How the Light Gets In (Cracks Duet #2)(30)

“About?”

“Where I’m going to take you on our first date.”

I narrowed my gaze, unable to help the smile playing on my lips. “Oh yeah? Well, you’re looking at an eligible lady right here, so it better be good.”

Dylan rubbed at his stubble, mischief glittering in his eyes. “I was thinking Burger King followed by a fumble in the bushes?”

I chuckled. He was being ridiculous, but I was charmed and played along. “I like it. Tell me more.”

“We’ll argue with the server that they didn’t give us enough fries, then plant a hair in our burgers so we can get our money back.”

“Damn, you know how to treat a girl.”

“They should name me bachelor of the year.”

“Definitely.”

I chewed on my lip before I spoke again. “Speaking of bachelors, I’d love to hear about your past relationships. After all, I’ve told you all about mine.”

My mind went back to our brief reunion eight years ago, when I left him that note. I’d encouraged him to go out and find love, but even now it hurt just to think about him with another woman. Other women.

He grimaced. “How about I don’t?”

“Quid pro quo, my friend.”

Dylan blew out a breath. I could tell he really didn’t want to talk about this, but I was too curious to let him off the hook.

“My longest relationship was in San Francisco,” he said finally.

“Ah, so that’s why it’s your favourite city,” I replied, and tried to hide my pang of jealousy.

“That’s not the reason,” Dylan said. “It’s my favourite place because I like the atmosphere and the people. Aside from LA, I was there the longest, so it makes sense that my longest relationship would be there, too.”

“So, why did it end with San Fran girl?”

“She said I worked too much.”

I arched a brow. “That’s all?”

Dylan slid his teeth across his lower lip. “She also said I should’ve proposed to her on our one-year anniversary, but we were together a year and a half and there was no ring, so . . .”

“She cut you loose.”

“Pretty much.”

I wanted to ask if he’d loved her, but I wasn’t that brave. Some part of me wanted to be the only one he’d truly ever loved, which was selfish, but I couldn’t help it. Eleven years was a long time not to love anyone. Believe me, I knew.

Clearing my throat, I continued, “Anyone else?”

“Well, there was Anna in LA, and Veronica in Chicago, but those only lasted a couple months.”

“And Laura in New York. You should write an R&B song,” I mused.

Dylan chuckled softly before his expression sobered. He must’ve sensed some insecurity in me when he said, “Laura and I didn’t date, Ev. Whatever it was is well and truly over. You know that, right?”

I stared at him a moment, but before I could respond a voice said, “Hey! You never called.”

I blinked my attention away from Dylan to the person who spoke. It was a guy in a suit, and it took me a second to recognise him as the man who hit on me here at the bar a couple weeks ago. He’d complimented my accent and given me his business card.

I mustered a polite smile. “Hi, uh, can I get you anything?”

“You can get me your number, babe. I guarantee I’ll use it.”

Dylan frowned and cocked his head, all is this arsehole for real?

“Oh, well, that’s against the management rules, I’m afraid. But I can get you a drink.”

“Playing hard to get. I like it,” he said, completely oblivious to Dylan’s hard stare. “I’ll take a gin and tonic, gorgeous.”

I made his drink and handed it over. He placed a twenty on the bar, and I took it to the till before bringing back his change. As I slid the money towards him, he placed his hand over mine, leaning closer when he said, “If you give me your number, I promise I’ll make it worth your while.”

Dylan rose out of his seat and cleared his throat harshly. “I’ll advise you to take your hand off my girlfriend.”

The guy turned, looked at Dylan, then lifted his hand. “Hey, sorry, buddy. I didn’t know the lovely lady here was taken.”

He grabbed his drink off the bar, turned, and walked away. Obviously, flirting with me wasn’t worth getting into a fight over. I placed more napkins and straws in the dispenser and glanced at Dylan. “Feel better now?”

He narrowed his gaze; my amusement clearly bothered him. “He touched you.”

“This is a bar. Handsy types come with the territory. I’m well used to fending them off.”

Dylan knocked back a gulp of his beer. “You shouldn’t have to fend anyone off.”

I nodded, because he was right. Still, the fact he referred to me as his girlfriend had my stomach in flutters. It was a lie to get the guy to leave, I knew that, but the way he said, all possessive, made something in me wake up and take notice. Besides, I understood how it felt to be jealous. Just thinking of him and Laura together made me want to grit my teeth.

Speaking of which, I needed to move past my issues about her. He said they were over, but I had to know if that was one hundred per cent true. I wanted to eventually get to a place where I was ready to date Dylan, and if I ever got there I had to get over him being around a woman he’d slept with. She worked for him, and no matter what went on between them, I’d never ask him to fire her and hire someone else. It wasn’t my style.