Sweet Seduction (Sweet #3)(33)

Nathan exchanged looks with Micah and then they both turned to Connor. Connor shrugged and jerked a thumb in Pop's direction.

"Ask him. He has all the deets. I'm just the older brother. No one tells me anything."

"Faith and Gray flew to Las Vegas last night to get married. I imagine by now they've tied the knot and are tucked away in the honeymoon suite somewhere," Pop announced.

Micah chuckled. "Gray's a smart bastard. Hustled her off to Vegas before she could change her mind again."

Nathan frowned. "Is that what she wanted? He didn't coerce her, did he?"

Pop smiled. "It's nice of you to worry about her, son. Connor wasn't too happy with the way things went down either, but I talked to both her and Gray last night. Faith sounded over the moon. Whatever their issues, they seem to have worked them out."

"When I saw her yesterday, she seemed awfully upset," Nathan said doubtfully.

"She loves him," Micah said reassuringly. "I'm guessing there was a misunderstanding over the time he was spending out at the house. And we all know Gray is shit-faced when it comes to her."

Nathan had to concede that point. He'd seen Gray after he'd left the hospital after being shot because Faith was missing. He'd refused treatment, rest or anything else until she'd been found. It wasn't a sight he'd ever forget.

"Okay, so let's quit the gossip and get to work," Pop said. "Not that you make it worth a shit, but get us some more coffee going, Micah."

Micah sent Nathan a questioning look as he got up. Nathan knew what he was asking. Was he going through with Julie's threesome a second time? With a resigned sigh, he nodded. But this was going to be the last time, damn it. Sometime between now and the next time she decided she wanted an anonymous interlude, he was going to convince her that he was the only man she needed in her bed. Preferably for a hell of a long time.

He hadn't called. She'd honest to goodness expected him to call after their date and all she'd gotten was a big wall of silence.

Julie locked up her salon and walked toward her car, the frown she'd worn all day wearing a hole in her brain. She slid into the passenger seat and drew in a deep breath, appreciating as always the smell of expensive leather.

Her cell phone had remained silent. She'd checked messages on her home phone for the past two days and had come up with a big fat zero.

With her second night at The House looming, she was in a huge quandary. Go with it or call it off?

As she backed out of her parking space, she shook her head. Why the f**k was she waiting around on a man? Again. This was the kind of stupid shit she had done when she was younger and a hell of a lot dumber.

She hadn't panted after a man in a long time, and damn if she was going to start. Okay, so she'd been panting an awful lot. Drooling, more like it, but that didn't mean she was going to stay at home, twiddling her thumbs while she waited for Nathan to make up his mind.

No kiss, no come-on, no promise to call her, no asking her out on another date. The evening had ended in silence and the silence remained. Hello? Slow to get the message much?

"You're a dumbass, Julie. You've let another guy twist you around and make a total ninny out of yourself."

Just saying it made her feel better. The first step in becoming smarter was to admit what a dumbass you were.

She wished she could just be angry, but the truth was, she was hurt by Nathan's indifference. He seemed interested enough when they were together. He'd said some really sweet things and he'd seemed sincere.

"Don't they all," she muttered.

She swung into her favorite take-out place and waited for her order. Dinner alone at her apartment wasn't on her list of favorite ways to spend the evening, but with Faith out of town getting hitched and Serena having plans with Damon, it left her options slim. It wasn't as if Nathan was knocking down her door.

She had walked into her apartment, juggling purse, keys and food when her phone rang. Thoroughly disgusted with the way she leapt at the thing, she forced herself to let it ring more than twice before she answered.

"Hey, Julie, it's Serena."

"Oh, hey."

She had to force a light, cheerful tone because her disappointment was damn near crushing. You moron.

"Damon wanted me to check with you to see if things were still a go for tomorrow night?"

She frowned. "Why wouldn't they be.”

Serena paused. "Well, you know, you and Nathan went out . . ."

Julie snorted in disgust. "He's not interested, Serena. And I'm not waiting around for him. I get the feeling I'm his backup plan or something. Fuck that."

"Ah, damn. I was hoping he'd call you."

"You and me both," she muttered, too low for Serena to hear. "Well, look, it's not the end of the world. The threesome ... it was dreamy and it has the added benefit of not making me crazy.

Honestly, I was nuts for getting involved with Nathan to begin with. He's obviously not that into me."

Serena sighed. "Okay well, I'd hoped it would work out. But he's a moron if he passed up an opportunity to have you."

Julie grinned. "I love it when you get all loyal on me."

"I'll kick his ass next time I see him."

"Nah, he's not worth it. Besides, you'd just hurt yourself. Don't worry about me, Serena. I plan to have fun and forget all about Nathan Tucker."