Page 16 of Tempt Me

“It looks good on you.”

“Thank you.” The heat on her cheeks matches her name.

I scoot over, letting him join us. If I wasn’t in love with Dominic, and Ruby wasn’t in lust with him, I’d jump at the chance. Damn it. I’m done thinking about Dominic that way.

“This is perfect.” Emily bites her bottom lip as she looks in the direction that Dominic is standing. Clearly, she’s intent onstirring the pot, but she needs to remember Jake’s back in town, and two can play this game. “You should whisk Ms. Goodie-Two-Shoes beside you away for a night of fun. She’s gotten so boring lately and needs to do something spontaneous and exciting.”

“Emily,” I growl at her and stiffen next to Xavier as Ruby glares at our other friend. It’s a relief to get my focus off of Brock, but not at the expense of hurting my friend.

Shit. This isn’t good. I grind my teeth together in anticipation of her next move. I can just as easily see her spilling my entire life story and secret crush on Dominic as I can see her using me to get Ruby to make a move on Xavier.

The worst part is that Xavier loves to rile my brothers up about defiling me and ruining my future. And more than once, I’ve gone along with it when they’ve been lecturing me on where I go, who I see, who I can date, and what I can wear. I’m not going to lie. Seeing their jaws flex and their teeth grind together is one of life’s simple pleasures. But not in front of Ruby.

“What do you have in mind?” Xavier arches an eyebrow.

Ruby tips up her chin as if in a challenge. “Matching tattoos.”

“Are you getting one, too?” Xavier’s eyes bore into hers.

“Maybe.” Ruby shrugs. “You’d look good with rainbows and kittens on your chest.”

One corner of his mouth arches upward. “I would, wouldn’t I?”

“Forget I said anything. You have too big of an ego as it is.” Ruby waves her hand dismissively.

“Who’s going to do these tattoos for us? Dominic? Should I go tell him? I bet he’d love to get his hands on all of us.”

I choke on my drink, coughing as Xavier smacks my back.

“Are you okay?” Xavier grabs my hand and laces his fingers through mine.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“So, we’re all getting matching tattoos of rainbows and kittens?”

“Stop. I’m not getting matching tattoos with you.” Yes, I’ve dreamed about letting Dominic tattoo me, but in each of those fantasies, the design had been something of his choosing and signified his love for me. Not matching rainbow and kitten tattoos.

“Fine. Wound me with your lack of adventure.” He grins and squeezes my hand before letting go and chatting with us about random bar conversations.

After Xavier leaves, Ruby eyes me up and down. “Why don’t you take him up on his offer?”

“To get tattoos?”

“No, to go bang one out of the park.” She runs her thumb over the S. B. and A. G. initials on the table.

“For one thing, he didn’t ask me to bang one out of the park, and for another, he doesn’t mean a word, he says. We’re friends, and that’s it. Neither one of us feels any pull to the other.”

Ruby arches an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

“I’m only asking because if you stopped drooling over Dominic for two seconds, I think you could go out with him.” Her eyelids are lowered to keep me from seeing the truth, but I see it anyway. She doesn’t want me to go out with Xavier because she wants to go out with him.

Emily places her hand on Ruby’s forearm. “You know that Xavier is playing, right?”

“He’s always playing.” She frowns. “With everyone but me.”

I lean forward. “I’m not interested in Xavier, and he’s not interested in me. You should ask him out. He asked about you when I was over at his place, and he lights up when he sees you.”

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