Page 28 of Next to You

My stomach tingled as his gaze traveled over my face, deliberately not looking any lower. His jaw tightened with the effort, and I fought the temptation to provoke him into checking me out. His attraction was evident, and I hoped mine was too. Who was I trying to kid? I had never been able to hide my feelings; he knew how I felt. Turning down a sure thing must have been hard for him, and it only made me want him more. The irony was torturous.

“You’re not shy anymore, are you?” His low, husky voice sent a thrill through me. “I could barely get you to talk to me back in school, and I don’t see you around town enough these days to try—at least I never seem to see you when we’re single at the same time.” He paused, drawing his lower lip between his teeth as his eyes flicked down to my chest and back up. The look was so brief that I might have missed it if I hadn’t been watching him so intently. “And Lucy, I would have tried.”

“The shy little artist you used to know back in school is long gone.” I tried to steady my voice, making sure not to sound flirty. However, it came out Marilyn Monroe breathy despite my effort. “Writing and drawing take up most of my time, and I don’t go out much. If I had known how you felt, I would have made it a point to seek you out too.”

Fuck being shy. What did it get me? He wanted me, and I wanted him and we both knew it. Plus, I had just survived some serious shit. I almost froze my ass off in my car—literally. I could do hard things. I was a woman who was now going to get what she wanted—and what I wanted was Spencer Freaking Cassidy.

The tension between us was so thick you could cut it as we sat watching each other. Anticipation, as heavy as the snowfall outside, flittered in the air between us. His hands wrapped around his mug, gripping it tightly as the muscles in his jawtwitched in frustration. Unfortunately, the natural conclusion of this interaction was not going to happen because, apparently, neither of us was willing to take advantage of the other.

Chapter 10

Spencer

Instead of playing truth or dare, as she suggested, we played Monopoly, which I previously thought was the least sexy game ever. But that was before I played it with Lucy.

I took a sip of my drink, watching as she blew on the dice before tossing them. She bit her lip as they rolled across the board, and I shut my eyes against the sight of where I wanted my mouth to be.

I set my glass on the table. Alcohol was a bad idea. While I wasn’t drunk, I was definitely buzzing, and I needed every ounce of control I had.

She counted off her moves, and I huffed a laugh when she bought a hotel to add to Indiana Avenue.

“Your turn,” she said, all smug, satisfied, and adorable as fuck, dancing in her chair as she placed the hotel on the board with a flourish.

“Proud of yourself, are you?” I grinned at her and tossed the dice.

“A little bit.” She held her glass up for a toast. “Cheers to me!”

“Cheers, sweetheart.” I clinked my glass to hers and took a sip. Not kissing her was getting harder and harder the more we played.

Currently, I was about to go bankrupt. I had to give up my ownership of Park Place to stay in the game. Lucy owned everything on the two cheap sides of the board, from Mediterranean Avenue to New York. At first, I wondered why she was so obsessed with buying them, but her strategy became apparent once she erected hotels on her sides of the board. I was screwed, and she showed no mercy. She was ruthless.

Every move she made got me hotter for her. I couldn’t stand up, or she’d see the evidence of it. I had a Monopoly kink now, and it was all her fault.

Lucy was sexy as hell, but more importantly, I wasn’t afraid to talk to her, to let her in. Maybe it was because I’d known her forever. She had gotten into my brain and heart before I’d become afraid of being hurt by a woman. She was hilarious, intelligent, stunning, and cute. She had all these different personality traits within one sexy little body, and I was enthralled.

Suggesting we avoid starting anything while we were here was the stupidest idea I’d ever had. All I wanted to do was swipe the game off the table and play with her in other, much more naked ways.

“It's your turn,” she informed me with smug delight, her eyes shining with satisfaction. She was secure in the knowledge she was kicking my ass as she should be.

“I’m not sure there’s a point anymore, Lucy. I can’t win.”

My admission of imminent defeat amused her. I could see it in her smile, but there was also something lazily seductive in her look.

“It’s not over ‘til it’s over, Cassidy. Roll the dice.”

“As you wish, Darlington.” I shook the dice in my palm and tossed them on the table—snake eyes. I moved my piece—the car, obviously—two spaces. I had to go to jail, directly to jail. “Damn. This is not my night for games.”

“Oooooh! You’re under arrest, Cassidy! No two hundred dollars for you. Maybe you’d like to sell off some more property.” She gestured to her pile of Monopoly money, which was practically all of it. “I can afford it.”

“You’re killing me. Go. Roll the dice. Let’s get this over with so you can lord it over me for the rest of the night.”

She swiped the dice off the table and rolled. Jail.

“Ha! Now, who’s the one in trouble?”

“Look at us, Spencer.” She moved her piece next to mine. “We’re stuck together in the game now, too. Isn’t that interesting? Could it be fate trying to tell us something?” She slid her chair back with a squeak. “Roll ‘em. I’ll go fix us some more drinks.”

“Thanks, but I’ll take water. One more drink, and I’ll be officially wasted.”

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