26. Donovan
26
DONOVAN
M y beer burns my throat as I catch sight of Corey walking through the entrance. But it's not my old friend that makes me choke - it's the goddess trailing behind him.
"You okay?" Mindy touches my arm.
"Wrong pipe." I cough, dabbing my mouth with a napkin. "Happens sometimes."
Holy hell. When Corey mentioned Abbie, he failed to mention she looked like that. All curves and wild curls, wrapped in a dress that hugs every inch. My hands clench under the table. This is Corey's girl. She’s off limits. Get it together, man.
"Donovan." Corey claps my shoulder. "This is Abbie."
"Hi." Her voice matches her looks - sweet with an edge of something more.
"Pleasure." I manage to keep my voice steady as I extend my hand. "This is Mindy."
The women exchange greetings while Corey slides into the booth. His hand finds the small of Abbie's back as she settles beside him. The possessive gesture isn't lost on me. Neither is the way she leans into his touch.
I take another swig from my bottle, longer this time. Focus on Mindy's perfume, the menu, anything but the way Abbie's laugh makes my pants tight. Damn Corey for not warning me. And damn me for noticing every detail - the flutter of her lashes, the curve of her neck, the way her fingers trace the stem of her wine glass.
This is going to be a long fucking dinner.
"So Abbie, Corey tells me you're studying psychology?" I try to act casual, ignoring how my pulse races when those beautiful eyes meet mine.
"Part time. Night classes mostly."
"Must be fascinating getting inside people's heads."
"Sometimes too fascinating." Her lips curl into a knowing smile. "Like right now, I'm analyzing why you're asking all these questions."
Shit. Direct hit. I cover with a laugh. "Guilty as charged. Just looking out for my boy here."
"Don't mind him." Corey's arm slides around her shoulders. "Donovan thinks he's my personal PI."
"More like your conscience." I wink at Abbie. "Someone's got to keep him honest."
"Oh really?" She leans forward, elbows on the table. "Got any dirt to share?"
"Don't you dare." Corey points his fork at me.
"Let's just say college was... very enlightening." I hold her gaze a beat too long. "But that's ancient history."
Mindy squeezes my thigh under the table. Right. Focus.
"What about you?" I direct my attention back to Abbie. "Any skeletons in your closet?"
"Nothing as interesting as whatever you're not telling me about Corey."
Christ, she's quick. Sharp. The way she reads between lines, catches subtle shifts. No wonder Corey's wrapped around her finger.
"Bartending must give you plenty of practice reading people," I say.
"You'd be surprised what drunk people reveal." She takes a sip of wine. "Though some are harder to crack than others." She meets my gaze with a leveling stare that makes my blood boil.
Is she... flirting? No. Can't be. But there's something in her tone, the way she holds me captive with those eyes.
I drain my beer. Need something stronger if I'm going to survive this dinner without completely losing my mind over someone else’s girl.
Mindy's hand slides higher up my thigh. Her perfume wafts over, too sweet, too strong. Nothing like the subtle scent of spice and cherry something coming from across the table.
"We still headed for Aspen this weekend?" Mindy traces circles on my leg. "I want to..."
"Mhmm." The words wash over me as Abbie fidgets with her hair. The simple gesture catches the light, making her skin glow.
"You're not even listening." Mindy's irritated voice cuts through my haze.
"Sorry, what?"
Corey's eyes narrow slightly. Shit. He catches everything - always has. Twenty years of friendship means he reads me like a book. His arm tightens around Abbie's shoulders.
"I was asking about the cabin." Mindy's lips purse. "Our plans for Aspen?"
"Right." I force my attention to her face. "We should be good to go."
Abbie's laugh interrupts my half-assed planning. The sound hits me in the gut, pure and genuine. She's leaning into Corey, eyes bright with mirth at something he whispered.
My beer bottle's empty again. When did that happen?
"Donovan?"
"Sorry. Got distracted thinking about work." The lie tastes bitter in my mouth. "What were you saying about this weekend?"
Corey's watching me now, his expression unreadable. He knows. Of course he knows. I'm being too obvious, staring at his girl like some lovesick teenager.
I'm better than this. Should be better than this.
"Actually." Mindy stands, grabbing her purse. "I think I'm getting a headache. Would you mind taking me home?"
Fuck yes. Maybe distance will clear my head.
"Of course." I slide out of the booth, careful not to look at Abbie. "Sorry to cut dinner short."
"Feel better," Abbie calls after us.
Her voice follows me out the door like a ghost.
The drive to Mindy's place stretches into uncomfortable silence. Her perfume fills the car, cloying and suffocating. Nothing like the subtle cherry scent that still lingers in my mind.
"I thought we were going to your place?" Mindy's voice cuts through my thoughts.
"Not tonight." My knuckles whiten on the wheel. "Early meeting tomorrow."
"Bullshit." She turns in her seat. "This is about her, isn't it?"
"Who?"
"Don't play dumb. I saw how you looked at her. Corey's little bartender."
My jaw clenches. "You're imagining things."
"Really? Because you barely said two words to me after she walked in." Mindy's laugh holds no humor. "God, you're pathetic. She's half your age."
"Goodnight, Mindy."
"Whatever." She throws open the car door. "Don't bother calling."
The slam echoes through the quiet street. I watch her storm up to her door, heels clicking angrily against concrete. She doesn't look back.
I rest my forehead against the wheel, breathing deeply. Abbie's face floats behind my closed eyes - that knowing smile, those bright eyes that saw right through me. The way she fit perfectly against Corey's side.
My best friend. The guy who's had my back through everything.
And here I am, fantasizing about his girl. Twenty years of friendship, and I'm ready to throw it away over one dinner?
But damn, what a dinner. The way she challenged me, matched me word for word. That spark of intelligence behind every response. The curve of her neck when she threw her head back laughing…
"Fuck." I slam my palm against the wheel.
This can't happen. Won't happen. I'll bury these thoughts so deep they'll never see daylight.
But as I pull away from Mindy's curb, all I think about is cherry perfume and knowing smiles.
The drive home stretches endlessly. My cock strains against my jeans, has been since that first glimpse of her at dinner. Her scent, her laugh, those knowing eyes that saw right through me - it all crashes over me in waves.
I barely make it through my front door before my belt hits the floor. The bedroom's too far. The couch will do.
My hand wraps around my shaft, already slick. Fuck, I shouldn't be doing this. These aren't my fantasies to have. But her image floods my mind - those curves in that dress, the way her eyes sparkled when she smiled.
I imagine her perched on my lap instead of Corey's. Those wild curls brushing my chest as she leans in close. The feel of her skin under my palms. The sweet scent of her filling my lungs.
The guilt mingles with the pleasure, making it sharper, more intense. My best friend's girl. The one woman I can't have. Shouldn't want.
But I do. God help me, I do.
My release hits hard and fast, Abbie's name a strangled groan. I slump back, spent and ashamed.
This has to stop. Now. Before I do something unforgivable.
But as I head for the shower, her face still floats behind my closed eyes. Sweet and knowing, like she could see every dirty thought I tried to hide.