24
Taran stepped outside on the pavers surrounding the Demodas’ pool. The house was on the Jersey coastline, and just past the wrought-iron fence, she could see the dunes and the beach beyond. She could make out the crashing ocean waves with the light of the half moon. She turned back to the house. Through the large windows that covered the entire side, she could see them all at the table. Corey’s eyes stayed on her while his jaw clenched.
When he’d asked her to come here tonight, she thought he would maybe say something about what this was. He hadn’t. Instead, he’d been almost silent. His actions seemed to imply he wanted this to be something—keeping her close, holding her hand, and bringing her favorite wine.
She hadn’t seriously dated anyone but Jeremy, and in high school, dates were dates, not this gray area of hanging out. She didn’t wonder if Jeremy was just hoping to sleep with her, wanted a fuck buddy, or just wanted to be friends. That was fourteen years ago, and so much had changed. Maybe dating now was like this mind game she was going through with Corey.
He turned back to his family and laughed at something one of them had said. He tossed his head back, and that dirty-blond hair shook.
Her phone rang again.
“Hello?” she said absently, watching Corey’s broad shoulders shake as the laugh rumbled through him. He turned to look at her again, his eyes narrowing slightly. She glanced away but felt the heat creep into her cheeks that she’d been caught staring.
“Sorry to bother you so late, but somehow I don’t have the Tillerson contract. I’ve gone through my email four times—don’t have it,” Wayne said. “Legal wants it tonight before it goes to press.”
“Oh,” she replied. “That’s weird. I usually send them straight over.” She put it on speaker and flipped to her email. She searched for Sean’s name.
“You got one, right?” Of course that was his reaction. To imply she hadn’t done her job or was too stupid to do it right.
“Definitely. Sean emailed it to me,” she said, and Wayne snorted. “I can always ask him to resend if I need to.” But her eyes flitted up, and she saw Corey heading her way. She swallowed and scanned quickly, finding one this month with the subject contracts. “Found it.” Weird, Sean made it plural. Why would he send two? She glanced up again, seeing Corey almost to the door, so she quickly forwarded it. “I sent it over, but I gotta go.”
“Hot date?” her boss asked just as Corey pushed the door open, and his eyebrows shot up.
“Uh,” she said, and Corey nodded. “Y-eah?”
Both her boss and Corey laughed at how unsure she sounded.
“I see your email, so we’re good. Have fun, Taran.”
Her boss hung up before Taran could even reply. She stood awkwardly, unsure of what to say.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt, but you looked worried, and I wanted to offer to take you home if you needed to go,” Corey said.
“It’s okay.”
He nodded before he continued.
“Taran, I want this to be a date.”
“Oh.” She felt the smile creep across her lips.
“Unless you don’t want it to be,” he continued.
“No.” She shook her head. “I do.”
“Good,” Corey said. Then he shook his head, chuckling a bit. “Damn, this is awkward.”
She laughed. “Yeah.”
“I’m just going to spit this all out so it stops being weird.” Corey frowned and shook his head again. “I like you, and I’d like to keep seeing you. But I’m very private about my personal life. I’d love to bring you here with me or have you hang out at my place or your place or any of our friends’ houses.” He swallowed, and then his words started to come faster. “But I’m not comfortable dating in public. And it’s not because I’m embarrassed about you, or ashamed, or—”
“Corey.” She cut him off, reaching for his forearm. “It’s okay, and I get it.”
He swallowed and pulled her closer to him, letting his hands rest on her hips. “Do you?”
“You and Beth had a very public relationship that ended with a massive invasion of your privacy and her getting crucified by the media.” Taran knew the story well. Corey had won Olympic gold pitching, and Beth had won the gold medal in the gymnastic all around. They were the new it couple. But his college roommate had released a sex tape of Corey and Beth to the press, who ran wild with it. She couldn’t imagine how he felt about it. But she understood he wouldn’t want to throw himself into that fire again. He pulled her into his chest and dropped his head so his lips pressed into her hair.
“I can’t let that happen to you,” he whispered.