husky. Sexual. “You might want to play ball.”
No, she wanted to play ball because if she didn’t get away from him and his lessons, she’d be screwed without ever hitting a mattress. She took a deep breath.
Dog Park Guy gawked.
She didn’t care.
“Let me give you a hand,” Sawyer said, jerking her back to reality.
Just what she needed. She half hoped he’d start clapping, but no such luck. Instead that big, work-roughened hand of his closed over hers and ever so fucking slowly moved across her abdomen. Her entire body was plastered to his, and the quiet tempo they kept against the much faster beat of the music made her ovaries quake. She’d probably never been so turned on in her life, and that was before their joined hands crept lower.
It was because she and Sawyer were so wrong for each other. Had to be.
“Close your eyes,” he murmured. “Feel it.”
She felt it all right. But she closed her eyes anyway, and despite knowing she was in forbidden territory, she relaxed against him, dropping her head back against his shoulder and letting him take over. His fingertips, laced with hers, dragged a dangerous path from her thigh to her center, and a rush of cool air left her wondering if she’d just exposed herself.
She opened her lids and found herself locked in eye contact with a man several feet away—a man who wasn’t under the impression her brother had his hands on her. A dozen people passed between them, but New Guy never looked away. Jitters made her smile. Like an idiot.
The man smiled back.
The song ended, though she wasn’t sure why that mattered since they hadn’t been anywhere close to its rhythm, and Sawyer released her.
Just like that. No reluctance, no shaking limbs. How was that possible when she was such a mess?
She turned, dazed, to find him standing there, cocky and unaffected.
“I guarantee if you go out there and do that, you’ll have your choice of men.” He sounded like he was wrapping up a documentary. God, he really was a jerk, and now she felt like a fool.
She forced back her irritation. “What if no one asks me to dance?” As she spoke, she watched him watch a woman walk by.
For a minute, she didn’t think he’d heard her, but after the woman had disappeared into the crowd, he eased his attention back Kelsie’s way. “Confidence, babe. What do you care? You do you, and they’ll be standing in line.”
“So all that, and you’re sending me out on my own?”
His eyes touched a shade darker, but he shrugged. “That’s what you’re here for, right?”
“Yeah.” To get played. He hadn’t even been trying to seduce her. He wasn’t supposed to try, but all that stuff he’d done to her had her melting, and he was utterly unaffected. And then he’d told her to go.
She spun away from him, brushing off the sting. Until he touched her arm.
Whatever look she gave him when she turned propelled him a step back.
“What?” she demanded. Probably a bit too harshly, but she was hurt and mad at herself for feeling that way.
His gaze darkened. Hardened. “Don’t accept a drink from anyone but the bartender,” he said. “And don’t let it out of your sight.”
“Is that all?” Some part of her wanted him to drag her back into his arms. Bad idea, but it wouldn’t be the first. The first had been thinking she could get through seven dates with this man and not be attracted to him. But that had been more than a bad idea… It had been an outright lie. She’d been attracted to him from the moment he’d stood dripping wet in her kitchen, a knight in soaked blue jeans.
Or maybe just an opportunist.
“Yeah,” he said. “That’s it.”
“Good,” she said.
And left.
…
Sawyer stood in the shadows where Kelsie left him, not the least bit surprised when that jackass who’d been watching her dance was the first to approach her. Apparently, her giant birth-control glasses weren’t the deterrent Sawyer had thought they might be. The man glanced at
No, she wanted to play ball because if she didn’t get away from him and his lessons, she’d be screwed without ever hitting a mattress. She took a deep breath.
Dog Park Guy gawked.
She didn’t care.
“Let me give you a hand,” Sawyer said, jerking her back to reality.
Just what she needed. She half hoped he’d start clapping, but no such luck. Instead that big, work-roughened hand of his closed over hers and ever so fucking slowly moved across her abdomen. Her entire body was plastered to his, and the quiet tempo they kept against the much faster beat of the music made her ovaries quake. She’d probably never been so turned on in her life, and that was before their joined hands crept lower.
It was because she and Sawyer were so wrong for each other. Had to be.
“Close your eyes,” he murmured. “Feel it.”
She felt it all right. But she closed her eyes anyway, and despite knowing she was in forbidden territory, she relaxed against him, dropping her head back against his shoulder and letting him take over. His fingertips, laced with hers, dragged a dangerous path from her thigh to her center, and a rush of cool air left her wondering if she’d just exposed herself.
She opened her lids and found herself locked in eye contact with a man several feet away—a man who wasn’t under the impression her brother had his hands on her. A dozen people passed between them, but New Guy never looked away. Jitters made her smile. Like an idiot.
The man smiled back.
The song ended, though she wasn’t sure why that mattered since they hadn’t been anywhere close to its rhythm, and Sawyer released her.
Just like that. No reluctance, no shaking limbs. How was that possible when she was such a mess?
She turned, dazed, to find him standing there, cocky and unaffected.
“I guarantee if you go out there and do that, you’ll have your choice of men.” He sounded like he was wrapping up a documentary. God, he really was a jerk, and now she felt like a fool.
She forced back her irritation. “What if no one asks me to dance?” As she spoke, she watched him watch a woman walk by.
For a minute, she didn’t think he’d heard her, but after the woman had disappeared into the crowd, he eased his attention back Kelsie’s way. “Confidence, babe. What do you care? You do you, and they’ll be standing in line.”
“So all that, and you’re sending me out on my own?”
His eyes touched a shade darker, but he shrugged. “That’s what you’re here for, right?”
“Yeah.” To get played. He hadn’t even been trying to seduce her. He wasn’t supposed to try, but all that stuff he’d done to her had her melting, and he was utterly unaffected. And then he’d told her to go.
She spun away from him, brushing off the sting. Until he touched her arm.
Whatever look she gave him when she turned propelled him a step back.
“What?” she demanded. Probably a bit too harshly, but she was hurt and mad at herself for feeling that way.
His gaze darkened. Hardened. “Don’t accept a drink from anyone but the bartender,” he said. “And don’t let it out of your sight.”
“Is that all?” Some part of her wanted him to drag her back into his arms. Bad idea, but it wouldn’t be the first. The first had been thinking she could get through seven dates with this man and not be attracted to him. But that had been more than a bad idea… It had been an outright lie. She’d been attracted to him from the moment he’d stood dripping wet in her kitchen, a knight in soaked blue jeans.
Or maybe just an opportunist.
“Yeah,” he said. “That’s it.”
“Good,” she said.
And left.
…
Sawyer stood in the shadows where Kelsie left him, not the least bit surprised when that jackass who’d been watching her dance was the first to approach her. Apparently, her giant birth-control glasses weren’t the deterrent Sawyer had thought they might be. The man glanced at
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