Sisters by Choice (Blackberry Island #4)(68)

“You didn’t know me before.”

She walked toward the sofa and motioned to the wine bottle. “That was different.”

“Ah, I get it.” He cut the foil on the bottle and pulled it free. “You didn’t want to know me before. You thought I was an easy piece of ass.”

His voice was just teasing enough that she didn’t bother being offended. “That is so harsh. I liked you.”

“But you didn’t know me.”

“Have you always been this annoying?”

“I have.”

He pulled the cork out of the bottle and poured them each a glass. They settled at opposite ends of the sofa, facing each other. Mrs. Bennet strolled out of the cat room and walked toward them.

When she jumped on the sofa, Dugan held out his fingers for her to sniff. She immediately draped herself across his lap and began to purr. Sophie understood the inclination. She would like to do the same, only she couldn’t.

“It’s different now,” she said, watching his large, strong hand pet the cat.

“So you said.”

“You’re different.”

“I’m not but your perception is. Because you know about my past. Now I’m not only a real person, I’m a peer and that flusters you.”

She had to admit that for all his physical attributes, she really didn’t like how he was way more grounded and perceptive about people than she was. Wasn’t the woman supposed to be the more emotionally mature one in a relationship? Didn’t everyone say that guys were like plants? Dugan should be more plantlike. It would make things a whole lot easier for her.

“Tell me about who you were before,” she said.

“You didn’t read about it?”

“Some, but a short article doesn’t really capture the essence of who you are.”

She thought maybe he would tease her about sleeping with him once she knew, but he didn’t. Instead, he shrugged. “I’m not sure what you want to know. Like you, I had a great idea in college. I worked with a friend of mine. Eric was so smart, he scared people, but I understood him. We were a good team. We developed a business software that took off.”

She thought about what she’d read. “I’m pretty sure the phrase took off is something of an understatement.”

“We kicked ass,” he amended with a grin that quickly faded. “It was a long time ago. There was so much money and so many opportunities. We were careful to split our work and playtime so the business didn’t suffer and we still had time to enjoy the good life. We hired good people and trusted them.” He looked at her. “Don’t take that personally.”

“I won’t.” She could, but she decided to go with the story. “And then?”

“And then the software got more and more popular. We had government contracts and foreign conglomerates and you name it, they bought from us. We paid less attention to the business, partied a little harder and lived a great life.” He put down his wine. “Then one day Eric dropped dead in front of me.”

Sophie stared at him. “What? I’d read that he died, but none of the articles said... I’m so sorry.”

“Thanks.” He focused on Mrs. Bennet, scratching behind her ears. “He’d gotten into some drugs I didn’t know about and he had a heart attack. It was a hell of a wake-up call. I looked at my life and tried to figure out what I was doing. The business didn’t need me and if I kept on the same path, I was going to end up like Eric. So I quit.”

“You didn’t quit. You sold the company.”

“Same thing. I walked away.”

Giving nearly a billion dollars to charity, she thought, still stunned at the amount.

“I wanted to figure out what I was supposed to do with my life,” he said, looking at her. “I traveled the world, studying with different teachers. I went vegan for a while.”

“But you love a good steak.”

“I do. It didn’t take. I ended up studying Tai Chi with some old guy in China. I stayed for nearly a year and then I came back to the States and settled here. I started my new company, doing what I love but on a smaller scale.”

The seminars, she thought. “Why do you teach? You don’t need the money, do you?”

“No. I teach because I like it. I want to pass on the knowledge. It feels right. But it’s only part of who I am. Life is all about balance.”

Maybe for him, she thought, hoping she didn’t look as uncomfortable as she felt. She wasn’t happy that he was so much more successful and together than she was. That never happened with the guys in her life. She was always the star. She was the one with the money and the high-powered career and the demands on her time.

She had always been the important one.

The unexpected thought surprised her. The important one? That wasn’t good. A relationship was supposed to be about two people being together. Two people who were equals. Maybe they didn’t have the same skill sets, but they each brought something to the table, so to speak.

“What are you thinking?” Dugan asked.

“That my ex-husband isn’t anything like me,” she said, hedging on the truth. “He wanted to be a history teacher at a community college.”

Dugan’s eyebrows rose. “Interesting. That wouldn’t have worked for you. The lack of ambition would have made you antsy. No way that would have made you happy.”