Page 82 of Sugarlips
“Maybe we can talk sometime. You could carry it at Beefcakes!”
I slid a glance to Chloe, who was still glaring at Dan. Dan’s eyes interestingly were fastened onto Chloe’s hand that was stroking my bicep.
“Uh… sure. I don’t think it’s a good fit for our customers, though—”
She thrusted her business card into my hand, grinning. “Your customers are healthy! This is healthy! We’ll talk.” Raina and Dan were gathering their drinks and backing away from the bar.
Chloe shoved her barely touched kombucha to the side and grabbed her Paloma, taking a swig. “Mmmm.”
“Good, right?”
“Almost perfect. Just needs a twist of lime.” My stomach dropped to my feet as she popped on her toes, reaching for a lime wedge in a bowl on the bar.
From over his shoulder, I saw Dan giving me a triumphant grin that I wanted to pop right off his face with my fist.
I closed my eyes.It means nothing. Just because I didn’t know she likes her drink with a twist proved nothing. I’d never been a jealous person before… so what the hell was it about this Dan/Chloe situation that was getting to me so much?
Chloe grabbed Raina’s business card out of my hand and tore it into a dozen little pieces, dropping it into the garbage can beside the bar.
“You cannotdo business with her.”
“I wasn’t going to.”
“Kombucha. What the fuck even is that? I doubt she even has a website yet.”
“Probably not,” I said, searching for anything to change the conversation.
Chloe spun to face me, poking my chest with her finger. “I mean it. You can’t call her or reach out or even stock one or two bottles—”
But her attention wasn’t on me. Her gaze was focused over my shoulder, where I knew her ex and his kombucha girl were lingering, and I wondered if I was kidding myself imagining that I could everreallybe Chloe’s person.
31
Chloe
Iwas grateful for the large paloma in my hand. Nothing could have prepared me for running into Dan tonight. Sure, I guess he was an entrepreneur of sorts. But typically speaking, I didn’t see many doctors and dentists with private practices here at the event. A few acupuncturists, sure. A chiropractor, yes.
It made much more sense aftershe who shall not be namedforced her gut-healthy booger juice on us. He was there for her. He was there to support her business. He was nurturing her, helping her grow and thrive, using his connections to get them into posh events… but with me, all he ever did was ask me to have dinner on the table by seven.
However, if I wasn’t mistaken, Dan’s eyes were on me. He was watching me with jealousy glinting in his brown eyes. Just like the other morning when he and Liam had their little showdown over the La-Z-Boy, he seemed to be having regrets as he watched me from across the room. An aching flame inside of me was dying to know why; what about menowwas so appealing? Was it the fact that I was here with Liam and it had looked like he’d spent the night with me that morning Dan had shown up at my house? Was it that I looked professional and polished, and Raina looked like she’d just left a party at Woodstock? Was it that my business was thriving—thatIwas thriving? Or was Dan just the kind of man who wanted what he couldn’t have?
Well, if he was going to stare, I was going to give him something to stare at. I swallowed a large gulp of the cool grapefruit from my glass and grabbed Liam’s hand. “Come on,” I said. “Let’s dance.”
I led him to the middle of the dance floor where there were only a few other couples swaying to the crooning music.
I pulled Liam close enough to smell the sandalwood and vanilla scent clinging to his skin and inhaled deeply. God, he smelled good. Warm and sexy. Dan had always smelled vaguely clinical—like that weird scent of a filling being drilled. Liam’s hand slid from the curve of my waist around the small of my back and he curved me into him, flush against the broad wall of his chest.
I buried my nose in his neck and from over his shoulder, I watched as Dan’s scowl deepened.
I closed my eyes. I didn’t want to look at Dan. Didn’t want to think about him or the woman he’d replaced me with.
And yet, I couldn’t resist peeking every now and then to see if he was watching.
“Chloe,” Liam’s voice had a hard edge to it.Shit. I was caught red-handed obsessing about my stupid ex who I didn’t even like, let alone love anymore. I didn’t want the man back, so why was I so damn obsessed with what he thought about me?
“Sorry,” I sighed, dragging my gaze away from Dan. Instead of staring, I fell in step with Liam’s slow sway and nuzzled into his neck. I felt immediately better in his arms. Like home. And for the length of one song, I pretended he could be mine. That we hadn’t rushed into this business together and muddied it all up. I smiled against his neck, picturing how our life would be together.
“What do you want, Chloe?” His question could have been so innocent. But the growl in Liam’s voice was thick and carnal and sent a flare of awareness spiraling between my legs.
