Born to Be Wild: Welcome to Paradise, Book 3 by Elle Kennedy Page B

distance.
    Truth was, he’d always known their relationship wouldn’t last, and he hadn’t wanted to explain to his family why Bree had stopped coming around.
    Now, he found himself regretting it. Bree had really helped him out today, preparing lunch, trying to arrange a reconciliation between Della and Austin, listening to Della cry for the last hour. That went above and beyond what a casual lover ought to do.
    “Can I take you out to dinner tonight?” he blurted out.
    She blinked in surprise. “What?”
    “Dinner,” he said roughly. “Carlotta’s again, if that’s what you’d prefer.”
    Her blue eyes heated at the mention of Carlotta’s.
    “In the main room this time,” he qualified. “Surrounded by other people.” When she didn’t respond, he shifted awkwardly. “Like a real dinner, Bree.”
    “Why?”
    The question had his chest clenching with pain. “I thought it’d be…nice.” He swallowed. “Or if you want, you can come by later and we’ll put on a movie or something.”
    Her expression displayed pure and utter disbelief. “Why?” she said again.
    Fuck, he was totally blowing this. And really, what was he doing anyway? When he’d seen Bree at that auction, he’d wanted nothing more than to sleep with her again. Not date her, for fuck’s sake.
    So why did her visible reluctance cut him to the core?
    “You’re right, dumb idea,” he mumbled. “My mom’s waiting, so you should probably go.”
    She touched his arm before he could dart off, her fingers curling over his sleeve and sending a jolt of heat to his biceps. “Thanks for the offer,” she said gently, “but you know that’s not what this is about. We’re not dating, Jake. We’re just…”
    “Fucking,” he finished in a flat tone. Realizing he sounded like a sulky loser, he cleared his throat and flashed her a grin. “I was looking for a way to thank you for being there for my mom, but you’re right, dating isn’t our thing. I’ll just show you some gratitude later. In bed.”
    The relief that flooded her gaze stung. “I’ll come over tonight,” she said.
    And then she bounded off toward her car.
    She hadn’t kissed him goodbye.
    Jake tried not to dwell on that as he stood there watching Bree and his mom drive away, but for some reason, her hurried departure made his chest feel tight again.
    Get a grip, Bishop. You’re already screwing her. What do you need to date her for?
    Clinging to that thought, Jake entered the house and closed the door, then headed to the kitchen to clean up the remains of that disastrous intervention.
     
     
    “This is a bad idea,” Bree told her mother as they exited the grocery store. “You know that, right?”
    As usual, Barbara Lockhart dismissed any criticism directed her way. “It will be lovely, sweetheart. Your father and the mayor had a very pleasant discussion during the charity event.”
    “Dad hates the mayor,” Bree replied. She juggled the grocery bags to her other hand and clicked on the electronic remote to unlock her car. Her mother, of course, hadn’t offered to carry any of the bags, nor did she help Bree load them into the trunk of the Lexus.
    “They’ve been getting along splendidly the past couple of years,” Barbara said. Her blue eyes darkened with displeasure. “Which you would know, if you came home more often.”
    Bree ignored the barb. When it came to pleasing her parents, she was in a no-win situation. If she came home too frequently, they ragged her about not working hard enough to be successful. If she stayed away, they complained she worked too much.
    “I still don’t see how a Lockhart-Price dinner can possibly go smoothly,” she answered as she closed the trunk and returned to the sidewalk.
    She and her mother had spent the afternoon in town, making arrangements for the big dinner Bree was only now hearing about. Maybe she hadn’t been visiting frequently enough, if Tanner Lockhart and Brandon Price were suddenly bosom buddies. The two