Chasing You (Thirsty Hearts Book 4) (17 page)

“
Y
ou work
out at Starlight Fitness.”

Graham looked up from his computer at the stellar, auburn-haired woman tapping him on the arm. He’d brought his car into the dealership for an oil change and a car wash, taking advantage of the free Wi-Fi in the posh waiting area to get work done.

Her hair spilled over her shoulders is sexy, red waves, which she flipped back while surveying him with interest. She looked familiar.

“Yes. I do.”

“I thought I’d seen you there. Shauna March.”

She extended her hot-pink manicure toward him, and Graham shook her hand.

“Graham Ryan.”

“I love that place. The owner, Alexa, she’s my personal trainer. She’s killer.”

“I’ll bet. She’s takes her training seriously for herself, so I imagine she’s the same with her clients.”

“Oh, you’ve met her?”

“Yes. My company bought her building, so I’ve worked with her.”

“You’re in real estate.”

“I am.”

“So am I. Residential real estate. Let me give you my card.”

The sleek, black business card bearing Shauna’s smiling face was in his hand so fast Graham wondered if she didn’t keep them hidden up her sleeve like a magician. He recognized the realty group as one a friend of his started about ten years ago.

“I know the woman who owns your company. Nadine Dominguez. She’s married to an old college friend of mine.”

“Nadine and Carlos? Oh, my God. Aren’t they the best?”

She slapped him on the knee and lowered her lashes. The invitation in her eyes roused his interest. Why not? No sense in crying over spilt milk when another woman presented him with a fresh pitcher for the taking.

“They are. I’ve known them for years. Nadine found me the house I’m in now.”

“Really? Where?”

“Westlake Highlands.”

“Nice. There are some beautiful properties over there. I’m looking at one myself. Maybe we’ll be neighbors.”

“Maybe.” Graham warmed her with his smile, and she flushed. He drew his hands over his knees and sat forward, leaning toward her. “How long have you been waiting for your car?”

“About half an hour. They said it would be forty-five minutes.”

“Me too. We should be done about the same time.” He made a show of checking his watch. “My work day is winding down. Would you be up for a drink? I know a great sushi place less than a mile from here, Yukimura. If you like sushi.”

“I looove sushi.”

Her grin accentuated the deep rouge swept over her high cheekbones. As he examined her face, Graham finally remembered seeing Shauna at the gym without the warpaint.

He much preferred the bare look—including the sports bra she often wore without a shirt. Other than noting her outfit, he hadn’t paid much attention to her at the time. Watching out for the gym’s owner consumed most of his focus.

Graham shot his new target the most charming smile in his arsenal and held up the small plastic disk given to him by the service manager. “Great. Now we’re just in a race to see whose buzzer goes off first.”

She laughed, and minutes later, their buzzers when off within seconds of one another.

“See you there.” Shauna fanned her lashes at him with a smile that Graham found cloying.

He shook off his aversion.
Get back in the saddle and ride.

* * *

S
hauna laughed
at virtually everything Graham said. While he liked to believe he had a good sense of humor, no one was
that
funny.

He reminded himself to be grateful for the congenial dinner companion and flicked his eyes every once in a while to the sequined V-neck of her silk blouse.
Nice.
He could do this. He had done this. Many times. He loved doing this.

The internal pep talk meant he lost track of what Shauna was saying until her voice rose and then stopped. Was that a question? The last thing he remembered, they were debating love at first sight, which she insisted was real. She launched into her own dating experiences, and Graham let her talk.

“It’s hard to say.” He stroked his chin and dropped his head as if thinking. The bright green line of her green apple martini had dipped low in the glass. “Did you need another drink? I’d hate for you to be thirsty.”

“Yes, but don’t think you’re getting out of answering the question. Everyone has had that one ex who got away, and you regret it. I want to hear your story.”

He didn’t feel like telling it. Up until recently, he would have argued that he never regretted the end of any relationship. Now, he wasn’t sure if his liaison with Alexa counted as a relationship, but he had a sense of loss that nagged at him. Did that count?

Even if it did, he wouldn’t be telling Shauna about it. Instead of answering, he flagged down the waitress and ordered her another frilly martini and himself another Japanese single-malt whisky.

“Talk.” Shauna zeroed in on him.

“Maybe it’s too sensitive a topic,” he replied, half telling the truth.

“That’s sweet.”

“My personal pain is sweet?”

“That you have someone that you’ve loved. That’s sweet—maybe bittersweet.”

“There was a woman once. We started up, had a fight, and it ended quickly. Not much to talk about, but it stung a little. I moved on.”

“Such a man. Onto the next. Maybe you just haven’t met the right woman yet.”

“Maybe.”

“You should do something about that.” Her lips parted, and her cleavage seemed to swell toward him. The visual took his mind down another rabbit hole.

“Graham Ryan.”

The bark of his name came from his left side—angry, female, and unrecognizable. He swiveled and found the pinched face and blazing eyes of…God, what was her name?

He met the olive-skinned brunette right after New Year’s and spent the night at her apartment. The diamond stud in her nose kickstarted his memory. Ruby. He joked that she should have a ruby in her nose instead of a diamond. She, like Shauna, had thought he was funny.

She didn’t look amused now. After their night together, he pleaded an early start to work the next morning and bugged out of her place at midnight. She texted to invite him to dinner the next night.

Ruby ran a cookie delivery business—fresh hot cookies delivered within the hour all over the city. Ruby’s Goodies. They were tasty. Her cookies, that is.

The rest of her wasn’t so bad, either, but once he satisfied his sweet tooth, he hadn’t had a craving for more. So, he’d ghosted her.

“I wasn’t sure if you were still alive.”

Ruby’s eyes, dark like tarnished silver, fixed on him as she ground to a halt about two feet from him. She gripped her martini glass, sloshing its contents down her arm. The spiked olive rolled side to side.

“I’ve been consumed with work, Ruby. I’m sorry I haven’t gotten back to you about dinner.”

“I’m sure.” She glared at Shauna. “This doesn’t look like work.”

“It’s not. I’m on a date.”

“You’re not so busy that you can find some new piece of ass to screw. Watch out, sweetie, this guy wouldn’t know a good woman if she bit him in the ass. But, hey, maybe you’re not a good woman. Maybe that’s what he likes. Fire-crotched whores.”

“Hey, you don’t know me! He and I just met—” Shauna started to press forward with her defense, but he raised a hand and stopped her.

He lowered his voice and spoke evenly. “I’m sorry I haven’t gotten back to you, but that’s not a reason to cause a scene. You think you’re making a fool of me, but you’re only making a fool of yourself.”

“A scene? This is a scene.”

Ruby cursed in a language he didn’t recognize. Graham’s eyes flashed wide before reflex yanked them shut. The speared olive and a bath of mixed liquor washed over his head. After a wave of gasps, giggles, and foot shuffling, someone—probably the manager—insisted that Ruby leave.

Graham fumbled around the table for a napkin until one was thrust into his hand. He brought it to his eyes, trying to sweep away as much liquid as possible. Eventually, he could open them and see the amused and horrified faces in the bar of the restaurant where they sat.

“I take it that wasn’t the one who got away,” Shauna said.

“No.” Graham wiped his face again with the small section of the napkin that was still dry then drew a hand through his hair. “We went out once. Only once. I wasn’t interested in anything more, and I guess she objects.”

He forced a small smile and waited.

“She sounds like a lunatic.”

“Maybe so. That came out of nowhere. Did she get some on you?”

“Some. It spilled before she dumped it over your head.”

Graham balled up the wet napkin and flung it on the table. “I’m…God, sorry doesn’t cover it.”

He counted the number of times a woman had thrown a drink in his face. Four. Now, five.

Jonah used to say he was a magnet for crazies. Of course, he dated some women who were—as his grandfather would put it—crazier than a football bat. But he’d also hurt some of them.

He prided himself on being honest. He never led women to think he was interested in anything more than the here and now and figured that was fair warning. Their expectations were on them.

Still, as he shook off the remnants of the latest incident, he was tired—the fights, the confrontations, the bitterness in their eyes. And him, picking an olive out of his hair.

Shauna looked on with sympathy. “Some women are needy and delusional. But then, some men are pigs.”

“I’m not a pig,” Graham asserted as much for himself as for Shauna. “I’m sorry for the drama.”

“Not your fault. Let’s close out and go somewhere else. We can hit the reset button over some more cocktails.”

“Tempting, but I think I’m going to go home and put on some dry clothes.” And think. “But I’ll call you tomorrow. We can go to dinner this weekend. Have you been to Pulse?”

The trendy eatery had just opened on the east side of town. It had a two-month wait for weekend reservations, but he happened to know the owner. Maybe a posh, quiet dinner could sweep tonight out of Shauna’s memory banks—and his.

“No. That’s sounds nice. Another time, then.”

“Perfect. Thanks. And, again, sorry. I was having a nice time.”

“Me too. But you better call me.” She pointed her finger at him with her overly sweet grin. “You don’t want another pissed off woman on your hands.”

Graham chuckled, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. No, he didn’t.

* * *

O
n her way
to her office, Alexa cruised by the fitness studio to see Trista teaching her kickboxing class. Students packed the room, which wasn’t a surprise.

Since Trista came on board, Starlight Fitness had seen nearly a twenty percent increase in class sign-ups. There was a waiting list for their new morning bootcamp. Numerous clients stopped Alexa to talk about how much they loved Trista’s dynamic energy and kick-butt style.

Class let out, and Alexa caught Trista’s eye. She started to go in and chat with her newest employee, but ran into her training client, Shauna.

“Hey, Alexa. I saw the construction guys getting at it early next door. When is that spa opening? I can’t wait.”

“Still July. We have a little hiccup, but I think we’re good to go.”

“Trust me. I know how much of a nightmare construction projects can be. Are they dragging their feet?”

“No. It was a permitting thing. I have to get sign-off from the landlord. I need it yesterday, but my rep says it may take a week or more. I’m working on it.”

She and Melissa couldn’t afford a delay, but the city permit is very specific. She needed a release from ownership. Paperwork and large companies equal bureaucracy.

Shauna bit her lip and stepped closer. “Hey. Who owns your building?”

“Bass and Carmichael. Why?”

“Shoot. You know that guy Graham who works out here?”

“He hasn’t been here in a couple of weeks.”

“I ran into him, and he said he owned part of the building.”

“He does. He’s a partner at Bass and Carmichael.”

Shauna’s face brightened. “So, it wasn’t just a line.”

“No. Are you seeing each other?” Fatigue at Graham’s exploits gnawed at Alexa. He’d moved from the gym owner, to one of the employees, and now to one of her clients—and with several other women in between.