Page 56 of For the Win

“Hibiscus tea?”Harrison arches a brow.

I smile.“It’s delicious.”I turn to Taj.“We went bowling!”I hang my purse on the hook under the bar and hop onto a stool.“It was so fun!”

Taj barks out a laugh.“How the hell did you know she loves bowling?”he asks Harrison.

Harrison shrugs, taking the stool on the other side of me.“I had no idea.Lucky coincidence.Good thing my ego can stand being hammered, though.She’s totally a can of whoopass.”

Taj laughs again.“That she is.”His smile is warm and affectionate.

Harrison takes note of this.

“What’d she do?”Ziggy calls.

“Kicked his butt at bowling,” Taj calls.

Ziggy grins.

“I didn’t really bowl very well,” I say.“It’s been a while.”

“Christ, I’d hate to play against you on a good day, then,” Harrison says.

“But you’d be happy to playonmy team.”I smile at him.

Our eyes meet.“Yeah,” he says softly.“I would.”

We study each other, the air about to ignite around us.I want to touch him...see if his hair is as thick and silky as it looks, feel his beard stubble on my cheek, stroke a finger over his lips...heat builds between us, and when his gaze lands on my mouth, electricity jolts through me.

Taj clears his throat.“Glad you had a good time.”

Right, right.“We did.”

Harrison sets a hand on the back of my stool, leaning forward so he can see and talk to Taj, which brings him right up close to me.I breathe it in the scent of his cologne.God, I love the scent of men’s cologne.Well, not all; Harrison’s is light, yet warm and sexy.I’d like to bury my nose in the side of his neck and inhale him.Like, forever.

Ziggy serves our drinks and the four of us chat.Ziggy has to disappear into the kitchen to deal with something, but he comes back in a while.Harrison charms them with self-deprecating bowling stories, then answering their questions about hockey.

I can literally see Taj and Ziggy falling under his spell.

I don’t know if this is good or bad.Taj has solid judgment about people, so I guess...it’s good?I want him to like Harrison.

An hour flies by and it’s last call.Harrison looks at me.“Guess I should get going.”He shifts his gaze to Taj and gives him a penetrating stare.“You’re going to see Arya safely home?”

“Of course.”

“Walk me out?”he says to me, standing.

I slide off the stool and follow him outside onto the sidewalk.The crisp, damp ocean breeze tugs my hair, and I shake it back out of my face.We move a few steps away from the entrance.

“Thanks for coming tonight,” Harrison says in a low voice, stepping closer.

I don’t move back.I want this.I want him closer.Closer.I tip my head to meet his eyes, as he’s so much taller than me.“Thank you.I had a lot of fun.”

“I always have fun with you,” he murmurs, moving another strand of hair off my face.Then he gathers my hair into a tail and holds it in one hand at the nape of my neck.I feel his body heat, waves of male warmth, smell his cologne...

“Me too.”

His eyes meet mine again, and he slowly lowers his face toward mine, keeping the eye contact.He gives me lots of time to back away or say no...but I don’t.My eyelashes flutter down just as his lips touch mine.

Ohhhhh.Lush heat fills me, pooling low down.I fall into a haze of sweet, hot desire, quivery sensation rippling through me.I slide my hands up his chest and then over his shoulders.Our bodies press together, chest to thigh.I love how he feels, strong and solid.His hand twists my hair then cups the back of my head, tilting it for a deeper angle, while his other hand slides around my hip, pulling me closer still.

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