Page 25 of Wild Promises

Tori was the first to sit back and pat her stomach. "I don't think I can eat anymore. I know everyone says New York pizza is the best, but this tastes better to me. Maybe because I'm home."

I was beyond happy that she'd moved back. I just wished she could have everything she'd ever wanted. She deserved to take over her father's practice, and I'd do everything in my power to make that happen. That meant taking our arrangement seriously.

She looked around. "What do you do for fun around here?"

"We don't have all the bars and trendy restaurants that New York has, but I grab a drink here and there. My favorite thing to do is night skiing. I've been doing that alone for a long time."

"That's one of my favorite things too. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed it. School, and then work, was all-encompassing. It had a way of blocking everything else out. What I do is important and necessary, but I miss having a life."

"I bet." I couldn't imagine the life of a doctor. What she did was incredibly inspiring. She saved lives. Why had I thought that me encouraging people to ski was some kind of special skill? That I was somehow uniquely qualified to do it. I was replaceable, just like Eli and Oliver said.

Tori leaned forward. "What are you thinking about?"

"I was just comparing your job to mine and coming up short." What was it about Tori that made it so easy to share? Probably because I'd known her forever.

Tori sat up. "That's not true. You give people an escape. You make them happy. Besides, exercise in any form is important."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better. There's no way a ski instructor compares with a doctor."

"You shouldn't compare professions."

"I do come up short. I've felt that way ever since I had that meeting with Oliver and Eli."

Her nose wrinkled. "I'm all for helping you prove yourself, but I won't let you or your brothers tear you down. You're a great guy, and you want the best for everyone. That's amazing in my book."

I wanted to argue with her, but at the same time, I didn't have the heart to keep putting myself down. I was generally a positive person, and I didn't want to let what they said get to me. "You want to get out of here?"

She grinned. "I'm ready to go."

We both grabbed for the bill at the same time, but she snagged it from under my fingers.

"Got it."

"It's not some prize to be won," I teased her, my voice low.

She raised a brow. "Isn't it? It seemed pretty important to you."

"I pay when I'm out with a woman." That line had gotten me further than any other one. Women just wanted to be treated a certain way. They wanted doors held open, help with putting on jackets, and for a man to offer to pay the bill. It had nothing to do with feminism and everything to do with treating a woman right.

Tori laughed as she pulled out a card and waved down the waitress, clutching the bill so I couldn't grab it.

I narrowed my gaze on her. "Why are you laughing at me?"

The waitress took the credit card, and then Tori's gaze settled on me. "Does that line reel a lot of women in?"

"It does actually. I'm a nice guy. They like that."

"I like that you're a nice guy, but that charm thing you have going on…" She waved a hand at my chest area. "Doesn't work on me."

"Are you sure about that?" I let my voice dip nice and low. I always imagined it reverberated in a woman's chest, especially when we were touching.

Her cheeks heated. "I'm positive."

"Why are you blushing then? Does my voice turn you on?" I kept my voice low, my gaze on her so she focused only on me.

Her eyes darted around, not settling on anything, much less me. "Of course it doesn't. We're friends, remember?"

"That doesn't mean that you can't be attracted to me." I wanted her to know it was okay if she was, but I still wasn't convinced she'd ever thought about me that way.

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