Page 24 of Say You Remember Me
But then, just as Theo was starting to tell me about his two-year-old daughter, the sound of the back door opening drew my attention. And when I turned to see who was joining the party, my breath caught in my throat.
Because it was none other than Ian.
What was he doing here?
Had Sloan invited him without telling me?
I had no idea. But based on the surprise that flickered across my boss’s features when his brown eyes locked with mine, he hadn’t expected to see me here, either.
“Ian!” Owen said, raising from his seat when he noticed his friend. “You made it!”
Had Owen invited Ian, then?
And was that before or after he realized I was here?
“You and Bash said it was the place to be tonight,” Ian said, stepping onto the patio and walking toward Owen with a confident stride. “So of course I had to swing by.”
“Here, you can sit by me,” Owen said, gesturing to the seat between us that Jennifer had deserted when she’d gone inside to escape the campfire smoke.
Ian glanced at the empty chair beside me, hesitating for a second before nodding and saying, “Sounds good.”
I shifted in my seat, acutely aware of how close he would be sitting. The last time we’d been this close in a social setting, things had escalated quickly. And since I was slightly tipsy from the wine, I wasn’t so sure I’d be able to keep my cool.
Not with the way my body was reacting to his mere presence.
“Didn’t expect to see you here,” Ian murmured as he took the seat beside me, his arm brushing lightly against mine. And while his tone was casual, I could tell that he was just as caught off guard at seeing me here tonight as I was to see him.
“Yeah…” I swallowed, trying to act like his close proximity hadn’t just sent my pulse racing. “I could say the same for you.”
For the next few minutes, the conversation flowed around us, but I barely heard a word of it. All I could focus on was the way Ian was sitting so close, his presence sending my thoughts into a whirlwind. His familiar scent of sandalwood and something distinctly him enveloped me, stirring up memories of our kiss—of the way my heart had pounded against my chest in that one stolen moment.
I didn’t dare glance at him again, afraid he might see right through me.
But then, when Bash made a joke and the group burst into laughter, Ian leaned in, his voice low so only I could hear. “So does this mean that Sloan is the aunt you mentioned earlier today?”
“Yes.” I nodded. “She’s my mom’s youngest sister.”
“Interesting,” Ian said. “When I saw you walk back to her at the club, I just assumed you two were friends.”
He’d watched me walk over to Sloan after our kiss?Why did the thought of his gaze following me all the way across the club suddenly make me feel breathless?
But trying to appear unfazed by that idea, I said, “No, she’s just my cool, young aunt who’s letting me crash with her for a bit.”
Ian leaned even closer, and in an even more hushed tone, he whispered, “Is Theo the guy she’s trying to set you up with?” before nodding at Theo who was now chatting with the woman on the other side of him.
What?
“You said earlier today that your aunt was planning to set you up with one of her friends tonight.”
“Oh, right,” I said, my mind scrambling from his nearness and the way his warm breath felt on my ear. “W-we were just talking.”
“Well, Theo’s a cool guy,” Ian said with a shrug. “I mean, not quite as awesome as myself, but since we can’t exactly go down that road, he’s a good second choice.”
My jaw dropped, and I stared at him, stunned.Did he seriously just say that?
Had mybossjust suggested that he was a better option?
My pulse quickened at the thought, and for a split second, I forgot where we were, lost in the implications of what he’d said. But coming back to my senses, I said, “Well, I guess I should feel honored you consider yourself the gold standard.” I gave him a sidelong glance, trying to keep my tone light. “But as you pointed out, we definitely can’t go down that road.”
