Page 38 of 40 and (Tired of) Faking It
Lincoln set the platter he carried on the table. JD leaned forward, inhaling the scent of seared duck breast in a fruity sauce. “Looks great. Where’s yours?”
Linc shook his head. “I won’t get to stay. Kitchen’s fucked tonight. The two of you eat up.” He left the plating to their server while he settled next to Carter. “So, who ruined your weekend?” he asked JD.
JD groaned just thinking about the reason he’d had to travel almost a thousand miles to be here. “According to Hugh, it was the new general contractor. According to the general contractor, it was any number of other people.” He accepted his plate with thanks. “I don’t know any details yet, but it’s too late tonight to head to the build site. I’ll figure it out after a few hours’ sleep.” More, hopefully, than he’d gotten the night before, though it probably wouldn’t be as restful with Lily not there.
He and Carter dug in as Linc poured more wine and the three of them caught up with the past week. Carter talked about an investment his partner, Gavin, had been checking out in England. Lincoln grumbled about new staff and new recipes and needing a new career, even though neither one of his companions believed it. He’d cut off his own arm before he cut off his restaurant.
JD filled them in on some of the visits he and Lily had made and how he thought they’d benefit the project. Both of his friends looked on with slowly narrowing eyes. It was starting to make him paranoid, but before he could ask them what the hell was going on, Carter shook his head.
“You’ve done it, haven’t you?”
Now he was even more confused. “Done what?”
“I think the question is more accurately ‘whom,’ isn’t it?” Linc asked.
JD laid his fork down, wiped his mouth, then set the napkin beside his plate. Slowly folded his arms. He’d thought he’d kept his voice as neutral as possible while discussing Lily, but apparently he wasn’t as casual as he’d hoped.
Linc sighed heavily as if disappointed, but a grin was lurking behind his hand. “It’s the lady mayor, isn’t it?”
The lady mayor he wasn’t supposed to sleep with, or that he’d promised he wouldn’t sleep with.
He didn’t answer. And that was answer enough.
“I knew it,” Carter said, dropping his fork. “I knew there was something going on with her. Did she blackmail you into it?”
“What?” He stared at Carter as if he’d sprouted a second head.
“It’s a simple enough question.”
“No, no it’s not, Carter.” Although if blackmail had been necessary, he’d have had no problem using it if it meant getting Lily into his bed.
Linc slapped him on the back. “Look, don’t get me wrong, I’m all for a bit of casual sex. Passes the time, you know? Especially in Podunk, USA. But there’s something you aren’t telling us. What is it?”
“Yes, what is it?” Carter crossed his arms over his chest.
“What I’m not telling you is my business.” Or rather, Lily’s business. It didn’t feel right to share something that personal as casual gossip. But just to stave off any further ludicrous accusations… “Yes, I slept with Lily. No details will be forthcoming. No, this will not impact the project—”
“You don’t know that,” Linc pointed out.
He didn’t know that; Linc was right. Actually, given the issues Lily had been dealing with this morning, he figured there would be some fallout to deal with, but he refused to believe he couldn’t smooth it over. And was surprised to discover that he wanted to smooth it over more for Lily than himself. People would accept him—or his money, at least—but Lily had to live in Black Wolf’s Bluff. He didn’t want her any more touched by the results of their relationship being spread all over town than absolutely necessary.
“Y’all were encouraging me to sleep with her just a few days ago.”
“That wasn’t serious.” A vee appeared between Linc’s eyes. “If something goes wrong, it most definitely will impact the project, and where will that leave us?”
“Fucked,” Carter said. “That’s where it leaves us.”
A surge of anger had JD slapping his hand down on the table. “We are not fucked! Lily is not going to threaten our project. Now drop it.”
The last three words were a shout, and the tables nearby went silent. So did his friends. But JD refused to apologize. And he refused to let any more people malign Lily’s reputation than already had.
Linc wasn’t upset, however. The frown cleared as he eyed JD thoughtfully. “It’s not like you to get bent out of shape over a woman.”
It wasn’t, he knew that, but he wasn’t sure how to respond. He didn’t want to talk about Lily. He rubbed his hands over his face tiredly. What he really wanted was to go home, lay down in his bed, and dream about last night until he woke up with his alarm. And then he’d jack off in the shower before dealing with the mountain of problems awaiting him at the current build.
Carter tapped his fingertips on the table, waiting for a solution to the situation. JD ignored him.
“Okay,” Carter finally said, “we get it; you don’t want to kiss and tell.”
