Because a Husband Is Forever. Marie Ferrarella

I do like the food here.” Finished, she gave him an inquiring look. “Any other questions?”

      Ian laughed shortly. He supposed he had that coming. He had no idea why he’d pushed the issue, only that an uncustomary flare of temper had surfaced when he saw the way the older man had held on to Dakota for a beat too long. There was no reason why he should have cared, even if the two were lovers.

      “I guess that puts me in my place. Sorry.”

      Randy almost choked on the water he’d just sipped. Regaining control, he stared at Ian. “Oh God, this is a monumental moment. Russell never apologizes.”

      Ian opened the menu, hoping to return to business as usual. The selections ran down two long columns. “Because I’m usually not wrong.”

      Randy grinned. “He’s also been known to walk on water on occasion.”

      MacKenzie’s eyes shifted to the other man. “Now that I’d like to book for the show.”

      Ian didn’t even glance up. “Sorry, only private showings.”

      Dakota laughed. Her eyes fairly gleamed with delight as she looked at him. “Hey, you do have a sense of humor.”

      “Sometimes,” he muttered, wishing his partner would start to use his gift of gab and bail him out of this.

      As if sensing Ian’s thoughts and taking pity on him, Randy picked up the menu and looked down the long columns. “So, what’s good here?”

      “I can honestly say everything,” Dakota told him. MacKenzie nodded her assent. “I’ve sampled every item at one time or another and couldn’t tell you which was his best.”

      Ian glanced over the top of his menu. His eyes slowly slid down as much of her trim torso as was visible to him. Women didn’t generally admit to having a healthy appetite, so he believed her. “How do you keep the weight off?”

      Dakota thought for a moment. Weight had never been a problem for her. “Regular exercise, I suppose.” Or as regular as she could get it, given her hectic schedule.

      “Having the metabolism of a hummingbird doesn’t hurt, either,” MacKenzie chimed in.

      Dakota laughed. “You should talk.” If she were into envying people, MacKenzie would be at the top of her list. The smaller woman could eat from morning until night and never show any of it. “She eats ice cream as if it was going out of style and never gains so much as a lousy ounce.”

      Ian smiled politely at both women. He was here to have a drink and a late lunch, nothing more. He’d managed to keep a distance between himself and the people he worked for. Doing the same with Dakota Delany shouldn’t be difficult.

      Shouldn’t be, a small voice in his mind echoed for reinforcement.

      The small voice somehow rang false.

      Ian closed his menu as the food server came their way to take their order. He glanced at the glass of wine standing by his plate. He’d never really cared for wine. “They have beer here?”

      Dakota grinned. “More kinds than you could possibly imagine.”

      Maybe this wasn’t going to be so bad after all, he thought. He raised his eyes to Dakota’s.

      Then again…