do, but it felt like more. She doesn’t know me, but she took a chance on me, she trusted me. She wanted to be around me, let me take her around.

Zach stared at her with adoration and genuine affection in his eyes, like he worships the ground she walks on. And he should. A short time in her presence and I can tell that her beauty isn’t only skin deep. She’s a woman that, if you get her, you keep her. A good woman. Wife material.