Page 43 of Take the Wheel

‘I do like a woman who can improvise.’

Ari let the silence stretch for a beat. ‘What about a woman with a taste for adventure?’

‘Depends what kind.’

Ari glanced around as if considering something forbidden, then leaned in just enough to make the other woman mirror her movement. Her voice was nothing more than a murmur. ‘You know the bride’s got the nicest room in the house.’

The woman’s brow arched, her amusement sharp. ‘She does?’

Ari shrugged, lazy and smug. ‘You know what they say. Weddings can leave people too tired to consummate the marriage. It’s a shame that room might not see any action.’

Nancy’s stomach twisted, heat and irritation pooling at once. The suggestion was blatant, bordering on reckless.

The woman exhaled a soft laugh, shaking her head. ‘Tempting,’ she admitted, dragging her bottom lip between her teeth. ‘But I’ve got work to do. And you look like trouble.’

Ari grinned, tapping her fingers against the bar. ‘Guilty as charged.’

‘Mmm. Thought so.’ She took a fresh drink from her tray and gave it to Ari, eyes glinting. ‘Better behave yourself, then.’

Nancy swallowed hard.

The woman was walking away, and Ari, unbothered, was lifting her drink to her lips, the corner of her mouth curling in satisfaction.

Thirty-Four

Ari leaned against the bar, her smile still firmly in place, though it felt a little too thin. She hadn’t expected things to go quite that way, but that was the game, wasn’t it? Always pushing, always testing the waters. The woman had pulled back, sure, but Ari could chalk it up to a lack ofchemistryor maybe just a misstep. Nothing to lose sleep over.

Ari picked up her drink and took a slow sip, letting the cool burn of the liquor settle in her throat. The waitress had said no. Politely, with a smile, but still, a no was a no. Fair enough. Ari wasn’t exactly heartbroken. It was all part of the game, and she could take a loss as well as a win.

But something about it didn’t sit right.

Maybe it was the fact that she’d let herself push too far, had let the whole thing get away from her in a way she hadn’t meant to. Maybe it was the way Nancy had been standing just far enough away to hear. Watching.

Ari turned, scanning the room until she spotted her. Nancy wasn’t even pretending to look elsewhere. Her gaze was fixed right on Ari.

Ari slid up beside her, setting her drink down with an easy thud. ‘C’est la vie,’ she drawled.

Nancy tilted her head. ‘She didn’t go for that Ari charm, then?’

Ari exhaled a laugh. ‘The problem is that she wasn’t a rulebreaker.’

‘Oh, sure.’ Nancy shook her head. ‘You should’ve seen your face when she turned you down. Very humbling.’

Ari rolled her shoulders, feigning nonchalance. ‘Hey, I don’t win ‘em all. But at least I get in the game.’ She turned to Nancy, smirking. ‘Not like you, standing on the sidelines, watching.’

Nancy didn’t flinch, didn’t rise to the bait. ‘That’s what I do for you, isn’t it? The ever-present observer to the Ari show.’

Something about the way she said it felt angry. A beat of silence stretched between them. Just a fraction too long.

Ari huffed a laugh and picked up her drink again. ‘Well, you’re welcome. Happy to provide the evening’s entertainment.’

Nancy’s lips twitched, that small, infuriating smile. ‘Oh, you have. Though I have to say, I was expecting a little more of a fight.’

Ari raised an eyebrow. ‘What, you think I should’ve tried harder? Put on some grand display? Maybe declared my undying devotion?’

Nancy regarded her thoughtfully. ‘No. That wouldn’t have suited you.’

Ari narrowed her eyes. ‘And what would?’

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