Page 38 of Wild Ride

“Why do you assume there’s a but?”

“I’m very attuned to the unspoken ‘but’ of a sentence. You wouldn’t believe how much I hear it.”

She shook her head, annoyed he was right. “But … it was nice to have someone confirm I wasn’t losing my mind. That was some wild first date conversation.”

He leaned in, his expression amused, and she got a whiff of male perfection. Body wash, aftershave, a generally sexy scent that went straight to her most receptive parts.

“Right? Inside thoughts, man. Though even thinking that is past the city limits, destination Crazy Town.”

“There are women who would get a kick out of that. The man they can’t pin down. The seed-spreading rogue they want to tame. So much work.”

He tapped his fingers on the table. “Well, dating is work. Or so I hear, given I don’t actually date. But guys like that must make it harder.”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve dated. Ten years, in fact.”

He gave a non-committal hum of encouragement (or she took it that way).

“My sisters raised me because our parents died when I was young and they kept me on a tight leash. Meeting my ex was my way of rebelling against all that structure. But we didn’t date. Not really. It was a one-night stand and then boom, pregnant and hitched.”

His eyes went soft. “Did you ever think of not getting married?”

“Yep, when we were headed toward divorce. We were never really compatible. He’s not a settling down type, or at least I thought so until he got someone else pregnant and did all the things with her and her pregnancy that he passed over with me.”

“Ouch.”

She smiled ruefully. “We were so young back then and he wasn’t ready to be a dad. Now, he’s got some experience, so he’ll be a better dad to his new little. I hope.”

“But that sucks for you and your kid. He, she, they?”

Another smile. “She. My daughter.”

“How old?”

“Nine going on ninety. She’s amazing. So smart and funny, much more grown-up than me. She’s into butterflies and comic books. She loves Skittles and astronomy and anything with wings.”

“You’re really proud of her.”

“I am. She wants me to date. One of my sisters does as well, but …”

“You just want someone to rub your feet and make you tea when you’re sick.”

Oh God. “Eavesdrop much?”

He didn’t even look guilty, though why should he? She tried to recall her conversation with Kennedy which she was sure included some choice statements about this man’s whoring ways.

“I love getting the inside scoop on a woman’s deep-down and dirty thoughts, especially on why a woman like you would have given up on sex.”

She covered her face with her hands. Oh God, how was this getting worse? She’d mentioned her lack of interest and how unattractive her ex made her feel. But right now, she was more concerned with what she’d said about him.

“I said some things about you that I’m not proud of. Please forgive me.” That she might have hurt him made her feel awful. So he was a bit of a slut, but she shouldn’t ever say that aloud.

She felt the lightest touch of his fingers brushing against hers, then one finger curling around her palm and pulling her hands away.

“Ashley, it’s okay. People who listen at doors never hear nice things about themselves. I had it coming.”

“That’s not fair on you. I’m sorry about what I said.” What had she said?

Of course, Dex had the receipts. “You were right. I do get around. And I’m definitely not the kind of guy a good girl like yourself would be interested in.”

---