Page 494 of Dark Love

“Huh?” Dahlia's eyes never leave my lips.

“Your two ‘non’ friends are watching us.”

She glances their way briefly. “They can’t decide if you’re going to kill me or marry me.” Dahlia slaps a hand across her mouth. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. Dating. I told them we’re just dating.”

Was that a Freudian slip? Has Dahlia been thinking about marrying me?

Dahlia and I married… “What I’m going to do is order everything you need to make me brownies tomorrow.”

“Vex.” She grins up at me.

“Say it again. Quickly, before those two have a heart attack.”

Dahlia giggles and steps out of my arms.

Mindy and Adonis?

Dahlia

We almost kissed!

Vex and I almost kissed right in the middle of the street with the whole world watching. Well, not the whole world, but at least Mindy and Diane, and that’s two too many.

What was I thinking?

That he’s literally the sweetest, sort of, and sexiest man you’ve ever met.

We stop in front of a steak house. They can be frightfully expensive. This one looks nice, but not too nice. A good local’s spot.

“This place has the best steaks in town.” Adonis holds the door open as we step in.

“Doubtful,” Vex mutters under his breath.

I squeeze his hand. His jealousy is kinda cute. Though, to be fair, the steaks he got us that first night were phenomenal. But we aren’t here to find the best steak. We’re here to make friends. I need Vex to sit close enough to Adonis not to kill him, but for the two of them to engage in a friendly conversation.

Adonis moves to sit next to me. That’s not a good idea. Not good at all. “Mindy, do you want to sit next here?” I pat the chair.

“Sure.” She hurries over.

Adonis moves to the seat across from me.

Why couldn’t he have sat next to Mindy? If we could get him to fall for her, Vex would relax a little.

And somehow my life has become a middle school drama.

The chaos of ordering with a large group like ours gives my nerves time to settle down. Though not all the way, because Vex has an arm slung over the back of my chair. His finger is twiddling with a lock of hair on my shoulder.

It’s nice. Too nice for my brain to fully function and come up with an innocuous topic to talk about.

“So what do you do, Vex?” Adonis lifts his frosted glass of beer.

“Vex owns the hottest club in town,” Mindy answers before either of us can say a word. “That’s where they met. Isn’t it romantic?”

That night wasn’t at all romantic.

“Oh really? We all love a good story. Tell us.” Adonis takes a swallow and then leans forward expectantly.

Should I tell the story?

---