World Enough and Time Read Free Page A

Bellingham.
    “Let me take care of my tab and we can go,” he said.
    I nodded and he disappeared into the thinning crowd.
    Out of nowhere, Susan was suddenly by my side giving me a good-natured glare. “Dani Blake, if I didn’t know any better, I’d be sure you were just flirting with Connor.”
    “Define ‘flirting.’” I batted my eyes.
    She rolled hers. “After all the trouble I went to setting you up with Troy.”
    I snorted. “Please. I don’t think he was interested, considering how quickly he made his escape as soon as you were out of earshot.”
    Susan blinked. “What? Oh, I’m going to kill him, that—”
    “No, no.” I put a hand up and shook my head. “Trust me, it’s for the better.”
    Her eyes flicked toward the bar and she smiled. “Well, if Connor’s a suitable consolation prize, don’t let me get in your way.”
    “Consolation prize?” I glanced at Connor. “You won’t hear me complaining. Besides, he’s just taking me home.”
    “Taking you home?” Her eyes widened. “Doesn’t that—”
    “As in driving me back to my apartment, Susan.” I eyed her. “So I don’t have to pay for a cab. Nothing like that .”
    She laughed. “And I suppose you have some oceanfront property in Arizona to sell me while you’re at it?”
    Though I tried to laugh it off, I could only half-heartedly deny what my intentions were. One night stands weren’t for me, but I hoped the next half hour or so would at least warrant a “can I see you again?”
    Connor’s voice came from behind me: “Susan, you’d better not be filling her head with lies about me.”
    Susan put her hands up defensively. “No lies. None at all.”
    “Or truth, for that matter,” he said. I turned to see him giving her a look that might have been intimidating had it not been for the mischievous sparkle in his eyes.
    After some playful ribbing, we said our goodbyes to Susan and headed out of the pub. It was a warm night, considering it was only early spring, but the occasional gust of cold wind off Puget Sound made me wish I’d brought a jacket. Or a shirt that served as a somewhat better defense than this thin blouse. At least I was wearing jeans. Susan would be miserable when she stepped outside in her super short skirt.
    About three blocks from the pub, Connor indicated a black parallel-parked Jeep. He unlocked it and opened the passenger door to let me in before going around to the driver’s side.
    He slid into the driver’s seat. “So do you really live in Bellingham?”
    I wish . “No, my apartment is in the U-district.”
    “Not far at all then,” he said quietly.
    “You sound disappointed.”
    He shrugged and buckled his seatbelt. “I have to admit, I was hoping for a longer drive.”
    My heart skipped. That was probably the least subtle thing he’d said all night, and I so, so hoped he wasn’t just saying it. I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted from him, what I wanted out of this, but whatever it was, I hoped he wanted it too.
    Connor shifted gears and pulled out onto Pike Street, following it in the direction I indicated. While he drove, he said, “You mentioned that you’re not from this area. Where are you from?”
    “Wyoming. Moved here about seven months ago.”
    “What brought you out here? Work?”
    Before I could think twice, I said, “Boyfriend.”
    He glanced at me, eyes wide.
    I laughed. “Ex-boyfriend now.” The momentary panic faded from his expression, but unasked questions hid in the furrows between his eyebrows, so I continued, “He wanted a change of scenery, so he moved. About four months after we got here, he decided to change all the scenery.”
    Connor shot me an incredulous look. “Are you serious?”
    I shrugged. “Eh, he was a jackass. It’s better this way.”
    “Still,” he said. “I can’t imagine packing up your life, moving halfway across the country, then having someone turn around and pull a stunt like that.”
    “Yeah, tell me about it,” I said dryly.