Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 58253 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 291(@200wpm)___ 233(@250wpm)___ 194(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58253 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 291(@200wpm)___ 233(@250wpm)___ 194(@300wpm)
She shook her hand at Dex. “Give it to me.”
He groaned and handed her the phone. “I texted you and said I’d call when I was ready,” she said to her brother.
“And I haven’t slept since you left because I’ve been worried sick.”
She closed her eyes, guilt flooding her. She’d known her brother would be concerned. “I’m sorry. I was just so angry at Jeremy, embarrassed that I had a huge number of people sitting, waiting for a wedding that wasn’t going to happen. And I was too mortified to talk to you,” she admitted.
“You have no reason to be embarrassed. That jackass is the one who should be too ashamed to show his face in Manhattan,” Ian muttered.
“But there’s a lot you don’t know.” She closed her eyes and a tear dripped out. Not because she was sad about losing Jeremy but because she’d been such a fool.
A warm hand came down on her bent knee. She opened her eyes to see Dex had put his hand on her, giving her his comfort, and she drew strength from that.
“Samantha Dare, I want you to listen to me. I can be a bossy pain in the ass, as my wife likes to say, but it’s only because I love my family. There is nothing you can tell me that will disappoint me. Or make me turn my back on you.”
She sniffed, her tears really flowing now. “You’re such a good man. A great brother. And an amazing father.”
“Tell that to my daughter who is testing her boundaries with the clothes she thinks it’s okay to wear to elementary school. Does she not understand boys get ideas even at that age?”
She was aware that he’d changed the subject for her benefit. “I am sure you’re teaching your daughter that if any boy looks at her wrong, to knee him in the balls.”
“Ouch,” Dex said, squeezing her knee.
“Harsh but true,” Ian said.
She managed to smile. “I’m also sure you are telling her she can wear whatever makes her happy and it’s on the boy to behave.”
He let out a low chuckle. “Damn right. I’m just not ready for her to grow up.”
“Well, she’s not yet a teen, so relax. You’ve got time.”
Ian snorted. “How did we end up not talking about you?”
“You brought up Rainey, not me. But give my nieces and nephew a kiss for me.”
“Speaking of Rainey, she says you owe her another chance to walk down the aisle as a junior bridesmaid.”
She’d had her nieces in the wedding party because the girls were so excited and wanted a part in the ceremony. She adored them all but she was closest to Rainey.
Samantha sighed. “Tell her I’ll take it under advisement.” But she wasn’t signing up for a walk down the aisle anytime soon. She’d been burned enough. “Ian, can a deeper conversation wait for a face to face? I promise you, I’m okay. I just need a few days to process things.”
“Sure, Sammy Bean,” he said, using his childhood nickname for her that had never made any sense but she liked it anyway. Only he gave her any form of nickname. She’d always been Samantha to everyone else.
“And don’t worry. I’m in good hands.”
Beside her, Dex groaned loudly.
“There’d better not be any hands on you or I’ll meet your plane when you land and show Dex what happens if he touches my sister.”
Her eyes opened wide. “Ian Carlton Dare. Stay out of my private life.”
That was apparently the wrong thing to say because Dex grabbed his phone back. “Relax, Ian. I’m just here as her sounding board. We need to go now. Lunch is here.” Dex disconnected the call without saying goodbye.
“Impressive,” she said, as the server handed her a plate with her lunch, then did the same for Dex. Their drinks came next.
“I’m not afraid of your brother, Samantha. I am, however, serious about my food.”
They ate in silence, leaving her wondering more about Dex calling himself just her sounding board and bemoaning the fact that she’d never feel those sexy lips on hers again, than about her screwed up life.
* * *
A couple of days later, Samantha sat on the bed wearing a silky robe she’d bought for her honeymoon. Most of her clothes had been purchased with that occasion—and Jeremy—in mind. Pushing that distasteful thought away, she leaned back and thought over her time here in the Bahamas with Dex. A man she preferred thinking about. Especially after seeing how hot he looked in swim trunks, his tanned skin and six-pack mouthwateringly sexy.
Keeping a smart, physical distance from the man she was so attracted to hadn’t been easy. Her emotional walls were high. How could they not be after how badly she’d been burned? Though she saw the interest in Dex’s eyes, he deserved more than being a rebound guy. Not to mention she’d be putting him in Ian’s crosshairs. She didn’t care what her brother thought about her love life per se, but it wasn’t fair to involve Dex when she was all tied up in knots over a marriage that should have happened less than a week ago.