Page 73 of Cloud Nine Love

“Kane and I were never together. We were just best friends.”

“Oh, so it was a planned thing…to have a child together.”

Some people might find Carson’s questions too personal for a first date; I didn’t. I hated small talk. His line of inquiry was just another quality to add to the ever-growing Why Carson Mathis Was Perfect For Me list.

“No, not exactly.”

He grinned and took a sip of his beer. “I’m guessing he is the complication.”

I knew it. I knew that’s what this fishing expedition was all about.

I shook my head, and Carson’s head tilted in curiosity.

“No, he’s not, actually,” I explained as the tiny hairs on the back of my arms and the back of my neck stood on end.

The only time that ever happened was when…

I looked at the entrance of the bar, and sure enough, the complication was standing at the end of the bar, staring right at me like a lion stalking his prey. He looked predatory. Dangerous. And really hot.

My entire body responded like I was being hunted. My heart rate increased. My mouth watered. My breath was shallow.

I was either having an allergic reaction to my vodka soda or an allergic reaction to Remi. I knew my answer. I just wished there was an EpiPen that worked for attraction.

33

REMI

“A full moon is nine times brighter than a half-moon.” ~ Tim Rhodes

What am I doing? I asked myself for the tenth time as I walked up to the entrance of The Tipsy Cow. I wanted to turn around, but felt like an outside force was propelling me.

Taylor was clearly here on a date. I should respect her boundaries and leave her alone, just like I had for the past couple of weeks. This was crazy behavior. It was impulsive and borderline stalkerish. I wasn’t impulsive, and I sure as hell was no stalker—all evidence to the contrary.

I stopped in front of the door. My eyes closed as my head fell back, and I exhaled loudly. When I opened my eyes, they were staring at a full moon hanging in the middle of the inky backdrop of a wide-open sky. Maybe that’s why I was acting like this. Misty was into astrology, moon, and sun cycles. She’d told me more than once that studies had shown there was an uptick in erratic behavior under full moons. That must be what had possessed me to get back in my truck and drive here after dropping off my mom’s medication and overnight essentials.

And apparently, it still was, I thought as I watched my hand, almost as if I was having an out-of-body experience, pull open the door and walk inside the bar.

Music was playing through the speakers; people were talking, laughing, and drinking, of course. The place wasn’t standing room only, but it was close to it. I scanned the crowd, and it took me less than five seconds to zero in on my target.

Taylor was tucked in a booth in the corner with her date, Dr. Dreamy. I didn’t know if it was in my head or if there was actually a spotlight on her, but she was glowing. Her expression appeared pleasant as she listened to her date, but not engaged. Even from where I stood, I could see, in her eyes, that her mind was somewhere else. I hoped that somewhere else was with me.

For the first time since I’d seen the two of them walk down her drive, I exhaled a breath of relief. If I’d walked in and she was enthralled in conversation, mesmerized by his witty banter and good looks, it would have been worse than a donkey kick to the balls. But from what I could see, the two had zero chemistry.

I should leave, I told myself. Whatever threat I had perceived was not real. When she looked at me, her eyes came to life, unlike the far-off quality they held looking across the table now. There was no reason for me to torture myself.

On the flip side, one drink couldn’t hurt. A little more recon of the situation might ease my mind so that I might have even a hope of sleeping tonight.

Before I decided whether to stay or go, my decision was made for me. As if she felt my presence like I was Bill Compton and she was Suki from True Blood, her head turned, and her gaze locked with mine.

Despite the dim lighting in the bar, I could clearly see that she was staring straight at me. Her lips parted as her eyes widened slightly. Then, as fast as she’d looked over at me, she turned her attention back to Dr. Dreamy.

I stood there, unsure of what to do next. It’s not like I’d had a game plan going into this. Like most situations with Taylor, I was flying by the seat of my pants. Or, more accurately, the front of my pants. When it came to Taylor, my dick was leading the charge.

One drink, I told myself.

As I weaved my way through the crowd to an empty seat at the bar, my eyes kept drifting in the direction of the corner booth. Every time they landed on Taylor, her attention was still focused on her date. Not once had she glanced back over at me, that I’d seen anyway.

“Hey, Remi. What can I get you?” Kenna asked as I sat down at the bar.

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