Page 51 of Wrecked By You
“Why do women always go to the restroom in pairs?” Penn queried, wiping his mouth after polishing off the biggest hamburger I’d ever seen.
“Duh.” Gia elbowed him in the ribs. “We want to gossip about men, of course.”
I glanced at Johannes. He’d been quiet on the ride over here, which I presumed was discomfort at having me join his family for dinner. The thought made my chest ache.
Then again, he had said he’d love for me to come along, despite Gia pushing him into it, so he couldn’t bethatuncomfortable. From what I’d gleaned these past few weeks, Johannes wasn’t the kind of man to put himself out. He didn’t care enough about hurting feelings to suffer for the sake of another.
Yet he seemed… different somehow. I couldn’t put my finger on it. While his avoidance techniques since he’d kissed me after meeting Ryker Stone hadn’t gone unnoticed, he wasn’t the same man I’d met all those weeks ago. At first, his choice to avoid me had stung, until I’d figured out that he was probably spooked at how spontaneously it had happened. That was when I’d decided to keep it light rather than barrage him with questions that put him under pressure to respond.
He stood to let me out, staring at the floor instead of at me, but as I slipped by him, I could have sworn he moved his arm, and our pinkie fingers touched. My stomach flipped. Maybe he’d decided not to avoid me any longer and to tackle our growing attraction to one another head-on.
I hoped so. Because for the last week, I’d dreamed about his lips on mine every night, and the thought of never kissing him again wasn’t something I wanted to even contemplate. With him, though, I had to tread carefully. The truth he’d shared with me about almost dying had led me to revisit my initial impression that he’d suffered some kind of trauma. Johannes reminded me of the thoroughbred horses Mateo had kept. One wrong move and he’d bolt.
God, some days I forgot I was still married. I had no business striking up any kind of relationship, especially when it had no future. I wasn’t a free woman, and I would neverbefree. I couldn’t divorce Mateo without revealing where I was. My circumstances trapped me in limbo, with no potential for escape.
Next month, I’d turn twenty-five, the prime of most people’s lives, yet mine was effectively over. Like Ginny, I’d spend the rest of my days alone. But unlike Ginny, I’d never know what it was like to fall in love so deeply that another man couldn’t ever match up to the love she’d lost.
I almost laughed at my fanciful musings. Johannes had kissed me once, and his actions since then had made it clear he wasn’t interested in kissing me again. And here I was, getting all up in my head and ruing a loss of something I’d never had in the first place.
Besides, a relationship would only complicate things, a thought I’d had several times, and my priority was, and always would be, protecting Chloe and keeping her—and myself—out of Mateo’s clutches.
Gia linked my arm as if we were lifelong friends and not acquaintances who’d only met this evening. I liked her enormously. She had this ability to make everyone in her orbit feel special, and small talk—something I’d always struggled with—was her forte.
She pushed open the door to the ladies’ room, and as soon as it shut, she rounded on me.
“Okay, fess up. What’s with you and Johannes?”
My head jerked back. “What do you mean?”
“I mean that my grouchy, sullen, withdrawn soon-to-be brother-in-law can’t stop sneaking glances at you when he thinks no one is watching, and the look on his face when he does...” She fanned herself. “Phew.”
“Nonsense,” I scoffed, while secretly celebrating inside. I hadn’t noticed him looking at me. I’d looked at him, though. A lot. “I’m his assistant. I don’t even know what I’m doing here.”
Gia canted her head. “Oh, sweetie, you don’t? Then let me enlighten you. Johannes is a complicated man who doesn’t date, ever. He has a tongue sharper than a samurai sword and enough baggage to fill the cargo hold on an Airbus A380. Yet when he looks at you, it’s as if he’s won the love lottery.” She stuck her hands in the back pockets of her jeans. “Please tell me he isn’t off base, because although he’s a dick and we needle each other all the time, I adore the bones of him. He’s like a second brother to me, and soon, he’ll be a real brother. So if you’re not where he is, then please, tell him. And soon. Before he gets in too deep.”
“I-I…” Words failed me. She couldn’t have this right. And what did she mean about him not dating? Had he, like Ginny, loved and lost? Was that the reason for the dead eyes and spiky attitude designed to keep everyone at a distance? Was that what he’d meant when he’d said he’d almost died?
“We kissed,” I confessed. “Once. Over a week ago. And he’s pretty much avoided me since then.”
Gia pulled in her lips and nodded. “Of course he has.” She rolled her eyes. “Like I said. He’s a dick.”
I chuckled. Gia sure called it as she saw it.
“The question is, do you like him?”
The door opened, and a gaggle of girls piled in. One of them wore a pink-and-white sash with “Bride-to-be” emblazoned across the middle, and all of them wore tiaras and were weaving around as if they’d drunk their weight in tequila.
Maybe they had.
Gia grabbed me by the arm and led me outside. Huh? So the trip to the restroom had nothing to do with the need to empty her bladder and everything to do with grilling me on Johannes.
“Too noisy in there.” She jerked her chin at the ladies room door. “You were saying?”
I grinned. She was good, but two could play at that game. “I don’t think I was saying anything.”
She wagged her finger at me. “Uh-uh, missy. If my best friend, Kee, were here now, she’d tell you to fess up before I bring out the big guns. I’m relentless, and you, my dear Ella, have no chance of not telling me what I want to know.”
Yeah, I liked Gia. She was the sort of woman you wanted on your side. And her bluntness might help me break down Johannes. Maybe.