Chapter 16
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Chloe
“Do you want to hit up a museum on Saturday?” Rocco asks before he picks up the tea I ordered. “There’s a new installation at the Whitney that I’d like to check out.”
Art isn’t something that interests me. Rocco happens to love it and since he can’t find anyone else who is willing to spend hours in a museum with him, I’m usually the one who tags along.
I’m tempted to say yes, but I have an important case heading to trial next month so every spare second I have is devoted to work. “I’m going to be in the office all weekend. You can drop by after the museum and fill me in.”
“And bring one of these?” He hands me a tall paper cup of green tea. “Maybe a pizza too?”
“With extra cheese and pepperoni?” I take a small sip of the hot liquid.
He swallows a mouthful of the coffee he ordered for himself. “I know how you like your pizza.”
“How does she like her pizza?”
Rocco and I both turn at the sound of a male voice. I recognize it immediately.
I haven’t seen Evan in more than a week-and-a-half. I’ve been by the café most mornings, although I had to rush past it twice last week when I was running late for meetings. I did stop briefly to peer in through the window and didn’t spot him.
I was disappointed but that was quickly replaced with acceptance. Evan and I aren’t dating. We fuck. It’s as casual as any relationship between two people can be.
Rocco looks to me for reassurance that I know Evan. I give him a quick nod.
“I’m Rocco Jones and you are?” Rocco offers his hand to Evan who takes it without hesitation.
He shakes it while he studies my face before he finally looks back at my brother. “Evan. I’m Evan. It’s good to meet you.”
“You two know each other?” Rocco takes a leisurely drink of his coffee.
“Not as well as you two know each other.” Evan’s gaze is back on me. “I had no idea that Chloe liked pepperoni pizza.”
“With extra cheese,” Rocco adds.
Evan’s brows rise. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. I just wanted to say hi to you, Chloe, since we haven’t spoken in a few days.”
Eleven days. It’s been eleven days.
“You’re not interrupting.” Rocco pats Evan’s shoulder. “My sister has to get to work and I need to head out.”
“Your sister?” A wide smile covers Evan’s mouth. “Chloe is your sister?”
Rocco grins. “The best sister a guy could ask for.”
Evan’s shoulders relax. He looks relieved and that makes me smile. “What else can you tell me about, Chloe?”
My brother looks at me before he turns back to Evan. “Chloe will fill you in on everything she thinks you need to know. I can tell you that her brothers protect her at all costs.”
I had no idea when I got out of bed this morning that my brother would be threatening my fuck buddy before I got to work.
“Brothers?” Evan ignores the veiled threat to dig for more personal details about me. “How many Jones brothers are there?”
“Three,” I blurt out because I want this conversation to be over. “I have three brothers.”
“I have none,” Evan admits. “Consider yourself lucky, Chloe.”
I do.
“It was good to meet you, Evan. I’m going to run.” Rocco leans down to kiss me softly on the forehead. “I’ll stop by on Saturday, Chloe. Call me if you need anything before then.”
I watch in silence as he walks away before I turn back to face Evan.
“Chloe Jones,” he says slowly as he takes one step closer to me. “It suits you well.”
I don’t correct him. There’s no need to. I’m working on changing my surname back to Jones since Newell is a name I’ve come to loathe. I want to leave it and the all the memories of it behind.
“I don’t have time to go to a hotel with you today,” I say when Evan motions toward the door of the café. “I have a lot going on at work.”
His gaze travels over my face. “We don’t have to go to a hotel. I came here to see you. That’s all. If you can give me five minutes right now so I can stare at you, I’m good. “
I can’t contain a smile. “You’re very charming.”
“You’re mistaking honesty with charming.” He kisses me lightly on the cheek. “I was hoping I’d see you today. I’ve been putting in long hours at work. I did stop by a couple of times last week, but you were nowhere to be found.”
I raise my cup in the air. “Here’s to long hours at work. I’ve been swamped.”
He taps his cup to mine before he takes a drink. “I have tomorrow off.”
It doesn’t take a genius to read between the lines of that statement. He wants to hook-up. I could use the distraction and there’s nothing like an orgasm to do just that. “Name the hotel and the time.”
Something shifts in his expression. “We could do that, but I was thinking about dinner.”
“Dinner?” I cast my gaze down before I look back at him.
He just invited me to dinner. I’d classify that as an actual date. A rush of heat overwhelms me and I know that my cheeks must be turning a soft shade of pink.
Dammit, Chloe. Get a grip. It’s just a date.
“If you’re not comfortable with that, say so.” He taps the middle of his chest. “It may bruise my heart, but I’ll get over it.”
I press the toe of my boot against the corner of the barista counter. I should say no. Dinner can lead to more and I’m carrying so much baggage that he’d get lost under it.
“One meal, Chloe,” he goes on. “I didn’t ask you to marry me.”
I laugh. “I know.”
“If you feel like having dinner with me tomorrow, meet me at The Hot Oven Pizzeria on Broadway.”
I nod.
“I’ll be there at around six.” He gives me a chaste kiss. “I hope to see you there, Chloe Jones.”
I don’t say anything in response because my heart won’t let me. I have more than a day to think about it. I just hope that tomorrow at six, I make the right decision.