Page 156 of Never In My Wildest Dreams

Because she’ll win.

I can’t compete with a woman who’s known him fifteen years.

“And try sleeping with him in a car.” George talked animatedly. She was a storyteller. “We had to get to Syracuse University to talk to this basketball player, and we got caught in a pileup. We didn’t get hit, but we were still trapped for like thirteen hours.”

“It was a rental,” Slick offered, as if that detail mattered.

It didn’t. Fear had taken over her body and held it hostage. It gripped her throat and ransacked her mind. She couldn’t think. Couldn’t see the food on her plate.

“And tiny. Which, trust me, does not work for a sprawler.” George made a show of twisting her body and flailing her arms, making everyone laugh. She was lively and bold and awkward and extremely likable.

Of course, they’ve slept together.

He hadn’t mentioned it because it didn’t matter to him. He liked his partner. They were comfortable with each other. But he didn’t love her.

“Here.” Booker offered Lorelei a piece of his trout. “I caught this one just for you.”

Everyone was watching, so she smiled. “You sure about that? This exact fish is the one you caught?”

“I’d know it anywhere.” He kissed her on the mouth.

Right there. In front of everyone.

He kissed her.

“What is happening right now?” George turned to his friends. “You guys have known him a long time, right?”

“Since kindergarten,” the one with the movie star smile said.

“So, you agree Lorelei’s a witch or something, right? She’s cast a spell over Mr. Hard-Ass over here. I have never seen him like this with anyone.” George smiled. “And trust me, we’ve been through everything together.” George gave her a look that telegraphed,He’s a good guy.

Lorelei needed to get out of there.

She’d gotten so swept away in the romance, in the relief that she’d found Stevie’s father, she’d lost sight of the fact that she didn’t really know him.

They’d had thirty-six hours in the cabin, and four days here.

What in the world are you doing?

It’d be one thing if it were just her. But she had a daughter to think about.

She couldn’t go crashing into a relationship.

She needed time to find out if they were compatible beyond the bedroom. She didn’t even know what life would look like when he was working. Both in the cabin and now, he’d had time off.

But maybe this isn’t about Slick.Maybe it’s about George harboring a crush all these years.

As a sports agent, she was a shark. She knew how to come across as a goofy fan all while letting Lorelei know her place in Slick’s world.

Is she staking a claim?

I’m too frantic. I can’t tell.

“When he moves out here, you’re going to lose your partner in crime,” someone across the table said.

“We’ll still talk every day. Nothing will change.” George gave a reassuring smile.

Nothing will change.It hit like a punch to the stomach.

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