Free Dating Impossible by Kathleen Grieve

neck.
    Sex two
nights in a row doesn’t mean we are dating. Or in a relationship.
    Her words looped over and over against his skull and were
the other reason why he couldn’t concentrate on jack-shit today. What he needed
was a plan. But what?
    He sat up straighter in his leather chair. The kernel of an
idea blossomed. What if she didn’t
realize they were going out on dates? Yeah, baby. He liked the notion already.
But he’d have to tread carefully. JJ was a clever girl. Cruz would just have to
be one step ahead of her in order to make his plan work. And once she was
hooked on him… He glanced at his reflection in the full-length mirror that hung
on the back of his office door and pointed to himself. His lips curved into a perfect
smile and he winked.
    Who could
resist this?
     
     

Chapter Ten
     
    JJ eased up on the throttle of her Harley Sportster and
pulled off the highway, easily navigating the streets of old downtown
Scottsdale
. She was on her
way to Kazimierz, a wine bar to meet Ambra. The weather was perfect and she
loved riding her motorcycle as the evenings cooled. Nothing like the power and purr of the engine between her legs while
speeding down the road, especially with the beautiful desert scenery at dusk.
    She’d been restless for the past week since Cruz had stopped
by her house unannounced. And he just had to look all Rico Suave with wine and
pizza in hand. She sighed. Pizza was her absolute favorite. When Ambra had texted
earlier today asking if JJ had wanted to go out tonight, she’d jumped at the
chance.
    Unsure of herself for the first time since high school, she’d
tried everything to redirect her focus just as she had while putting her life
back together after the disastrous affair with Mark.
Reading
hadn’t held her attention. She’d
pretzeled herself into a giant knot during bikram yoga classes and only managed
to sweat her ass off in the overly heated room. She’d even taken to the road on
her bike to clear her head and driving all over the desert. None of her usual pursuits
seemed to hold her attention and all because of a man she hadn’t been able to
get out of her head since before puberty hit.
    Parking her Sportster in the lot, she kicked the stand out,
turned off the engine, and removed her helmet, shaking out her shoulder length
wavy hair. All week long, she had avoided Cruz as best she could. Those times
when they were in the same room with a patient—unconscious or not—she was
careful not to be left alone with him.
    Was it the
sex? God
knew both nights she’d spent with him had been phenomenal. Not that he needed
to know that particular bit of information. The man’s ego was ginormous as it
was. In that aspect, Jett and Cruz Avery were exactly the same. Her lips
twitched as she opened the door and entered Kazimierz with her helmet tucked
under her arm. She searched the high and low tables for Ambra. The place was
designed like an old fashioned combination of speakeasy and European wine cave
with subtle lighting, wooden wine casks, stone walls and plush sofas and chairs.
Soft jazz music played from the live band on the stage. Her friend was nowhere
to be seen. She glanced at her slim Gucci silver and jade wristwatch and noted
she was a few minutes early. The place was moderately crowded, so JJ made her
way to a corner and sat at a table that afforded a clear view of the front door
and waited.
    She removed her black leather riding jacket, and picked up
the menu. The words on the wine list blurred as she gazed at the numerous
selections, her mind wandering back to Cruz. What was she going to do about him?
She couldn’t avoid him forever. The bedpan buzz at work had been working
overtime lately. Whispers that the director’s position was his hands down
worried her. If he became her boss…
    “Josephina Jo? Is that you, dear?”
    JJ turned at the sound of her given name. She inwardly
cringed.
    Oh, no. It can’t
be… Please tell me Cruz’s mother isn’t here.
    Looking up,