Page 74 of Wild Nights

"Carolina get to the airport okay?"

I tipped my head to the side, scrutinizing him. "I managed to get her there. Yes."

Marcus shrugged. "I just thought she might not go."

I let out a huff of air. "Why wouldn't she? She had a flight to catch and a family waiting on her."

"Mmm." Marcus was annoyingly calm.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Irritation slid down my spine.

Marcus gave me a pointed look. "I just thought something was going on between you two."

I tensed. How had he known? Hadn't we been careful?

"You've never been that close to a guest before." His gaze moved from me to the TV where the credits were rolling.

"She's one of the conference organizers. We always treat them well," I stubbornly fell back on the only thing that made sense: our professional relationship.

Marcus's forehead creased. "You're going to deny that something else was going on?"

I ground my teeth together. "I just don't see how it's any of your business."

"I don't want you to be miserable. It affects everyone."

"I'm not," I insisted, wondering how Marcus had guessed. What sign had we given away? I hadn't touched her in front of him, but maybe I was too familiar around her?

Marcus shifted in his chair. "I thought you might ask her to stay for the holidays."

"Her family's in Maine."

"She said something about her mother and sister doing something else for the holidays."

"I thought she said she was going to make the best of it and spend a few hours with them."

"She was hoping they'd want to spend part of the holiday with her. But what if they don't? What if she's alone?" Marcus's forehead creased with concern.

My heart skipped a beat. Was Carolina going to be alone on Christmas? I didn't like the idea of that. "She's not my responsibility."

Marcus crossed his arms over his chest. "So you don't have any feelings about that one way or the other?"

I looked away from him. "It doesn't matter how I feel. She didn't want more, and our worlds are too far apart. She lives in Maine. My life is here, and I have Joey to think about. He comes first."

"So Tina can go wherever she wants, work wherever shewants, and date whoever she wants, but you don't get to have a life outside of being a dad?"

"Well, yeah, that's what being a parent means. I want to create a stable life for Joey. I want him to know he can depend on me."

Marcus's expression gentled. "You've done that, but what about what you want? Don't you get to have someone for yourself? Someone like Carolina?"

"That's not what we were. We saw each other when she was in town. She'll be here again in April." But I hadn't secured that deal either. I hadn't said anything about seeing or talking to her again.

"If you were being honest with yourself, you'd know she was more than just a fling."

That was the arrangement we made. Neither of us admitted to anything changing.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't come in April," Marcus mumbled as he reached for a handful of popcorn from the bowl on the coffee table.

I frowned. "Why would you say that?"

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