I
gave you some time, thinking you'd call and want to introduce her, but I haven't
heard shit from you since you got back. What's up with that, man? I thought
we were tight."
A long pause followed Scott's tirade, and Ariana
could only imagine what must be going through Milo's head.
"You're right, Scott. I've been a selfish
jerk. Hang on a sec."
Ariana bit her bottom lip so hard she tasted
blood.
Milo appeared in the kitchen doorway, anger
sparking in his glacier blue eyes. "Could you come here for a second, darlin'?"
His honeyed voice was a complete contradiction to his murderous gaze. "There's
someone I'd like you to meet."
"I'm sorry," she mouthed.
He glared and then jerked his head, indicating she
needed to go with him. She snagged his shirt as she passed the table and
shrugged into it, needing something to shield her from Scott's gaze and Milo's
wrath.
Milo gripped her hand in a crushing embrace just
before they entered the living room. "Follow my lead."
Scott glanced up, an attractive grin curving his
full lips. She could see where his dark hair and goatee might give him a
dangerous appeal if he held a serious expression. Tack on the bulging biceps
peeking from beneath his Harley t-shirt, and he appeared to be one serious
bad-ass.
"Hello again." His dark eyes flashed
with amusement.
"Hi." She pulled Milo's shirt closed.
Milo glanced down at her with a smile that didn't
reach his eyes. "Scott, I'd like to officially introduce Anna."
Thank God she'd used the fake name Milo had given
her.
"Honey, this is Scott Beckstead, one of my
long-time friends." He tugged her toward him, wrapping an iron arm around
her waist. "She didn't mention she'd run into you at the river.
Otherwise, I would have called sooner."
"So?" Scott looked at Milo with
expectant eyes.
"What?"
"God, man, you're dense." He shifted
his gaze to Ariana. "You sure you want to be connected to him?" He
glanced back. "I'll tell you what worries me. Here's my best friend neck
deep in a new relationship. No details? Last I checked, you were a confirmed
bachelor headed to Vegas. What the hell?" He looked at her. "No
offense."
She couldn't imagine how Milo would explain her.
Milo shrugged. "What can I say? We met in
Vegas."
Scott raised his brows, as if asking for more to
the story. "I thought what happened there stayed in there." Doubt
flashed in his eyes.
She had to help. "It was unexpected. We met
at the poker table and just kind of connected."
"Connected?" He looked back to Milo. "Dude,
I've seen you connect with hundreds of women, but you've never brought
any of them home." Back to Ariana. "Again, no offense."
Milo shifted, his fingers digging into her side. "I
guess when you meet the right one, there's no point in waiting. We got
married."
Silence encompassed the room as though it waited
for everyone to take a collective breath.
" What ?" she and Scott asked in
unison.
Milo squeezed her waist. "I'm sorry, honey.
I know we were going to wait a bit before we told everyone, but Scott's my best
friend."
"What the hell, man? Were you drunk?"
She ignored Scott's slander, still reeling from
Milo's announcement.
Milo removed his hand and stepped forward as
though to protect her from any potential verbal attacks. "What exactly
are you insinuating, Scott? That I made a mistake? That I would never have
married my beautiful wife if I wasn't drunk? That because I made a quick
decision, it's wrong?" He folded his arms in a menacing manner.
Scott blinked several times before he glanced at her.
She was sure the surprise on his face mirrored hers. "Uh…no. No, I
wouldn't insult you like that." He looked back and forth between them,
and then released a short bark of a laugh. "Damn, man. I just…never
would have expected it of you. But you seem like you're of sound mind, and she
doesn't seem like she could pull the wool over your eyes." He
gave you some time, thinking you'd call and want to introduce her, but I haven't
heard shit from you since you got back. What's up with that, man? I thought
we were tight."
A long pause followed Scott's tirade, and Ariana
could only imagine what must be going through Milo's head.
"You're right, Scott. I've been a selfish
jerk. Hang on a sec."
Ariana bit her bottom lip so hard she tasted
blood.
Milo appeared in the kitchen doorway, anger
sparking in his glacier blue eyes. "Could you come here for a second, darlin'?"
His honeyed voice was a complete contradiction to his murderous gaze. "There's
someone I'd like you to meet."
"I'm sorry," she mouthed.
He glared and then jerked his head, indicating she
needed to go with him. She snagged his shirt as she passed the table and
shrugged into it, needing something to shield her from Scott's gaze and Milo's
wrath.
Milo gripped her hand in a crushing embrace just
before they entered the living room. "Follow my lead."
Scott glanced up, an attractive grin curving his
full lips. She could see where his dark hair and goatee might give him a
dangerous appeal if he held a serious expression. Tack on the bulging biceps
peeking from beneath his Harley t-shirt, and he appeared to be one serious
bad-ass.
"Hello again." His dark eyes flashed
with amusement.
"Hi." She pulled Milo's shirt closed.
Milo glanced down at her with a smile that didn't
reach his eyes. "Scott, I'd like to officially introduce Anna."
Thank God she'd used the fake name Milo had given
her.
"Honey, this is Scott Beckstead, one of my
long-time friends." He tugged her toward him, wrapping an iron arm around
her waist. "She didn't mention she'd run into you at the river.
Otherwise, I would have called sooner."
"So?" Scott looked at Milo with
expectant eyes.
"What?"
"God, man, you're dense." He shifted
his gaze to Ariana. "You sure you want to be connected to him?" He
glanced back. "I'll tell you what worries me. Here's my best friend neck
deep in a new relationship. No details? Last I checked, you were a confirmed
bachelor headed to Vegas. What the hell?" He looked at her. "No
offense."
She couldn't imagine how Milo would explain her.
Milo shrugged. "What can I say? We met in
Vegas."
Scott raised his brows, as if asking for more to
the story. "I thought what happened there stayed in there." Doubt
flashed in his eyes.
She had to help. "It was unexpected. We met
at the poker table and just kind of connected."
"Connected?" He looked back to Milo. "Dude,
I've seen you connect with hundreds of women, but you've never brought
any of them home." Back to Ariana. "Again, no offense."
Milo shifted, his fingers digging into her side. "I
guess when you meet the right one, there's no point in waiting. We got
married."
Silence encompassed the room as though it waited
for everyone to take a collective breath.
" What ?" she and Scott asked in
unison.
Milo squeezed her waist. "I'm sorry, honey.
I know we were going to wait a bit before we told everyone, but Scott's my best
friend."
"What the hell, man? Were you drunk?"
She ignored Scott's slander, still reeling from
Milo's announcement.
Milo removed his hand and stepped forward as
though to protect her from any potential verbal attacks. "What exactly
are you insinuating, Scott? That I made a mistake? That I would never have
married my beautiful wife if I wasn't drunk? That because I made a quick
decision, it's wrong?" He folded his arms in a menacing manner.
Scott blinked several times before he glanced at her.
She was sure the surprise on his face mirrored hers. "Uh…no. No, I
wouldn't insult you like that." He looked back and forth between them,
and then released a short bark of a laugh. "Damn, man. I just…never
would have expected it of you. But you seem like you're of sound mind, and she
doesn't seem like she could pull the wool over your eyes." He
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