She saw Nick as soon as she stepped into the dimly lit bar, and he came to his feet as she approached. She felt the now-familiar surge of awareness as she met his eyes, and then he was pulling out her chair. As she took her seat, she could smell a hint of soap and the lavender of his aftershave.

“Thank you,” Lina said after a waitress set a glass of Chardonnay before her moments later.

“So, how are you?” Nick’s eyes roamed over her face.

“I’ve been better,” she said before taking a sip of wine. “How are you?”

“I’m going to be blunt.”

“Okay.” She set down her glass and sat up straighter in her chair.

“I don’t like your husband,” he began, his eyes meeting hers, “which undermines my ability to be unbiased when I’m talking to you.”

She was surprised by his candor. “Oh.”

“This is why I was hesitant to respond to your text earlier. You shouldn’t trust any advice I give you in regard to him.”

Something happened. The air of tranquility normally surrounding him was absent. “He said something to you,” she guessed. Of course he’d said something to him. Phil saw him as a threat to their family.

“This isn’t because of what he said to me yesterday, although his manner of communication certainly doesn’t advance my opinion of him. I felt like I was transported back to high school or a B movie—cool jock warning me with the threat of bodily harm to stay away from his girlfriend.”

Lina’s cheeks heated. “He didn’t!”

He shrugged. “The warning was about his wife, not girlfriend, but yes, he did.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“Your husband doesn’t intimidate me, Lina. I’m here talking to you, aren’t I?”

“Did he threaten you?”

“He did, and while I have no doubt he would probably like to leave me in a hospital eating out of a straw, I don’t believe it’s ever going to come to that. He was upset and resorted to adolescent posturing.”

“I’m sorry,” she said again because she didn’t know what else to say.

“Please don’t apologize for him. You aren’t responsible for his actions, but I think it’s important you understand when you text or talk to me about him, I’m going to say what I think as a man, and I suspect you’re looking for the response of a therapist.”

“I want your opinion. I value your opinion.”

“Lina,” he began, smiling slightly as he dropped his eyes to his drink. “You shouldn’t value my opinion where he’s concerned. My judgment is a bit impaired, and it’s more complicated than just not liking him.”

“I don’t understand.”

He met her eyes. “I’m attracted to you.”

Chapter 23

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