Dating a Metro Man (17 page)

Seth watched Jenna frown and walk off the dance floor with her head bowed as she trailed behind the man who had claimed her away from him. He didn’t know which bothered him more, the existence of yet another good-looking man in her life or Jenna’s meek behavior with him.

He took out his cell and typed furiously.

Does your date know you like to scream during sex? Want me to tell him how to make you? I could give him some friendly advice.

He pressed send and waited. From a distance, Seth watched Jenna pull out her cell and read his message. He laughed when she clasped the cell phone to her chest to hide the message when the man asked if everything was okay.

The hold he had on Jenna Ranger wasn’t love yet, but Seth knew how to push the right buttons in some ways.

“We’ll see which one of us she climbs into bed with tonight, you Spanish bastard. It’s for damn sure not going to be you,” Seth said under his breath.

“Why don’t you dance with me and make her jealous?” a voice suggested near his elbow.

Seth turned to see a tall, gorgeous blonde smiling at him as she sipped a glass of champagne.

“Sorry,” Seth said, apologizing. “Ex-girlfriend. I didn’t mean anyone to hear that.”

“Didn’t look like ex-anything when you were dancing with her earlier,” the woman said with a laugh. She put out a hand for him to shake. “My name is Linda Warren. My husband Todd is Jenna’s boss. He sent me over here to dance with you and find out who you are. He thinks you’re the one who’s got Jenna smiling and being nice now at the office. Is that true?”

Now Seth laughed as he shook her hand. “I’m Seth Carter. If Jenna’s being nice, you couldn’t prove it by me. I only have part of her affections right now, but I’m damn possessive about my part. I don’t like to share her attention with her—dates.”

“My kind of man,” Linda said, grinning and setting her champagne on a nearby table before taking his hand in hers again. “Jenna actually introduced me to Todd. I used to model for Alexa when I was younger. Jenna and I have always been good friends even though I’m a decade older. Once I got married, she ditched me to hang out with her single friends. Come on, let’s dance.”

Seth tucked his phone back into his pocket as they walked to the dance floor. “Are you sure your husband isn’t going to come after me if I dance with you?”

“Only if you run your hand over my rear like you did Jenna earlier,” Linda said, laughing when he blushed. “Look at you blushing, Seth Carter. You are the sweetest thing. Todd and I were looking hard. That’s the only reason we noticed.”

“I have little self-control where Jenna Ranger is concerned,” Seth said contritely, “but I didn’t mean to do anything to embarrass her in front of her boss.”

“Like Jenna would care. Besides, you can’t embarrass Todd. Not even on a good day. The man is outrageous. That’s why I married him. He and Jenna get along great, and he’s says you’re the best thing to ever happen to her,” Linda said, smiling up into his face. “I mean, that is—if you
are
the one happening to her. Todd says she’s being very discreet about her love life. No bragging at all. He says she just smiles a lot.”

Seth smiled at the thought of Jenna being happy because of him, and then laughed because there was no other choice in the face of Linda Warren’s enthusiastic teasing. He wanted the whole world to know how he felt about Jenna. He certainly had no problems with her boss knowing. “Okay. I admit it. I’m the one—even if Jenna hasn’t accepted it yet.”

“Jenna is stubborn, but she’s loyal, smart as hell, and has a heart of pure gold too. I wouldn’t have married Todd if it hadn’t been for her lecturing me on how he was the perfect man and that it was stupid to let our seven-year age difference be a factor,” Linda said. “That’s why I couldn’t believe Jenna gave Alexa such grief over Casey. Hey, you’re Casey’s cousin, aren’t you? No wonder you’re such a nice guy. Casey is a great guy.”

“Well, if you say anything nice about me to Jenna, you’ll just make her more resistant,” Seth warned. “I’m wearing her down. It’s just taking a while.”

And because he was smiling at the top of her head, Linda knew Seth didn’t see the woman they were discussing glaring at them from across the room, but she did.

It made her laugh to know at her age someone as young and beautiful as Jenna could be so jealous of her.

Across the room, Jenna glared at Seth dancing with the lovely older woman. Not only was Linda lovely, but she was charming and funny as well. Todd adored her and usually never let other guys be around her for long. Jenna wondered what the man was thinking letting Linda dance with Seth.

“Cristo, will you excuse me a moment. I need to go say hello to my boss. Why don’t you ask one of these pretty women to dance with you until I get back?” Jenna said, patting him on the arm and pushing him lightly in the direction of a smiling brunette giving him the eye.

Jenna stalked in her strappy sandals over to talk to Todd.

“Why is Linda dancing with Seth Carter?” she demanded.

“Who? Oh, is that his name?” Todd asked, keeping his face composed when he wanted to laugh outright at Jenna’s jealousy. “I was just wondering who he was. Carter. Carter. Is he related to your stepfather?”

“Yes. Don’t just stand there watching them, Todd. Go do something about it. Cut in and stop them,” Jenna demanded.

“Why?” Todd asked, fascinated with the fury on Jenna’s face. He’d never seen her this animated about anything but work, certainly not about a guy. “Linda is just dancing with the man. I’ve got an eye on them. The man seems to be keeping his hands where they belong.”

“They’re smiling and laughing, Todd,” Jenna said furiously. “Don’t you think they’re being a little
too
friendly?”

“I trust my wife completely, Jenna. Besides, I saw you dancing with that man earlier. He seemed nice enough with you,” Todd said, narrowing his gaze on her. “What’s wrong with him? Isn’t he your date?”

“Nothing’s wrong with him. And no, he’s not my date. I’m here with the dark sexy guy dancing with the short brunette over there by the window,” Jenna said tightly.

“
Really?
That’s your date?
Well, you don’t seem worried about him dancing with another woman. The blonde guy is the one you seem concerned about right now. What’s the deal, Jenna? Why are you so upset about the Carter guy dancing with Linda?” Todd commented, sipping his soda and watching Jenna fume over the rim of his glass.

“I’m not upset. I’m just—” Jenna stopped, not knowing what to say. She watched Todd’s wife smile and laugh at something Seth said. There was no reason for the situation to bother her. Really. She was overreacting. But did they have to dance so damn close together?

“Jenna, whoever that man is—the one that’s not your date—he seems to really care about you,” Todd stated. “It was obvious when you were dancing with him. You could see it in the way he looked at you and from the way he held you in his arms.”

“You don’t know the man, Todd. He spent four months dating me and just as long rejecting me. He’s obsessed with his business and has a more intimate relationship with his cell phone than me. So it’s not so obvious that he cares,” Jenna said harshly.

“He makes you happy—at least in some ways,” Todd said quietly, hoping to defuse the unexpected bomb he set off by asking his lovely wife to dance and spy. “If you seriously want me to, I’ll go drag Linda away from the man who is not your date, but I’m guessing he’ll just find another woman to dance with. He’s a good-looking guy. If you’re not dating him, someone else is going to come along and snap him up. It’s only a matter of time.”

“Fine. If you’re not worried about your wife, then I’m not either,” Jenna said, ignoring the rest of Todd’s commentary about Seth being good-looking and getting snapped up. She couldn’t think about Seth and another woman. It made her want to kill people.

Jenna went back to stand and wait politely for Cristo to finish his third dance in a row with the brunette. Jenna pulled out her cell phone while she waited and typed a reply to Seth’s earlier message that was sure to get retaliation.

Maybe I scream because I like drama. Maybe it’s nothing you’re doing at all.

Then Jenna waited, but Seth never missed a step in his dancing or pulled his attention away from his partner. Normally, he would have stopped to take the message or the call. When had Seth suddenly become Mr. Attentive, she wondered? And why to Linda Warren?

The dance finally ended and Cristo came back to her side. She let him lead her out for the next dance even as Linda led Seth across the room to meet Todd.

Great, she thought. Now she’d have no peace at work. Seth was too honest to lie about the nature of their relationship no matter how embarrassing the circumstances of it were to her. Todd finding out was almost as bad as their family discovering what they were doing.

She watched Seth talk to Todd for two whole dances without checking his phone.

By the time the second dance ended, she was ready to leave—but not with Cristo.

“Cristo, I think I’m going to have to go,” Jenna said. “I’ve been working very long days and they’re catching up with me.

Cristo raised a hand to her face and smiled in sympathy. The short brunette tapped him on the shoulder again. He looked at Jenna.

“Stay. Enjoy your evening. I mean that,” Jenna said, mentally saying goodbye to yet another good-looking guy because of Seth Carter. She leaned forward and dropped a kiss on his cheek in farewell.

When she turned, it was to find Seth staring hard at the man leading the brunette out to the dance floor again. He looked puzzled when his gaze came back to her.

Jenna lifted her chin and walked over to where Seth stood. She ignored Todd and Linda completely.

“I suddenly find myself without a way home. Can I get a lift?” she asked Seth.

“Sure,” Seth said, surprised and not able to hide it completely. “I need to drop a check off with the hosts. Be back in a couple of minutes. Todd. Linda. Nice to meet you.”

“I see you’re still hooking up the guys you dump with other women,” Linda said, when Seth had walked away. “Seth Carter is a very nice man—dances well too. I bet he’s good at a lot of things.”

“He is,” Jenna said automatically before turning a frowning gaze on the older beautiful woman and catching the twinkle of amusement in her eyes as she laughed. “You don’t know anything.”

“I know Seth Carter is into you in a major way,” Linda said, hearing her husband laugh in agreement. “He talked about you the whole time we were dancing.”

“Damn it. Why can’t the man be discreet instead of honest?” Jenna demanded.

“Well, Seth didn’t tell me stories or anything. That’s pretty discreet if you ask me. I was really pumping him for information,” Linda said, laughing. “What’s your problem Jenna? He’s a perfectly pleasant man.”

“No. He’s not. Seth’s a lot of things, but pleasant isn’t one of them,” Jenna said.

“You need to get over whatever you’re mad about and reel Seth Carter in while he’s still interested,” Linda told her. “Don’t be as hard-headed as your mother. She spent a lot years alone.”

“Mama waited for love,” Jenna said defensively. “And she found it.”

“Yes, she certainly did, and it was with the older version of that perfect guy, right? You’ve found love too, girl,” Linda told her. “Open your eyes and see it. Quick now. He’s walking back your way.”

“Ready to go?” Seth asked, looking into Jenna’s face for her answer.

Jenna nodded and headed across the floor frowning harder as she walked several steps in front of Seth. Despite her reaction to Linda’s teasing, she was not in love with Seth Carter. And Jenna did not believe he was in love with her. They had some sort of infatuation caused by their intense and very consuming sex life. They had lust. They did not have love.

“By the way, I just saw your message,” Seth said easily, holding the door of his car open for her. “We’ll test that theory when we get home.”

“Fine,” Jenna agreed, wanting to slam the door of Seth’s car, but couldn’t since he helped her inside and closed it gently behind her.

Seth climbed into the driver’s seat and sat there for a few moments, keys hovering over the ignition.

“I’m really trying not to let this go to my head, but frankly I have to ask the question. Did you just dump your date for me?” Seth asked her.

“Just drive, Seth. Don’t talk to me until I calm down,” Jenna told him. “You didn’t have to get so chummy talking to Linda.”

“Oh. You were jealous again. Well, good—welcome to my world. One minute my hand is on your ass pulling you into me, and the next I’m handing you over to another guy who’s a genuine date for you. So don’t start bitching at me for innocently dancing with your boss’s wife. You’re going to lose this argument hands down,” Seth warned.

“We shouldn’t even be having any argument about either of us being jealous,” Jenna hissed. “We are not dating—damn it.”

“Oh, that’s abundantly clear,” Seth told her, new anger and hurt feeding his growing irritation with her. “If we were dating, I’d have kicked the weight lifter’s ass tonight, or at least tried. He’s a big step down from Stedman, by the way. That guy didn’t care which woman he danced with. What’s that all about? He was supposed to be your damn date, not that brunette’s.”

Jenna was quiet for a moment, and than she laughed at the ridiculousness of the conversation. “This is the kind of relationship drama I precisely did not want but can’t seem to avoid with you. What happened to our sex-only relationship? It was supposed to keep things simple.”

“Don’t be naïve, Jenna. Our sex life has never been simple. We go up in flames every time we get together,” Seth told her. “That’s not typical and you know it. You’ve just chosen to see it like you wanted to and I’ve let you get by with your illusion because I’ve been avoiding this fight.”

“Why are we at my house?” Jenna asked when Seth pulled into her condo’s parking lot. “I mean, it’s fine, but why are we here?”

“Because I’m seeing you home safely instead of taking you home with me,” Seth told her. “I want you, but I can’t keep up my side of the deal tonight. I want more. I should have been the date on your arm tonight. I met your boss, who thinks you hung the moon, but I didn’t get to share the moment, and you didn’t get to hear me tell him how proud I am of you. Even friends have more than we have, and tonight made that really clear to me. So here you are, safe and sound at your house. Give me a couple of days to get over feeling used before you call me again for just sex.”