“You’re full of shit.” I shoved his arm harder than I intended. Joseph laughed deep from his throat. He set something off in me. Was he not taking me seriously? “Why do you keep pushing me away? If you aren’t careful, I’ll be gone, Joseph. Gone so fast your head will spin. Fair warning, I’m about out of patience, and you’re close to losing the best woman you’ve ever known.”
“I know,” he muttered and hung his head.
“You know?” This guy gave me whiplash with his back and forth. “Well, that’s lovely. I’m such an idiot.” I guzzled the last bit of my beer. Something more potent, like a gin and tonic, would be better.
Joseph said nothing. Here I’d thought he was different from other guys. I stared at his stupidly handsome profile. His posture reminded me of the guy I’d seen after I left Ted’s Peep Club. I wondered if…
“Where were you last night?” A funny feeling sprouted in my belly. It couldn’t have been Joseph, could it? I hadn’t seen him there before. But then, I never went into the lounge where customers hung out. He could’ve been there when I was, and I would’ve never known it.
“Why? What’d you do last night?” He turned his face toward mine, his eyes darkening as he watched for my response.
“I asked you first.” Why couldn’t he ever give me a straight answer?
“I was out with a friend.”
“Where?”
“A club.” He narrowed his eyes.
I sensed he was telling me the truth. “With a girl or a guy?” I believed he was the man I saw on the road. Why had he been walking alone if he said he’d been out with a friend?
“Guy.” His reply surprised me.
“Really? I never see you with anyone on campus.” I thought back to all the times we were together. Not once had he been with “a friend.” I didn’t really care who he’d been with last night. I was only curious if he’d been at Ted’s. Could he be into the same things as me?
“I’m a loner on campus. My friends aren’t in college.”
“Hmm, interesting.” Should I be direct and just ask if he was at Ted’s?
“I know where you’re going with this line of questions.”
“Do you?”
“Yes.”
My heart stopped. “Then tell me.”
“I saw you last night driving down the mountain.” He grabbed my hand as if to keep me beside him. Did he think I’d run off?
“What mountain?” I tilted my head, giving him attitude.
“Brynne.” Panic flashed in his eyes. “I know you were at Ted’s.”
“Ted’s?”
“Stop it. I’m struggling to get the words out, and you’re being a brat. Iknowyou were there.”
“How do you know?” I tugged away from him, but he didn’t release me.
“A performer confirmed that you work there.”
“Oh, Jesus.” I turned my face away from his.
“Hey, I’m not judging you. I was there too.”
“So is that why you only want to be my friend? Because I’m a performer at a sex club?” I didn’t like the direction this conversation was going. I could tell he wasn’t judging me. Sensed he had his own kinks he was into. But something told me he was about to push me farther away than before.
“No. I’m afraid to get close to you.” His words made me freeze, and I held my breath, hoping he’d continue. “My mother was murdered in front of me. A piece of me died that day with her. After I saw the hell my dad went through being without the love of his life, I vowed to never let it happen to me. I can’t take losing another person I love.” He considered me a long second. “I’ve never shared that information with anyone, only you.”