Page 14 of Love You Truly

His glare emphasizes the tiny crinkles around his eyes, which narrow in a way that should not be this sexy. His chest, muscular under a worn tee, heaves with anger similar to what I feel. And his scowl makes his boyish face look so much more serious. Menacing. Hot.

For a second, I imagine him hovering over my body after stripping off every last stitch of clothing. I picture the same intense expression on his face as he contemplates all the ways he can pleasure me, leaving me aching…

Jesus. What?

I shake myself out of the momentary reverie and refocus. Clearly, the ire I feel toward Felix has affected my sanity.

Glancing back at Dash, I see him looking at my ex like he’s the pond scum he is. I appreciate it, though it surprises me because Mary is the only other person I’ve ever seen with the same look of disgust when she beholds Felix’s annoying face. And she’s used to kicking drunk guys out of pubs.

I wonder if Dash knows Felix well. He must, based on the distaste he seems to have for him. I mentally add that fact to the tally of things he and I have in common. So far, the total is one, but it’s one more than we had a month earlier in the grocery store.

“She asked you to leave her alone.” Dash’s voice is deeper than I remember it sounding just hours earlier. There’s a growl that makes him sound dangerous. Also so incredibly sexy.

Stop it.

Now is not the time for me to be thinking of Dash as anything other than a temporary saving grace who allows me to take a couple steps away from Felix. The area around me feels cooler now, and I inhale a gulp of air.

Felix turns to stand toe-to-toe with Dash, and I notice for the first time how small Felix looks. Unimposing.

Or maybe it’s Dash who looks especially tall and built like a lumberjack.

“Not your business, fella,” Felix says.

“I’ll decide that for myself.”

“I’m not joking. This is between me and a friend.”

Felix attempts to return Dash’s angry stare with the same ferocity, but it’s a waste of effort. He looks outmatched, even as a server shows up by his side and hands him a small tumbler of bourbon. Felix takes the drink but ignores her.

“It’s polite to say thank you,” I can’t help saying.

“Jesus, are you serious?” He makes an exaggerated turning gesture toward the server, a diminutive blonde with black eyeliner who looks like she could kick Felix’s ass with a hand tied behind her back. She also doesn’t care enough about him to bother.

“You wanna pay now or open a tab?”

With a grimace, Felix shoves a hand into his pocket and retrieves his wallet. Without looking, he yanks out a twenty and shoves it at her. “Thank. You,” he breathes in her face. Then he downs half his drink in one pull. It feels like dramatics—tough cowboy trying to scare off the local boy with his drinking ability. Dumb move when the local boy owns a winery.

“You should go. Respect her wishes,” Dash says, positioning himself between Felix and me.

“Who even are you? And why do you care so much?”

I appreciate him going to bat for me, which drives home the idea that some part of me was right when I asked him on a date. Looking back, I should have worded my request differently. I should have asked for a meeting. As a fellow vineyard owner, he’d have been more likely to say yes.

Instead, a new idea starts bouncing around in my brain. It’s a crazy idea, but I’ve tried normal. Crazy is all that’s left.

So I look at Felix dead in the eyes and grab Dash’s hand.

“He’s my fiancé.”

CHAPTER 6

Dash

It’s a good thing I’m so engrossed by the weird showdown with the douchebag in front of me that I haven’t ordered a drink.

Because if I had one in my hand and had taken a sip, I’d have spewed it all over the bar at the word fiancé.

It’s also good that the one who uttered the word is Mallory Rutherford, a woman who’s grown more intriguing to me over the past month, starting with a full cart of drinks and dog food and an out-of-the-blue text asking me out. Sort of. I believe the exact wording of the text was, “It’s Mallory Rutherford. Are you free to meet for dinner?” I wasn’t sure if she wanted a date or a business meeting.

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