Adrianna leaned forward, her eyes snapping with curiosity. “This sounds interesting.”
“I told Ryan that Tripp wants to date me, too.”
Adrianna froze. “Why would you say that?”
“Because it’s true.” Betsy sighed. “And because I wanted to make sure Ryan knew that another man finds me attractive. Childish, huh?”
Adrianna bit into her sandwich and chewed for several seconds. “Are you thinking that Tripp will be your backup when Ryan dumps you?”
“If he dumps me,” Betsy protested. “Not when. We don’t know for sure he’s going to get tired of me. I could be ‘the one.’ The woman Ryan has been waiting for his whole life.”
Her voice began to tremble. Horrified by how much she’d revealed, Betsy clamped her mouth shut.
Adrianna leaned forward and took Betsy’s hand. “You’re right. You don’t know. That’s why you need to tell Tripp to take a hike. You can’t date him right now. You need to put your whole heart into this relationship with Ryan. Jump in with both feet. Don’t sit on the edge dipping in one toe at a time.”
“I don’t want to be hurt.”
“If he walks away from you, you’ll hurt anyway.” Adrianna gazed into her eyes. “Isn’t that right?”
Betsy slowly nodded.
“Give this relationship your best shot. If he does walk away, it’ll be his loss. But at least you won’t be left forever wondering if things would have turned out differently if only you’d opened your heart fully.”
What Adrianna said made sense. That didn’t mean the thought of putting her suggestion into action wasn’t scary as hell. “How did you get to be so smart?”
“I’ve made my share of mistakes.” Adrianna’s eyes turned dark. “I’d hate to see you make the same ones.”
It sounded so simple. Give Ryan her whole heart and hope for the best. Well, she’d already given him her body and soul in addition to her heart. That meant all that was left was to hope for the best.
Fully focused was how Ryan normally spent the workday. Not today. This morning, all he’d been able to think of was Betsy.
To make matters even more complicated, he’d run into Tripp at the courthouse. Ryan wasn’t sure why the guy was there, and he hadn’t asked. He was still pissed that Tripp had asked Betsy out after he’d told him to back off. Yet Betsy could have said no. When he boiled it down, that’s what bothered him the most.
Ryan pressed his lips together as he strode down the cavernous halls of the courthouse.
“Watch where you’re going,” a man snarled.
Ryan had felt his briefcase bump against something but hadn’t realized it had been a person. He glanced up. “Chad.”
The tall attorney narrowed his gaze. “You need to keep better control of that briefcase, Harcourt.”
Ryan shrugged. The case had merely smacked against the attorney’s leg, he hadn’t swung it against the guy’s head. Even though after how Chad had treated Betsy, he deserved a good wallop to the head...and then some. But Ryan had promised Betsy he wouldn’t hurt the guy, and he was a man of his word.
Still, Chad’s unwarranted irritation said something was up. And that made Ryan curious. “What brings you to the courthouse?”
“What do you think?” Chad snapped. “I had business here.”
He’d hit a nerve. Good.
“I heard you hired a new paralegal,” he said as they both headed for the door. “How’s she working out?”
“She’s not with the firm anymore.” A muscle jumped in Chad’s jaw. “And I’m not answering any more of your questions.”
Yep. He’d definitely hit a nerve. Ryan smiled.
They were outside now, in the cool crisp air. The walks had been scooped, but patches of ice remained. Chad moved with long purposeful strides down the steps as if he couldn’t get away quickly enough. Until his Italian loafers connected with a patch of ice. The attorney waved his hands trying to regain his balance but instead did an alley-oop straight onto his backside.
Ryan’s smile widened. He approached while Chad was bent over gathering the papers he’d been holding in his hand before the fall. A better man might have stopped to help. But when Ryan thought about how Chad had treated Betsy, he walked past without a second glance.
* * *
After one quick stop on the way, Ryan strode into his office at two o’clock and paused by Betsy’s desk. Her eyes were glued to the computer screen. When she looked up and smiled, his heart tripped over itself.
He’d hated to leave her this morning. Last night had been a major turning point in their relationship. If Betsy needed reassurance, he’d wanted to be there to give it to her. He didn’t want her having any second thoughts or worrying.
Heck, who was he kidding? He wanted the reassurance. Wanted to know that he’d satisfied her. Wanted her to tell him that she loved him as much as he loved her.
She cocked her head. “What’s in your hand?”
He lifted his right arm and stared at the colors of yellow, red, white and orange in a mass of greenery as if seeing them for the first time. “I believe they’re Peruvian lilies.”
“They’re gorgeous.” Betsy breathed the words, her gaze never wavering from the bouquet.
“They reminded me of you.” He handed the flowers to her. “Only not near as lovely.”
A familiar rosy glow crept up her neck. “You bought them for me? Really?”
He smiled indulgently, pleased by her reaction. “You act as if a man has never bought you flowers before.”
She buried her face in the bouquet and inhaled deeply before answering. “These are my first.”
Men were fools. He’d been a fool. Such beauty. Such intelligence. And that sweet but-oh-so-sexy smile...
Ryan leaned close and kissed her on the cheek. “They won’t be your last.”
“Thank you.” Without warning, she rose and her arms wrapped around his neck, the flowers gripped tightly in one fist. “I love...them.”
For a second he thought she was going to say she loved him. Ryan tried hard not to be disappointed. A declaration would come in time. For now, her loving the flowers he’d given her was enough.
While Ryan had always believed in keeping personal relationships out of the work setting, he couldn’t resist stealing one quick kiss.
She tasted like cherry soda, one of his favorite drinks. At least it was now. Her mouth opened and Ryan deepened the kiss. Desire, hot and insistent, surged. He cupped her breast through her silk shirt, teasing the nipple with the side of his thumb. Locking the office door never crossed his mind. Until the sound of clapping filled the air.
Betsy jerked back, the flowers falling from her fingers.
Ryan whirled, wanting to see who’d had the audacity to walk to his back offices without pressing the buzzer.
Chad Dunlop stood in the doorway, a smirk on his face. “I got to hand it to you, Harcourt. You succeeded where I failed.”
Two long strides was all it took for Ryan to reach Chad. He grabbed the front of the attorney’s coat and slammed him into the door frame. He’d already drawn back his fist, ready to wipe that smirk off Chad’s