hair. God, it was like silk. And it smelled good, too.
“Again, none of your business.”
“Who is he?”
“What will it take to get you to go away?”
He picked up her glass of wine and took a sip before she grabbed it from him. “Answer my questions.”
“I’m meeting a man here for drinks.”
“Must be quite a guy. Is that a new dress?” She was wearing a slinky red number that left little to the imagination. And Kellan had a very active imagination. The neckline plunged enough to give him a generous view of her cleavage, and as he glanced down, he confirmed it was short, revealing her very trim, tanned legs. Sara hid one hell of a package underneath those nursing scrubs. What a waste.
“Yes. Will you leave now? He’ll be here any minute, and I really don’t want you at the table when he shows up.”
His curiosity was piqued. Typically, he stayed out of Sara’s personal affairs, catching nothing more than the tidbits she dropped now and then. He’d liked David, her longtime boyfriend, and had been surprised when the two of them split. Though Sara said it was mutual, Kellan was pretty sure it was David who’d done the dumping. Especially when he married that other woman so soon after the breakup. Since then, he hadn’t heard about Sara dating anyone. “So, who is this Prince Charming?”
“No one you know.”
“That’s interesting, considering we know all the same people. Where did you meet him?”
Sara glanced toward the door again and then down at her phone. “I would really prefer to be sitting here alone when he arrives. Go annoy the blonde.”
Kellan chuckled as he rose. “I’ll give you a reprieve. For now. Good night, Sara. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“That leaves my evening wide open,” she muttered, prompting him to laugh.
He started to bail on the rest of the night, his gaze set on the exit, and then decided to return to his table. He was curious to see what type of man Sara was interested in. And what was even more unnerving was his even stronger need to make sure the guy was okay. He’d never felt overly protective of Sara before, but she hadn’t dated in a while. Kellan could spot a shark from a mile away, and as a friend, he owed it to her to make sure she wasn’t hanging out with the wrong sort of guy, the kind who was only looking to get laid.
He grinned as he realized most brothers and fathers probably considered him the wrong sort of guy. It was funny to find himself on the other side of the equation, looking out for the woman.
“Hey,” Josh said, returning to the table. “There’s Sara.” As he said her name, she looked up, and the two of them exchanged a wave. “Let’s invite her over.”
Kellan put a hand on his friend’s arm. “She’s got a date meeting her here.”
“Oh.” Josh and the other guys reclaimed their seats, the four of them ordering another round, arguing over who was going to take the World Series, and engaging in an interesting discussion on craft beers.
An hour passed, but Sara’s mystery date never arrived. She nursed the same glass of wine, and when it was gone, she motioned for the check.
She’d been stood up.
Josh had moved to the bar, chatting with the blonde woman, so Kellan threw some cash on the table and bid his other friends good night. He walked back to Sara. She was just about to rise, but closed her eyes and blew out an exasperated breath when he reclaimed his same spot in the booth.
“Please. Just don’t,” she said. She looked tired and upset.
“Don’t what?”
“Tease me. I’m feeling like a big enough fool as it is. I just want to go home.”
Kellan frowned. “God, Sara. I’m not an asshole. I actually stopped by for this guy’s name. I wouldn’t mind paying him a little visit. Teach him a lesson about what happens to the jerkoff who hurts one of my friends.”
She smiled tremulously. “Wow. That was probably the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
He grinned. “You just caught me on an off night.”
“He was someone I met online.”
Kellan frowned. “Please tell me you didn’t sign up for one of those online dating sites.”
She crossed her arms. “Dating isn’t exactly an easy gig.”
He was perplexed. He never had any trouble meeting women. “Of course it is. Take Josh for instance. You go to a bar, strike up a conversation and—”
“I said dating,