Free Sizzling Nights with Dr. Off-Limits by Janice Lynn

screen, glanced down and hit the message button. She didn’t recognize the number, but she knew who the message was from.
    You look bored.
    How do you know? she typed back.
    Just hungry and ended up at the same place as you.
    Hard to believe that’s coincidental.
    Yet it is.
    â€œEmily, am I boring you?”
    She glanced up at the man across the table from her. “Sorry, I had a message I needed to answer.”
    â€œWork?”
    Heat flooded her face. “Yes, someone from work.”
    Oops. Sorry. Someone looks upset. Guess I better quit bothering you.
    Yes, you should.
    You should have said yes when I asked you to dinner.
    Why?
    Because you’d be having a better time.
    With you? I don’t think so.
    We should test that theory. Don’t make plans with him tomorrow night.
    Leave me alone, Lucas.
    Please.
    Ugh. There was that word again. When had he learned to use it so proficiently?
    â€œEverything okay?” Richard asked, causing her to glance up from her phone.
    â€œYeah, just had a long day today.”
    â€œAnything you want to talk about?”
    â€œNo,” she admitted, realizing she didn’t want to tell Richard about her day.
    â€œWere you out that late last night? No one forced you to participate in the fund-raiser,” he reminded her, his voice full of condemnation. Again.
    â€œNo, I wasn’t out that late last night, and no one forced you to let someone else win my bid.”
    Ouch. Had she really just said that out loud? She hadn’t meant to. She’d meant to keep her feelings quietly under wraps. Even if Lucas had pointed it out. Even if Lucas was probably watching her argue with Richard.
    Richard’s lips compressed into a tight line. “If you’d wanted me to buy your bid, you should have told me.”
    Practical. Logical. Infuriating.
    â€œReally? I shouldn’t have to tell you that I wanted you, the man I’m dating, to win my bid.”
    His voice had taken on a truly confused tone. “Then how was I supposed to know?”
    â€œYou shouldn’t want me going to dinner with another man.”
    â€œI don’t want you going to dinner with another man, but you went anyway.”
    â€œThen you should have bought my date so I wouldn’t have had to.” She pushed her plate away. “I’m tired and ready to go home.”
    He frowned but put his napkin down. “We can leave as soon as I pay the bill.”
    â€œGood. Great. The sooner the better.”
    Why, oh, why did it bother her so much that he tipped their waitress to the exact penny of the recommended amount?
    She’d barely had a couple of conversations with Lucas and he’d already managed to make her question her relationship with a man she’d been quite content with.
    Content?
    Since when was life about just being content?
    When did she stop wanting happily-ever-after and the full-blown fairy tale?
    She knew. She’d stopped believing, stopped dreaming, when her marriage to Lucas had fallen apart.
    She fought to keep from looking around the restaurant to spot Lucas. Where he was didn’t matter.
    She and Richard walked back to her apartment in silence. She turned to him. “I’ll just say good night down here.”
    â€œYou’re not letting me come up?”
    She shook her head. “It really has been a long day.”
    â€œThis isn’t working for me, Emily.”
    She blinked at him. “What do you mean?”
    â€œI mean, you going on dates with other men and then sending me home. I’m supposed to be the man in your life.”
    He was right. He was supposed to be the man in her life. Only, she wasn’t sure she wanted him to be. Surely she deserved better than just the status quo.
    â€œI think you need to reconsider or we need to consider taking a time-out from our relationship.”
    What? “If I don’t invite you upstairs, we’re through?”
    He didn’t answer, just