“Since I got to learn about the girl you were, tell me a little about the woman you’ve become.” Jason reaches across the table and puts his hand over mine, rubbing gentle circles across my skin.
I fight the instinct to jerk away from his touch. “Well, for starters, now I prefer sober conversation with friends.”
He arches a brow. The silence stretches between us for a few awkward beats before he nods. “I’ll take friends if that’s all you have to offer, Molly.”
“It’s just where I am right now.”
“Because of your son?”
I nod. Because of Noah and, if I’m honest, because I have feelings for Brayden that would make intimacy with anyone else feel dirty. I was fooling myself when I accepted this date. I thought I could talk myself out of my feelings for Brayden or maybe just distract myself enough to forget them. As if.
“I’m not sure what Brayden’s told you about me, but there’s more to me than my reputation.”
“You and me both,” I say softly. Except sometimes, I don’t believe it. The last time I was here with Jason, I believed I was no better than my old reputation and acted accordingly.
“You have an admirer.” Jason nods toward the bar, and I twist in my seat to see Brayden standing there, watching us. His gaze flicks down to the table, where Jason’s hand rests on mine. Once again, I have to resist the instinct to snatch my hand back. Brayden turns on his heel and disappears into the kitchen.
“Do you want to tell me what’s really going on between you two?” Jason asks.
I swallow and shake my head, gently pulling away my hand. “Nothing.”
“I don’t see ‘nothing’ when he looks at you.” He sighs. “And I don’t see ‘nothing’ when you look at him.”
I turn my attention back to my date and frown. “Is that why you wanted to meet me here? You wanted to make him jealous?” It’s not like it took any convincing to get me to meet him here. If anything, the idea put me at ease. Jackson Brews is home turf to me. I feel safe here and figured he knew that.
“I didn’t want to be the guy you were sneaking around with.” He shrugs. “I guess I thought if you’d meet me here then maybe you were truly interested. In retrospect, that was a bad call on my part. I’m pretty sure the only guy you’re interested in is Brayden Jackson.”
“We slept together once,” I admit, surprising myself. “I immediately knew it was a mistake, and there’s nothing between us now.” It feels like a lie. Maybe there’s been something between Brayden and me since that rainy night in the city when we raced through the downpour to his hotel.
“Is that why he told me to stay away from you?”
I blink at Jason, pulling my thoughts from my memories. “What?”
“You didn’t know? The day he came to my office to ‘apologize’”—he makes air quotes—“he insisted I stay away from you.” He lifts one shoulder in a shrug that might look casual if it weren’t for the irritation all over his face. “So whether or not you’re involved, he certainly seems to feel some claim to you.”
I push my beer away, anger flaring in my blood. “Will you excuse me?”
Brayden
I cannot believe she’s actually on a date with that sonofabitch. And I can’t believe he brought her here. Like he wants to rub it in my face.
“You okay, brother?” Jake asks. He’s working at the grill, making burgers and plating up meals.
I only came to Jackson Brews tonight because the house was empty. In truth, I was looking forward to a night at home with Noah and Molly, but they weren’t there. Instead, Molly had left a note saying not to wait up. And now I know why.
“I’m fine,” I growl, not sounding even a little fine.
Jake, wisely, doesn’t call me on that, just nods and plates up his specialty bacon-barbecue donut burgers. If I had to guess, he already saw Molly here with Jason and knows exactly what’s wrong.
Molly bursts through the swinging kitchen door, her eyes blazing, her cheeks bright. She stops in front of me and puts her hands on her hips. “What the hell is your problem?”
“My problem? I don’t have a problem. If you want to date a guy who’s going to try to take advantage of you when you’re trashed, that’s on you.”
Jake clears his throat, and Molly spins on him. “Do you have something you want to say?”
He picks up the plates and shakes his head. “Not a thing,” he mutters before pushing out of the kitchen and leaving Molly and me alone.
“You’re such a freaking hypocrite.”
I fold my arms. “How do you figure?”
“You were all pissed at me for acting like I was your girlfriend to get your ex away from you, but you told Jason to stay away from me.”