is married. We’re friends,” he said in his best we’re-done-with-this-topic voice. He glanced down at the papers in front of him but only saw a black blur of ink.
Seth being Seth, he ignored the hint. “That’s very civilized of you.”
“Right.” Eric nodded because he didn’t know what else to do. “No reason we can’t all be adult about the situation.”
“Very mature, as usual.”
“Exactly.”
The silence lasted for exactly three beats before Seth piped in again. “So, did you give the groom tips on how to keep the bride satisfied in the bedroom…or is that not your specialty area?”
Eric dropped the file against his desk with a smack. The loud whap didn’t wipe out the burning need inside him to hit someone. “You have work to do and an office you can do it in, or do you actually want something?
“A reaction.”
“To what?”
Seth leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. Gone was the smooth guy who preferred lost hours on a surfboard but excelled in the courtroom. The thin line of his mouth suggested anger. “Damn it, Eric. You insisted on attending the thing, of making a show that everything is fine.”
“Everything is fine.”
“Would you just admit it? You’re pissed that Deana chose Josh over you.”
Josh was a DEA agent and professional acquaintance. Sure, Deana was free to date anyone she wanted, sleep with anyone, when she met Josh. She and Eric had been broken up for nine months by that time, but that had been her choice and not his. Despite all that, he put on his public face and did what a guy in his position did—he attended the damn wedding and stayed sober to prevent himself from kicking the crap out of the groom.
Not being able to lose himself in the open bar, Eric did the next best thing. He had sex with a waitress in a locked bathroom stall. Not his brightest move. Not when he was at the start of a rough campaign to be the prosecuting attorney, an elected position, rather than the deputy, his current appointed position. Sex with a stranger while the press hovered a few feet away wanting a quote had the potential to backfire, no matter how good it was.
And the sex had been damn good.
Long caramel brown hair, sky blue eyes, slim and pretty. Combine all that with a sexy server outfit and legs that went on for miles and he had lost his mind. The frustration of the wedding, standing outside at the beautiful waterfront estate and watching Deana hold hands with someone else—it all built up until his usual reserve cracked.
The mystery woman had been staring at him for the entire reception. He had told himself if she did it one more time, he’d make a move. She did and then he did…and then they did.
“Hello?” Seth snapped his fingers a few times. “What’s wrong with you?
“Just thinking.”
“About Deana?
For the first time in months, the answer to that question was no. Eric’s mind kept wandering to the woman he’d pulled under him and then left without even asking her name. In the list of asshole male moves, that one ranked right up there.
“I do think of things other than my ex, you know,” Eric said.
“So, you’re saying you’re not carrying a torch.”
“No, I’m not.” He sure as hell was, but there was no way he would admit that out loud. He’d only conceded it in his own mind when the usher had asked him if he was there for the bride or groom.
Seth flopped back against his chair. “So, you’re saying you went to that wedding to see if it was really over between you and Deana?”
“I went because I got an invitation in the mail and because I’ve known Deana forever. I also happen to be a professional acquaintance of her new husband.”
Seth tapped his fingers against his coffee cup. “That’s quite a mouthful of proper talk right there.”
“Would you prefer my fist?”
“Eric, this is me.”
“Trust me, it’s over.” Not by his choice, but the end wasn’t a question now. “Besides, Josh would kick my ass if I touched his new wife.”
Seth’s eyes widened. “So, you’re admitting you want to touch her.”
Eric knew he’d walked right into that one. “Are you going to shut up anytime soon?”
“And to think I gave you a perfectly good condom.” Seth shook his head in mock frustration. “Hoped you’d find yourself a nice bridesmaid and have a fun evening.”
Eric swallowed a smile. No way was he telling Seth about the waitress. And no way was Eric saying “fine” one more time either. One reference could pass but by the third time credibility was gone.
“Word is you cut out of the reception early.”
Eric refused to ask how his friend knew even that much. “Yeah.”
Seth made a clicking sound with his tongue. “Missed opportunity. You had all of those available women milling around, feeling lonely and bad about not being the bride, and waiting for some dude to buy them a drink.”
“The drinks were free.”
The clicking grew louder. “Either way, it was a wasted opportunity.”
Leave it to Seth to skip right over the facts and continue with his argument. “Do you know anything about women?”
“Well, I wasn’t the one alone last night. I put my condom to good use.” Seth gestured with his arms open wide and his mouth in constant motion. As usual. “Can you say the same thing?”
Eric actually thought about answering honestly and then decided not to. “No.”
“You disappoint me.”
“My apologies.”
Seth exhaled as his puffed-up chest fell. “So what now?”
Eric knew the answer to that one. He’d worked it out that morning in the shower. He needed to do a little damage control. Better to apologize to his mystery waitress than run the risk of having her show up in his opponent’s campaign commercial and make the story even worse.
Yeah, he’d find her, make an ally, and if they got naked again, well, he wouldn’t complain.
Chapter 2
“There you are. Where did you disappear to at the end of the wedding? I haven’t seen you since yesterday.” Cara Long talked in a nonstop stream as she buzzed around the small catering kitchen, putting away pans and stray cake ingredients. “Hate to think a little honest work terrified you so much that you had to take off for the night.”
Katie
