Heath (Wild Boys After Dark, #2)(12)

“So that’s how we’re going to play this? First you show up for dinner at Mom’s last night and check your phone about a dozen times.”

“Patients.”

“Uh-huh,” Logan said. “How do you explain the smile you had plastered on your face last night? And just now, when you were returning that text, you had a look in your eye that I don’t even want to try to decipher. Unless your patients have started blowing you, I’m thinking there’s a woman involved.”

“Logan.” Heath shot him a narrow-eyed, warning stare.

Logan scoffed. “Heath, you think that look is going to stop me from asking about whoever this is?” Logan rose and paced, rubbing his chin with a serious narrowing of his eyes. “You went to a conference in Vermont, which we all know probably led to an anonymous sexual tryst.”

Heath tried to keep a straight face and shrugged.

“Stormy said you were looking at us last night with ‘puppy-dog’ eyes.”

“What the hell does that mean, Logan?” Heath rose to his feet.

“She says you were looking at us like you were thinking about what we had. Our relationship.”

Heath picked up a file and flipped through it, trying to disguise the part of him that agreed with Logan. “No thanks. I was probably looking at how *-whipped you’d become.” The truth was, he had been trying to figure out how his brother had gotten lucky enough to snag a woman like Stormy, who adored the very ground he walked on and was strong enough to give him shit in equal measure. She was perfect for him. And sure, part of Heath began wondering if he might be able to find that, too. With Ally.

“Hey, don’t knock it.” Logan crossed his arms and lowered his chin. “And don’t talk about Stormy that way or I’ll kick your ass.”

“That wasn’t a comment about Stormy. I think the world of her. You know that. It was a comment about how much you’ve changed. You’ve gone soft.”

“Only around her, and hell if that’s not exactly who I want to be. What’s wrong with you? You get a text and smile like it gave you a hard-on. Just admit there’s a woman in there somewhere. My PI skills don’t ever lead me astray.”

Heath leaned both hands on the desk and bowed his head. When he lifted his eyes to meet Logan’s again, he couldn’t lie.

“Okay. Fine. I met someone. But don’t get all sappy with me. I don’t even know her last name, where she lives, or anything, and I prefer to keep it that way.”

Logan arched a brow. “I can fix that in about ten minutes.”

Heath ran his hand through his hair. “No thanks, Logan. What the hell do you want from me? I don’t get it, okay? She’s…She’s different from other women.”

Logan sauntered around the desk and patted Heath on the back. “Dude, welcome to the end of everything you ever believed about yourself. You’re standing on the precipice of the rest of your life. Either walk the tightrope and see where you end up, or run like hell, because this middle-of-the-road shit doesn’t work. I know. I’ve been there.”

“Pfft. This isn’t that.” Is it? No, it wasn’t anything like Logan and Stormy. They’d had a good time, a few amazing f*cks. Great phone sex.

And the first real conversation I’ve had with a woman in years.

His phone vibrated with another text. Heath eyed it as Logan’s mouth quirked up in another smart-ass grin.

“Patients are calling,” Logan said as he waved and headed for the door.

Heath read the text from Ally as Logan left.

Wouldn’t you like to know? What did you do about your long, hard night?

Holy f*ck. Had he finally met his match?

He returned her text, wondering how far she was willing to go.

I took things into my own hands, wishing they were yours.

Heath gathered his patient files and was about to put his phone in his pocket when another text vibrated through.

If they were mine, you’d probably have them bound together. But I seem to remember you having an affinity for my mouth.

How was he supposed to see patients with a hard-on? He sent her a quick reply. Your mouth is quite appealing, as are your hands and certain other parts of your body. He wanted to see her, and at the last second, before sending the text, he added, What city do you live in?

***

ALLY STARED AT her cell phone, trying to decide how to answer the text from Heath that had come in hours earlier. She’d been contemplating her response all afternoon. She had dreamed about him, and yes, she’d given in and pleasured herself rather than coming into the lab at the hospital where she worked sexually frustrated. Mondays were busy and frustrating enough. She didn’t need that kind of added tension.

She’d been terrible company when she’d met Amanda for lunch. She’d spent the entire time debating telling Heath where she lived. She wanted to tell him she lived in New York City. Maybe he lived close by and they could see each other. But that also made her nervous. She could see how a man like Heath could be addicting, and she didn’t know if that was a good or a bad thing.

Who was she kidding? Become addicting? She was already craving him like a cocaine addict craves another hit.

She decided to play it cool and see what happened.

I think we’ve stretched the definition of “no ties,” which is a shame, because I kind of liked playing with your tie.