guarantee you that. If you want it to be you she goes home with, you’d better get your ass back over to her and don’t leave her alone again.”
I never take advice from my older brother but I know instin ctively that I need to take his advice now. As soon as I look at the table and see Riley laughing and flirting with two patrons, I feel like I want to punch both of them in the head. It’s not a feeling I have to deal with very often— jealously . And I’m not sure why I feel it now. But it’s almost overpowering.
I march back over to the table in just a few wide strides. The two guys glance up at me as I fold my arms across my chest and glare at them. I want to look intimidating but I’m not sure I’m successful at it. The guys frown at me like they can’t figure out why I’m standing there.
“You’re at my table,” I state. I hope my cold tone also implies they should get the hell up and leave.
“We’ll be over by the pool tables if you want to join us,” the bigger of the two guys says. I don’t recognize him but that probably doesn’t mean anything. The bar crowd seems to have changed a little since I’ve been gone. More young people seem to be in the mix than when my dad ran the place.
Riley doesn’t acknowledge the guy’s comment. Her eyes are planted firmly on me. It’s as if she’s searching my face for something but I have no idea what.
“Nice meeting you, Riley from New York,” the smaller of the two guys says.
When he puts out a hand for Riley to shake, it takes every ounce of restraint I have not to grab it and push it away. Riley quickly shakes the guy’s hand but she keeps her eyes on me. I realize she’s trying to gage my reaction. Was she trying to make me jealous? If so, she’s doing a great job.
The guys get up and head over to play pool. Neither one of them acknowledges me in any way but I notice they do look back at Riley several times and shake their heads.
“I didn’t invite them,” Riley says quickly. “They just sat down.”
I take the seat next to her and grab her hand. I know it’s a possessive gesture and I want it to be. I don’t want there to be any question that I want her.
And, oh, do I want her.
“I see you’ve finished your drink.” I point to her drained glass. Then I push my untouched drink in front of her. “Ready for number two?”
Riley nods and I catch a glimmer of mischief in her eyes. I wonder what she’s thinking. Before I have a chance to ask, she grabs the drink and downs it.
“Now what do you want me to do?” She smiles.
She’s got a great smile. It’s contagious. I can’t help but smile back. “Now for the test,” I say. “Recite the alphabet backwards.”
She purses her sexy lips like she’s thinking about it then says, “Z, Y, X…hmm…W, V…umm…U ,T, P…No, that’s not right. It’s U, T, S, Q, P…”
I grin. “Are you sure about that?”
She frowns. “Pretty sure. Why?”
“You skipped R. Which is kind of funny considering your name begins with R.”
Her frown turns to a scowl. “Does that mean I lost the bet?”
I nod. “That’s exactly what it means.”
“And I have to stay in New Jersey until Monday?”
I continue to nod. “You know what I think?”
“What?”
I lean in close so I can whisper into her ear. “I think you lost the bet on purpose because you wanted to stay the weekend with me.”
She laughs. “Nothing could be further from the truth. The last place I want to be all weekend is in rural New Jersey.”
Rural New Jersey is the last place I want to be too, but I can’t let her know that. Not yet, anyway. She already has her mind made up that she doesn’t want a Wall Street wannabe and that’s exactly what she’ll think I am. She has to see me as more than that.
Much more.
When I look back over at Riley, I can see she’s pouting. “ What’s that look for?”
She blinks at me with her big doe eyes and I can feel my heart skip a few beats. She could ask me to do
I never take advice from my older brother but I know instin ctively that I need to take his advice now. As soon as I look at the table and see Riley laughing and flirting with two patrons, I feel like I want to punch both of them in the head. It’s not a feeling I have to deal with very often— jealously . And I’m not sure why I feel it now. But it’s almost overpowering.
I march back over to the table in just a few wide strides. The two guys glance up at me as I fold my arms across my chest and glare at them. I want to look intimidating but I’m not sure I’m successful at it. The guys frown at me like they can’t figure out why I’m standing there.
“You’re at my table,” I state. I hope my cold tone also implies they should get the hell up and leave.
“We’ll be over by the pool tables if you want to join us,” the bigger of the two guys says. I don’t recognize him but that probably doesn’t mean anything. The bar crowd seems to have changed a little since I’ve been gone. More young people seem to be in the mix than when my dad ran the place.
Riley doesn’t acknowledge the guy’s comment. Her eyes are planted firmly on me. It’s as if she’s searching my face for something but I have no idea what.
“Nice meeting you, Riley from New York,” the smaller of the two guys says.
When he puts out a hand for Riley to shake, it takes every ounce of restraint I have not to grab it and push it away. Riley quickly shakes the guy’s hand but she keeps her eyes on me. I realize she’s trying to gage my reaction. Was she trying to make me jealous? If so, she’s doing a great job.
The guys get up and head over to play pool. Neither one of them acknowledges me in any way but I notice they do look back at Riley several times and shake their heads.
“I didn’t invite them,” Riley says quickly. “They just sat down.”
I take the seat next to her and grab her hand. I know it’s a possessive gesture and I want it to be. I don’t want there to be any question that I want her.
And, oh, do I want her.
“I see you’ve finished your drink.” I point to her drained glass. Then I push my untouched drink in front of her. “Ready for number two?”
Riley nods and I catch a glimmer of mischief in her eyes. I wonder what she’s thinking. Before I have a chance to ask, she grabs the drink and downs it.
“Now what do you want me to do?” She smiles.
She’s got a great smile. It’s contagious. I can’t help but smile back. “Now for the test,” I say. “Recite the alphabet backwards.”
She purses her sexy lips like she’s thinking about it then says, “Z, Y, X…hmm…W, V…umm…U ,T, P…No, that’s not right. It’s U, T, S, Q, P…”
I grin. “Are you sure about that?”
She frowns. “Pretty sure. Why?”
“You skipped R. Which is kind of funny considering your name begins with R.”
Her frown turns to a scowl. “Does that mean I lost the bet?”
I nod. “That’s exactly what it means.”
“And I have to stay in New Jersey until Monday?”
I continue to nod. “You know what I think?”
“What?”
I lean in close so I can whisper into her ear. “I think you lost the bet on purpose because you wanted to stay the weekend with me.”
She laughs. “Nothing could be further from the truth. The last place I want to be all weekend is in rural New Jersey.”
Rural New Jersey is the last place I want to be too, but I can’t let her know that. Not yet, anyway. She already has her mind made up that she doesn’t want a Wall Street wannabe and that’s exactly what she’ll think I am. She has to see me as more than that.
Much more.
When I look back over at Riley, I can see she’s pouting. “ What’s that look for?”
She blinks at me with her big doe eyes and I can feel my heart skip a few beats. She could ask me to do