Page 102 of Protected By West
Weston didn't know how to answer that question.
In the end he didn't have to. Hayden sighed and gave him a look that spoke volumes.
"Yeah," he sighed, "I actually haven't bridged that gap... yet."
The look in Hayden's eyes?
Disappointment.
"West!"
He knew that he should have said something to Tracy.
He should have made the time, but honestly?
He was more than a little hesitant about broaching the subject.
Yeah, he was a little gun shy about the topic.
They'd had a rough start and now they were at a better place, but-
"Aw, fuck." He braced his elbows on the desk bumping up against the edge of his keyboard. Dropping his head in his hands he mentally kicked himself. "I'm an asshole."
He heard Hayden's sardonic laughter and felt her hand clap against his back a little too hard to be purely a friend thing.
She was likely giving him a little taste of her displeasure.
The good and the bad of it was that he felt he deserved thatandmore!
When he lifted his head again, Hayden was watching him, her gaze cool. Her frustration still firmly in place.
"Well, have you decided when you're going to pull that big head out of your backside and fix this?"
He couldn't help but smile at her, even when her tone sounded like she was ready to grab a bullwhip and tan his hide.
"I don't know exactly."
That earned him an owlish glare. "Really?"
"Flowers and dinner at a five-star restaurant?" He knew before the words were even out of his mouth, he was wrong. It wasn't just the look on Hayden's face, it was the feeling in his gut. "I have to sit her down and put all the hard stuff into words, don't I?"
Hayden's shoulders shook with silent laughter. She dropped a hand on his shoulder with a long, weighty sigh. "It's like you're growing up, West."
"You mean I'm ready for a real adult relationship?"
She winced at his words. "I'm not all that sure that you're ready for it, but if you want something to work with Tracy? You better start growing up and facing the hard stuff... soon."
Weston leaned closer, managing a smile for one of his longtime friends. "I can't believe you turned me down three times to join my team."
"We both know that this isn't my bag when it comes to work. Besides, I like being home at some pretty predictable hours so I can see my man and get him into bed at a decent time."
He had to chuckle at that. "Have we reached that age where we need to get that full eight hours of sleep?"
Her cheeks pinked a little and her eyes sparkled. "I didn't say eight hours of sleep, West. I just said I wanted to get Boone into bed at a decent hour. Sleep? Sleep is for wusses."
With that she leaned forward on the seat and got to her feet with a soft groan. "Now, I need to head out. My break is almost over."
Weston got to his feet, too. He put his hand on her shoulder and gave her a wink when she turned back to look at him. "When I get my head out of my ass, I'm hoping we can celebrate. I'll invite you and Boone to have dinner with us."
