Page 23 of Entangled

Cara glanced up at him. “Yes?”

“You didn’t hear a word I just said, did you?”

Had he been talking?

Ouch.

“Sorry,” Cara said. “I’m not very good company, am I?”

Nathan smiled, but she could see the truth in his stare. “Let’s be honest here, Cara. We’re not going to repeat this, are we?”

“Probably not. It’s not you … it’s me, really. I’ve got no business going on dates at the moment, I think. I thought trying might help. It didn’t.”

“Yet, you asked me out tonight.”

“A shitty attempt at something different,” Cara said in explanation.

Nathan didn’t look like he understood, but who could?

Cara was a mess.

And not in a good way.

Nathan took her rejection in style, thankfully. Although, he was quieter through the rest of the meal. He offered to walk Cara out of the restaurant once they were done, but she only agreed to let him walk her to the bar. She didn’t want a drink, just a second to sit alone and think.

At the bar, Nathan leaned in, his hand resting on her lower back, and kissed her on the cheek. “Thank you for coming out with me tonight.”

Cara laughed lightly. “You’ve got to be one of the strangest men I have ever met. Rejection doesn’t bother you a bit, does it?”

“We win some, we lose some.”

“Thanks for … not being an asshole.”

Nathan’s grin widened, and Cara let him kiss her cheek once more. “Enjoy the rest of your evening, Cara. You do have my number, in case you ever want to use it.”

But she wouldn’t use it.

Cara watched Nathan stroll out of the restaurant with his hands in his pockets, and no worse for wear than he had been when he first arrived. The bartender took her order for ice water in a glass, and Cara surveyed the rest of the restaurant while she waited.

It was only when her gaze landed on a familiar pair of dark eyes that she finally understood why it felt like someone had been watching her.

Gian.

He sat at a corner table, tucked away in a quieter part of the restaurant with dim lighting, and what looked to be a glass of whiskey in front of him. Across from him sat an older gentleman, dressed just as well as he was, although the man was several pounds heavier around his middle. His guest seemed entirely oblivious to the fact that Gian was no longer engaged in their conversation, but rather, focused on Cara at the bar like she was the only person in the room.

His stare did not feel like it usually did.

It was hard.

So cold.

Angry, even.

Those dark eyes of his pinned her in place, lips smoothed into a thin, grim line, and his sharp jaw tensed as he looked her over. She didn’t miss the slide of his gaze darting to the left, in the direction Nathan had gone. His hand clenched around his glass tight enough for Cara to see his knuckles go white.

Great.

Cara would recognize that look anywhere, even if Gian had no business sporting it. He was fucking jealous.