Why had she considered him? Was it because it would be temporary? She was well aware of his short attention span when it came to relationships. This was a woman who always had a strategy and an exit plan. Had that been the deciding factor?
“I’m sorry, Jason,” she said as she read the screen of her phone. “This orthodontist is a new client and he’d been sending a lot of texts this morning. I’m going to step outside and deal with it. If our food gets here before I’m back, don’t steal my bacon.”
“I can’t make any promises,” he said as he watched her slide out of the booth.
Why did she want a fling with him? And why just a fling? Was it because all she felt for him was attraction?
She might want to sleep with him but she didn’t want to share anything but her bed. Not that he should care. When this fling was over, then it was done. The lines were drawn and neither of them would cross it. She would move to LA and follow her self-imposed rules, and he...
As much as he would like to say it was because his attention span was short, he had to admit to the truth. A week was too short with Claire Miller, but he wasn’t going to ask for more. He would take what he could get.
Because Claire was going places. Literally and figuratively. She was ambitious and prepared to go after her dreams while he took the easy route. She wanted to move to Los Angeles, and his life was here. Claire was driven to succeed. Her whole family was filled with overachievers. How could she be interested in someone who only pursued pleasure and lived for the moment? The minute she hit the big leagues, she would be around people who could make her dreams happen.
He couldn’t compete. And he wasn’t going to. His shoulder sagged as he came to the decision. The minute Max strode into town, Jason was ending this fling.
7
CLAIRE PARKED HER car in front of Mountain Creek Wine Cellars and turned off the windshield wipers. The sky was gunmetal gray and the rain had been relentless all day. There was a chill in the air that would normally have her curled up at home with a hot mug of coffee. Instead she was venturing out in the horrible weather, dashing across the parking lot and over the puddles, just so she could visit Jason.
She stepped into the wine bar and ran her fingers through her damp hair, glancing around.
She knew she was grabbing at any excuse to see him. Claire used to shake her head at women who did that when they started a relationship. Now she was one of them!
Wasn’t it enough that they were working together on promoting his Friday-night party? She had to pull back before she started to be clingy. While she wanted to make the most of this fling, she also had to remember that it had no future. It wouldn’t do if she moved to Los Angeles only to pine away for Jason. She had to play it cool.
Claire glanced at the door. Maybe she could leave before Jason spotted her.
“Claire?” Deanna walked by her and stopped. Her hands were filled with two bags containing wine bottles. “I should have known you would be here.”
“Hi,” Claire said hesitantly. She glanced in the direction of the kitchen and stopped. Jason didn’t need her to be discreet. They weren’t trying to hide the fling. The whole reason they’d started it was to reinvent her image. “Did you enjoy the bonfire?”
Her friend wagged her eyebrows. “Not as much as you did.”
Claire gave a tight smile. She didn’t know how to answer that. She should use Deanna’s interest to further her mission, but she was surprisingly reluctant. What she had with Jason was supposed to be fun and casual. Claire hadn’t felt this lighthearted in years. And yet, she wanted to keep it to herself and cherish every moment.
Deanna looked around and leaned forward. “I can’t believe you and Jason are together!” she whispered. “When did that happen?”
She wasn’t sure what to say. Claire should have expected that question and planned a response. She would have had one at the ready if she’d taken the time to do a flowchart. Now she had to wing it and hope she kept the story straight. “It’s hard to pinpoint. One day, it just happened.”
“Rumor has it that Jason and a blonde had a rendezvous during a tasting party this weekend.” Deanna gave a nudge with her elbow.
Claire’s cheeks grew hot as she remembered everyone watching her when she stepped out of the bathroom with Jason. She hadn’t been sure what to do but Jason had acted nonchalant and guided her through the awkward moment. “It’s not what it looks like.”