“What are you doing here?” I ask, straightening my messy bun. Not a conventional hello, but not much about my life is conventional anymore.
“I still owe you dinner, and I was in the neighborhood.” This is the first time I’ve seen Pierce in jeans. He wears them just as well as a suit. His thick gray sweater highlights his eyes.
“You should’ve called first.”
He shrugs, hands buried in his jean pockets. “You would have said no. This was a better bet.”
I chew my lower lip. He’s right. He’s always right, and I hate it. “I ordered a pizza a little while ago.” I pause, weighing my options. “You’re welcome to stay. It’s not like I can eat the whole thing myself.”
He peers over my shoulder into the vacant apartment. I know what he’s thinking. The same thought flashed through my mind when I saw him standing on the other side of the door.
The thought of Blake coming home and seeing us petrifies me, but I don’t think he will. He hasn’t been gone long enough yet; it wouldn’t fit his pattern.
“He’s not here.”
“I guess you twisted my arm, not that you had to try too hard,” he says. I step back, allowing him to enter. He’s wearing his usual cologne. It’s seduction in a bottle.
“Would you like a glass of wine?” I ask, pulling a glass from the cupboard.
“Red if you have it.”
He watches me from the other end of the counter. I feel self-conscious—completely underdressed. At least I’m still wearing make-up.
I hand him his glass. “What are you really doing here, Pierce?”
“I wanted to see you.”
“Pierce, I don’t—”
“No,” he says, coming around the counter. “Don’t. I like spending time with you. I’m not asking for anything else.”
I close my eyes tightly and bring my wine glass to my lips. Maybe this is what I need . . . someone to take my mind off everything. “Well, I hope you like veggie pizza.”
His smile is back. “It’s not so much about what you eat . . . it’s the company you keep while doing it.”
Before I can reply, there’s another knock at the door. This better be the pizza this time, I think to myself. When I open the door to a deliveryman holding a brown box, I feel just a slight sense of relief. I hand the guy some cash, and bring it to the kitchen, quickly making us each a plate.
“Can you tell me a little bit more about the New York project?” I ask when we’re seated at the table.
“I didn’t come to talk about work.”
“Humor me for a few minutes, and then we can talk about whatever you want,” I say, popping a portabella mushroom into my mouth. They’re the reason I love this pizza.
“Wade wants something unique, something that will draw in the young and rich.” He sips his wine, never taking his eyes off me. “I can’t stand the guy, but I can’t walk away from this project either.”
“I don’t know if I’m ready to be on a stage that size yet,” I say, honestly. It’s been eating me up; I hate failure or even the threat of it.
He leans in, gently brushing his thumb across my cheek. His touch is soft—comforting. I can’t turn away. “The only thing that’s going to hold you back is self-doubt. Don’t let it.”
“It sounds so easy when you say it.”
“That’s because it is.” He drops his hand, and I have to admit I want it back.
We talk a little bit more about the project while we finish our pizza and the whole bottle of wine. Any reservations I had when I first opened the door are gone. This is natural, easy.
“Were you planning on sitting here alone all night?” he asks when the plates have been cleared.
“It’s what I do: eat, drink, and read.”
“You deserve more,” he says, softly.
“It’s not that easy.”
“What’s the real reason you moved to Chicago?” he asks. I could speak lies and half-truths, but he’ll see right through them.
I hesitate, nervously folding the corners of my napkin. “To run away from the past.”
“What was his name?”
“Why are you so perceptive?” I inquire.
“This isn’t about me.”
This is forbidden territory. A tall wall I’d never dare climb. But wine makes me more apt to accept a dare. “His name is Derek. We dated for seven years, were engaged for one. One day he decided he could live without me.”
Pierce studies my features, taking in every word. “He’s going to regret it. Maybe not now but someday.”
I nod. Months ago, I wished he’d come crawling back to me with a heartfelt apology, but I don’t even care anymore. I’ve moved on . . . I just don’t know if it’s a better place yet.
“How do you feel about him now?” Pierce asks, resting his elbows on the table.
“I’m over it. I think it started to unravel long before he ended it anyway.”
He shows his two sexy dimples. They’ve probably gotten him out of a lot of trouble over the years. I could see them getting a girl like me into trouble. “At least I stand a chance.”
“Pierce?”
“Yeah.”
“Sometimes I wish you would’ve called me sooner, or that I had called you right away.”
“Why’s that?” he asks.
“Because I would’ve fallen for you first.”
He shuts his eyes, but they quickly find me again. Brow furrowed. Jaw set. “That doesn’t mean anything.”
There’s nothing to say to that. Pierce should be my choice whether he touched me first or not. He’s gorgeous and smart. He could make me happy if I let him, but he’s the right guy at the wrong time.
Maybe it’s not too late.
“It’s getting late,” I say, standing to clear the dishes from the table.
He follows, grabbing the empty glasses and bottle. “Let me help you with these, and then I’ll get out of your way. You filled your dinner obligation, so you’re off the hook for now.”
I look back over my shoulder.
He winks.
Being with him like this would be so easy.
After everything is put away, I walk him to the door. Honestly, I don’t really want him to go.
“I’m looking forward to New York,” he admits.
“Me too.”
He surprises me, gripping my chin between his fingers. I stare up into his eyes, watching them come closer until his warm lips brush my cheek. I close my eyes, relishing in his sweetness until he lets go. “Goodnight, Lila.”
“Goodnight, Pierce.”
And as I watch him walk down the hallway, I wonder what could be . . . if maybe my heart has been wrapped around the wrong man.
No one ever said love was easy. If it were, it wouldn’t be worth it.
“HOW DID YOU GET SO LUCKY?” Reece asks as she polishes off the last of her second Cosmo. We decided to grab an early dinner and drinks before the movie, and the one and only topic of conversation has been my upcoming trip with Pierce. I miss being the one with the boring life.
“I wouldn’t call it luck. I’m scared out of my freaking mind. This isn’t a small project . . . I haven’t even had a small project yet. On top of that, I have to spend two days alone with Pierce.”
Reece rolls her eyes. “Have to? Really, Lila? The man is a god.”
“He’s just intense. And after what happened last night—”
“Wait,” Reece says, holding her hand up. “What happened last night?”
Shit. I didn’t necessarily want to bring this up. “He came by the apartment, and we had dinner.”
“No way!” Reece exclaims, eyes widening.
“He confuses me . . . I mean, the way he makes me feel confuses me,” I admit.
I think back to the night of the benefit, and the time I’ve spent with him in the office. He’s not a bad guy. In fact, if I let myself, I could fall for him.
“What are you going to do in New York?” Dana asks, interrupting Reece’s interrogation.
I shrug, not quite sure myself. “We’re meeting with a potential client. A hotel project I think.”