Chapter 3
Reese
W hat in the hell had I been thinking when I’d agreed to let Devon Remington come over for dinner?
I didn’t like the guy.
His incessant questions had always been annoying.
He was supposedly a womanizer, and I knew he was cynical.
Yet, here I was, making dinner for both of us.
“I should have made a no questions rule part of the deal tonight,” I muttered to myself as I cut up the vegetables for the stir-fry.
I still wasn’t exactly sure why I’d relented and invited him to dinner.
Maybe, for just a moment, I’d wanted to believe that Devon wanted to be my friend. That he was interested in me as a person, which was why he was always asking questions.
I wanted to think that all of his motives weren’t completely selfish.
I didn’t think for a single moment that he wanted to date me or something like that.
From what I’d heard, his hookups were tall, thin, and very sophisticated.
I was none of those things.
I was barely average height at five-foot-four, and a little on the curvy side.
I loved food and cooking. I tried to keep it healthy most days because if I didn’t, I would put on weight quickly. I liked to nourish my body with healthy food and stay away from chemical additives that were like poison to a body. However, I loved a good donut, ice cream, and carbs as much as the next woman. I was just careful about indulging in high calorie stuff more than was reasonable.
It had been a cold and pretty brutal winter, so I wasn’t exercising as much as I normally did, and staying holed up in my apartment didn’t help.
I definitely was not the type of woman Devon Remington would look at twice, but something had tugged at my heart when he’d said that he was going to go home and throw something out of a cardboard box into a microwave.
It had sounded like a lonely, unhealthy evening, and I’d always had kind of a caretaker personality.
It was probably ridiculous for me to feel sorry for a billionaire who had everything, but I’d sensed that Devon had really wanted to join me for dinner, and I’d instantly caved in.
Maybe I was just incredibly lonely myself, so I didn’t want anyone to feel that way.
And I definitely didn’t think he should be eating crappy food that wasn’t good for him. The guy was pushing forty.
If he started in on the questions and the cynicism, I could always boot him out.
Was it possible that he really did want to get to know me?
Damn my curiosity! There was only one way to find out, and my relationships in Crystal Fork would be a lot better if I was on good terms with Devon and not always trying to avoid him.
I’d consider this evening a test to see if we could actually get along.
Obviously, we shared some common interests, and I really did want to learn to ride.
Truth was, I was bored out of my mind sometimes. I liked living in a small town, but I just wasn’t used to not being occupied all the time.
In the city, I’d had friends over for dinner a lot, and I’d rarely had to eat alone.
I hadn’t had sex or a serious relationship in years. Not since my last one had ended almost four years ago, but I’d had a ton of good friends and my parents to keep me company.
Yeah, I’d dated a little, but I’d just never found anyone I’d connected with in years.
I was developing friendships here in Crystal Fork. I had Hannah, Lauren, and Anna, but they had their own lives here. Husbands. Family. Other friends. Lauren was my only single friend, but she had connections here that were like family to her.
As Hannah had said, they’d all invited me to go to Billings and for other outings, but if it involved going out of the area, I just couldn’t do it.
Honestly, I probably shouldn’t let myself get too close to anyone in Crystal Fork, but I loved people, and I liked having friends.
I didn’t think there was any harm in trying to have a good relationship with Devon if that was possible.
I liked and respected Kaleb and Tanner, and it would be far easier if I didn’t dislike their younger brother.
I was also really fond of Millie Remington, their mother, and it was hard to skirt around the topic of Devon all the time because I had nothing good to say about that particular Remington.
Maybe I was just paranoid about his motivations.
I was pretty wary of almost everyone right now.
Hannah had said that she hoped I could see the other side of Devon.
I guess I was hoping for the same thing.
Today, Devon had intrigued me even more because he’d actually been sort of…nice.
If he had been his normal growly self and pestering me with question after question, I wouldn’t be here making dinner for both of us.
I also had to admit that even though Devon was pegged as a womanizer, I’d actually never seen him with a woman in Crystal Fork. He was normally with his brothers, his mother, or friends. I had no doubt that he had his share of women, but he obviously didn’t bring them home to Crystal Fork.
Woman had to be falling all over him. He was ridiculously hot with a droolworthy, muscular body. His enormous wealth and power also probably made him a magnet for women who wanted a remarkably successful man.
Yet, if the rumors about him were true, he’d never had a real, committed, serious relationship. Everyone around town said he just had brief flings with women who looked and acted like supermodels.
It was obviously Devon’s choice to stay a bachelor with no romantic attachments.
Part of me really wondered why.
There was nothing wrong with not wanting a relationship, but there was usually some reason for making that choice.
Had he really never met the right woman, or did he avoid entanglements because he had a reason for avoiding relationships?
It was really none of my business, but I’d found myself wondering about that a lot over the last few hours.
I sighed as I finished preparing the meat and vegetables and went to wash my hands.
I’d ended up stopping at the local market to get things for a quick dessert, something I hadn’t planned on before Devon invited himself to dinner.
I was doing stuffed baked apples with cinnamon, raisins, and nuts because it was easy. They had a little brown sugar, but it was healthier than most desserts.
They were cored and stuffed. I’d put them into the oven before we ate dinner.
The doorbell rang as I was drying my hands, and a glance at my watch told me that Devon was right on time.
I’d showered and changed into a pair of nice jeans and a green, cropped sweater.
I smiled as I went to the door, knowing my outfit was a step up from my usual attire in the evenings, which consisted of baggy sweatpants and an oversized T-shirt.
Since I was always alone, I went for the most comfortable clothes I could find in my closet.
I opened the door to find Devon similarly dressed and grinning at me in an ivory, cable-knit sweater, and jeans.
My breath caught for just a moment.
I generally didn’t see him in a casual outfit. He always stopped into the office in a custom suit because he was coming from the office, and he was never smiling.
The ivory color of the sweater contrasted stunningly with his dark coloring, and that devilish grin of his just…got to me.
You have to stop noticing how attractive he is, Reese. Stop it right now!
I couldn’t let this man get to me in any way.
Devon Remington was nothing more than a hostile acquaintance that I wanted to be more comfortable with.
He was my boss’s brother-in-law for God’s sake.
I had to be immune to his good looks and his charm.
That wasn’t an easy thing to do when he was eying me from head to toe as he commented huskily, “Your sweater matches your eyes.”
It wasn’t a cheesy line. Coming from Devon, it was just an observation, but said in that sexy baritone of his, it sounded like…seduction.
Hell, almost anything he said with that cocky grin on his face would sound sexy.
I laughed as I held the door open for him. “I didn’t do it intentionally. I just liked the color.”
Devon closed and locked the apartment door behind him and followed me into the small kitchen. “I’ll put the wine in the fridge,” he said as he did just that. “What can I do to help?”
“Nothing,” I said as I started to prepare the stir-fry. “Everything is ready. I’ll have it ready in minutes. I’d give you a tour of my place, but you can see most of it from the kitchen.”
“I’m assuming it’s the same as Hannah’s,” he said conversationally. “I was there a few times.”
Devon had already known that I’d lived in the same building as Hannah had, but he’d texted me to confirm the apartment.
My guess was that he’d gotten my number from Hannah.
“Exactly the same,” I confirmed. “It’s small, but it’s cozy.”
Devon wandered into the living room before he said, “I see that you decorate with some of your antique finds.”
“It’s a little eclectic,” I told him as he walked back into the kitchen. “Some older, some newer. I’ve never been lucky enough to find anything or buy anything that’s really expensive, but I love to go to thrift stores and antique shops looking for treasures. Nothing I’ve ever gotten is extremely valuable. I just buy the pieces that speak to me in some way. Furniture. Jewelry. Books. Art. I buy a little of everything.”
He shot me a curious look as he rested his hip against the entry to the kitchen. “How does it speak to you? And I like your style. It’s unique.”
I added spices to the veggies and chicken as I answered, “Thanks. I can’t really explain it. Sometimes I’m just drawn to certain things.” I paused before I asked, “Are you okay with spice?”
“The spicier the better,” he confirmed. “The local food in Thailand and India are a few of my favorites, and it’s definitely not the Americanized versions we get here.”
“I’ve never been to either country, but I’d like to get there one day,” I said with a sigh as I added a little more spice. I was with him on the spice level. I liked my stir-fry hot. “You’re probably incredibly well traveled.”
“Not as much as I’d like to be,” he replied. “But yeah, I’ve been to a lot of different countries. I’m usually there on business, but I try to incorporate those visits with some sightseeing. What about you?”
It didn’t feel like he was trying to pry into my personal life with his question, so I told him, “Only a few trips on vacation so far. Canada, Mexico, The Bahamas, and England. I was busy with work and college. My goal is to explore more of the world as soon as possible. Sometimes life just gets in the way.”
“Dream vacation?” he asked.
I answered instantly. “I want to go to The Galapagos Islands. There are species there that don’t exist anywhere else in the world, and it was Darwin’s inspiration for his theory of evolution. Greece is a close second because of the historical significance, and Egypt for the same reason.”
Devon’s eyes widened. “That isn’t exactly what I expected you to say. I’ve been to Greece, but Galapagos and Egypt are pretty high on my list of places I’d like to visit, too. They’re not exactly places where I have business to do. I take it you’re not the type of woman who wants to lie on the beach and relax.”
“I like the beach. I love to swim, but my fair skin burns pretty easily, and I don’t want to fry all day. It’s boring,” I informed him. “If I have free time, I want to explore and learn something.”
He crossed his muscular arms over his chest and just observed me for a minute like he’d never seen me before.
The silence was just getting uncomfortable when he drawled, “You’re an interesting woman, Reese Martin. I think I’m going to enjoy getting to know you better.”
I sent him a hesitant smile because my heart ached just a little.
I was starting to think I’d like to get to know Devon, too, but he’d never really be able to get to know me.
There were parts of me he could never know.
I could tell him my likes and dislikes, but it was impossible for him to know everything about me.
And for the first time since I’d known Devon, I was starting to regret that fact.