Page 24 of Turning Up the Heat

“I am, too. I wanted to surprise you.”

“And you certainly did.”

“So,” she started before she could stop herself.

“What?”

“Nothing, never mind.”

“You can’t say never mind and then pretend you weren’t going to say anything. What is it?”

She took a deep breath. “I was just wondering if you’re seeing anyone right now. I know we didn’t put a label on this, and a casual thing is fine with me, but I want to know you aren’t exclusively seeing anyone.”

“No,” he told her. “Not seeing anyone exclusively or casually at the moment. Are you?”

She shrugged and hoped Tom wouldn’t judge her too harshly. “I date,” she told him. “But I’m not seeing anyone right now. There was this guy recently. I saw him very casually,” she emphasized, “before going to Jamaica. But I broke it off with him when I got back.”

“After me.”

“Yes. After you.”

“Why’d you break it off?”

“You’re really going to make me say it, aren’t you?”

“Not if you don’t want to.”

She sighed. “The truth? I think a part of me knew we weren’t done, you know? That I’d see you again.”

He hugged her tighter, and she was glad she hadn’t scared him off. “Why are you still single? You’re gorgeous, sexy, funny, and you have all the free rum you want. I figure you would have your pick of the guys in Miami.”

“Oh, stop,” she said, playfully smacking his chest.

“Seriously, though. Why weren’t you seeing anybody? Why was I able to scoop you up without a fight from some other guy?”

She screwed up her nose and shook her head. “I find it hard to get really serious about a guy. I’m more of a casual woman. I don’t do serious relationships, or steady boyfriends, or heavy commitments, or any of that stuff. I never wanted to be tied down. I like my freedom, you know.”

“What was your last relationship?”

“A few years ago. I thought we were destined to be and all that nonsense. But it didn’t work out.”

“What happened?”

“I really liked him. Hell, I loved him. But at the end of the day, it felt like he liked my brothers more than me. He liked the idea of being close to the people behind Rexford Rum.”

“The man’s an idiot.”

“And he was a really good friend of Reid’s.”

“Well, thank God I don’t have that problem,” Tom said with a laugh.

“And then there was another guy. It was a pretty serious relationship. But I was never his priority.”

“How could you not be his priority?” Tom asked.

“He was a real workaholic type. That always came first.” Gemma thought briefly about all of the cancelled plans, and the cold dinners she’d had waiting for him, and she already knew that Tom would never do that to her.

“The man’s an idiot.”

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