Quiet Nights Read Free

even talking to this guy?”
    I got a trace of a smile from her, because yeah, we were on the same wavelength. “I didn’t. He talked to me.”
    “Oh really?” I asked, my voice rising.
    “Yes, really,” she snapped, matching my volume.
    I let her go and put my hands on my hips. “Because this seems like Tampa all over again, and we know how that turned out and what you made me do to that guy!”
    She covered her face with her hands, bursting into tears. “You went too far! Why did you have to—I told you it was nothing!”
    “And I told you I didn’t care!”
    “We had to move,” she cried. “So you wouldn’t have to go back to jail.”
    I crossed my arms, glaring at her before lifting my gaze to the man hovering close. Never in my life had I actually seen color drain from anyone’s face in absolute fear. It was interesting to observe.
    “Hey man, I don’t want any trouble.”
    “Too late,” I replied menacingly.
    He bolted, leaving the tiny sobbing woman with me.
    “Wow,” she said as he turned the corner. “Chivalry actually is dead.”
    “He totally ditched you,” I said, chuckling as I turned back to her. “And clearly, I’m a psychopath, because I did something heinous to that guy in Tampa.”
    She laughed as she took hold of my hand. “Thank you so much. I’ve never had a better impromptu acting partner.”
    I squeezed back. “Where’d you pick him up?”
    “I was running on that path along the beach and he came up beside me and started talking.” She sighed. “I thought he’d get the hint from the monosyllabic answers.”
    “Sorry.”
    She coughed. “I got lost when I turned one corner, then another and another, and there was an alley back behind a restaurant that was a bit dark, and he stopped me to talk and got a little handsy… so when I saw an opening, I ran.”
    “Good.”
    She exhaled sharply, clearly a bit more shaken than she wanted me to see. “I mean, I don’t think he would have done anything, but—thank you for being my knight. I needed one, and they’ve been few and far between here lately.”
    “Not a problem,” I said, smiling, changing her grip on my hand so we were shaking. “Kelly Seaton.”
    “Olivia Lassiter,” she answered, beaming at me, taking my hand in both of hers. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kelly. You have to come have lunch with me and my family.”
    Lassiter? “I—”
    “My whole family is here visiting,” she continued excitedly. “We never have time to get together anymore, but my brother is moving here to become a partner at a law firm, and I just got accepted to graduate school at Cornell and—”
    “Sounds like a real celebration,” I said, extricating myself from her, needing to get out of there. “I don’t want to intrude.”
    “You’re not intruding,” she assured me, grabbing me again, making sure I couldn’t get free without prying at her fingers. “You saved me—you’re wonderful.”
    “I appreciate—”
    “Come and have lunch with my family,” she insisted, trying to tug me after her.
    Lassiter… holy crap…. “I wish I had time, but I have trees to check on and my boyfriend is expecting me for dinner so I can’t eat a big lunch so I should just go.”
    “Boyfriend?”
    Oh yes, the easy out. “Yeah, I’m gay, so I—”
    “Serious boyfriend?”
    What? “I’m sorry?” She was the strangest girl.
    Her eyes opened wide like I was the one who was odd. “It’s a simple question: is the boyfriend serious or not?”
    “I—he’s more a friend than… why?”
    “I have a super hot brother.”
    Yes. I knew that. “Who’s about to become a partner at a law firm here in town,” I reminded her. “And I’m sure he doesn’t need any distractions or—”
    “No,” she said quickly. “He could use a distraction.”
    I had my out. “Actually, I have never been a one night stand guy myself,” I said flatly, pulling out of her grip. “But thanks for thinking I was trashy.”
    “Oh no,” she