Trusting You (Second Chances #2)(27)
I wanted to roll my eyes, but refrained from it. Standing and pulling out my chair like the gentleman he was, Brett questioned, “What happened? Are you okay?”
“She’s okay,” Daniel interrupted, waving dismissively. “Just some guy who was a little drunk tried to hit on her. I made him leave.”
Brett gritted his teeth and scowled. I didn’t know if it was from Daniel not letting me speak or if it was the thought of another guy bothering me, but it looked like both. Brett moved his chair closer to me and whispered in my ear, “That guy better be glad it wasn’t me that found him hitting on you or else I’d probably be in jail right now.”
In a way I wished he was there to catch Daniel, but my life would be severely ruined if Daniel leaked his lies about me out to the world. I had to play my cards right to get out of the mess I was in. Smiling, I grabbed a hold of Brett’s hand, but looked over at Daniel. “I’m sure I could’ve handled it on my own. I was two seconds away from kicking the guy in the balls. In a way I wish I would have so he’d have gotten the picture earlier.”
Ashley, Daniel’s date, piped in, “Yeah, you should have, honey. Men these days just don’t know how to treat a lady.” Daniel rolled his eyes behind her back and threw back his gin and tonic, setting the glass down hard on the table.
“I agree, Ashley, but you just have to find the right one,” I said, turning my head to smile at Brett.
He grinned back, but it didn’t reach his eyes. I could tell he felt the tension and wanted to ask about it, but he refrained. Instead, he smiled and nodded toward the waiter. We ordered our food, but I was too angry and impatient to eat so I just swirled it around my plate and pretended. I spent most of the time gritting my teeth every time Daniel opened his mouth.
Could the night go any slower?
“Am I staying at your place tonight?” Brett asked as he walked me to the front door of my house. The uncertainty in his voice filled the air and I instantly turned my gaze to him, shocked. We had spent the whole drive to my house in silence, but it wasn’t because I didn’t want to talk to him, it was just that I had a lot on my mind. Brett walked me to my door and I playfully pushed him inside.
“Of course,” I exclaimed. “I always want you to stay. You’ve been with me every night for the past week. I kind of like it.” I squeezed his hand reassuringly, hoping the creases in his forehead would disappear.
Sighing, he shrugged his shoulder and pursed his lips. “I don’t know, Melissa. I could sense a change in you tonight and it was different, distant. You completely closed up on me.” When I didn’t answer, he hesitated before he continued, “Is it Daniel? Your whole mood shifted when you met him. Do you not like the guy or something?”
My inner self was screaming at me just to tell Brett the truth, but I couldn’t do it. I already screwed up by not telling him that Daniel was my ex-husband. As I climbed up the stairs to my room, Brett followed and I knew I had to say something in my defense. “There’s something about him I don’t like,” I announced honestly. “Do you not think he was kind of shady? His whole demeanor screamed douche bag.”
Brett chuckled, but then turned serious. “Yeah, I kind of got that from him, especially when he kept looking at you. I was starting to get pissed off, but since he’s my client I bit my tongue.”
When we got to my room, I sashayed out of my dress and pulled out a T-shirt from one of my drawers, slipping it on. “Have you ever turned down a client or refused to work with one?” I asked curiously, heading into the bathroom.
Brett began to take off his clothes, and then climbed into the bed in just his boxers. After I washed my face and used the bathroom, I joined him in bed and cuddled up next to him. “So far, no I haven’t had to turn down a client. Why do you ask?” he replied, gazing down at me in his arms.
I shrugged. “No reason, really. I just wanted to know what your protocol was if you didn’t like someone.”
Brett kissed me on the forehead and chuckled. “I’m a professional, Melissa. I don’t have to get along with every one of my clients, and I’ve worked with plenty that I can’t stand. It’s what I do.”
Would he be saying that if he knew who Daniel was and what he threatened me with?
Yawning, I laid my head down on Brett’s bare chest and I could hear the steady rhythm of his heart beating against my ear. The burn grew heavier behind my eyelids and I tried to keep the tears at bay, but I couldn’t. They slowly fell in rivers down my cheeks, landing on Brett’s chest.
“Baby, what’s wrong?” he said soothingly while rubbing his hand in gentle circles across my back. The guilt of not telling him about Daniel was eating me up inside. I was angry at myself and even angrier that I was letting my ex-husband get his way.
Shaking my head, I cried, “Nothing’s wrong, Brett. I just wanted you to know how much I love you.”
“Oh, baby, I love you, too.” Tilting my chin up with his finger, he narrowed his eyes and searched my face. “But why do I feel like you’re keeping something from me. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes, I’m all right,” I lied, plastering a smile to my face.
Brett raised a cynical brow and glanced over at the clock. “Okay, I’ll leave you alone since you obviously don’t want to talk about it. But as much as I love you I know that we need to get some sleep. I want nothing more than to f*ck you senseless tonight, but I know you don’t feel well so I guess you can have a break.” He winked playfully, but I could see it in his eyes that this conversation wasn’t over. At least for the night I didn’t have to tell him.