Page 27 of The Love Playbook

I smirk, my confidence rising the longer she leaves my hand on her skin. “Nothing?”

I lean forward, scanning her face and focusing on that pout I’ve fantasized about more times than I can count. “Because I can bereallypersuasive when I want to be,” I murmur.

Her lips quirk, those chocolate eyes dropping to my mouth. “Is that so? And how exactly would you”?she licks her glossy lips and my loins stir?“persuade me?”

“I have a few tricks up my sleeve.”

She hums, leaning even closer, so close I can see the snakeskin pattern in the darks of her eyes. Her fruity breath fans over my skin like a piece of fucking candy I want to devour when her lips meet the shell of my ear and she whispers against the sensitive skin, “Too bad I’m immune to your charms.”

I shiver as her words sink in, and she rises from the booth, too affected to do a damn thing to stop her as she walks away and heads to the dance floor with her friends.

Stunned, I stare after her like a kid who’s just had their favorite dessert taken away?starving and desperate for more.

Looks like she still has the upper hand.

Charlotte one, Chris zero.

“How’d that go for you?” a familiar voice interrupts my longing.

I turn back to Jace, his face split in two as he struggles to hold in his laughter, and I flip him the bird.

#

My fist slams against Jace’s bedroom door with a bang, sending it flying inward before I barge inside. “Guys, I have a new plan.”

“What the hell, man?” Jace says, pulling and wrapping the blankets on his bed around Brynn’s body until she resembles a human burrito. Only her eyes and mouth are visible as he adds, “What if we were doing shit in here? Don’t you know how to fucking knock?”

“In my defense, it wasn’t locked,” I say motioning to the door.

“He has a point,” Brynn mumbles beneath the blanket fortress.

“Also, to be fair”?I cock my head and grin?“I heard you guys finish twenty minutes ago.”

“You were fucking listening?” Jace seethes.

I shrug. “It’s kinda hard not to. You’re not exactly quiet.”

The human burrito shakes with laughter as Jace glares holes through my face.

“I mean, if you don’t want anyone to hear, you really need to be a little more discreet because it sounds like a pack of banshees were unleashed in here.”

“Get out!” Jace points toward the door, vibrating with anger while I laugh.

“Damn. You’re so uptight, Taggart. I wasjoking. Mostly,” I add as I step closer to the bed and nudge Brynn with my knuckles. “Move over.”

“I can’t move.” She wiggles her head further out of the blankets like a caterpillar emerging from its cocoon. “Need a little help here.”

I reach for her, but the glare Jace sends my way is nothing short of terrifying, so I slowly back off, hands raised where he can see them, lest he think I might touch his girlfriend.

Turning, I sit on the edge of the bed furthest from Jace just to be safe and clear my throat. “Anyway, as I was saying, I’vebeen thinking and have come to the conclusion I need to switch tactics with Charlotte. The other night at Bradd’s just proved to me she’s never going to see reason.”

“Ya don’t say.” Jace rolls his eyes and props himself against the headboard while Brynn does the same, somehow keeping most of the blankets intact.

“Shocking, I know, considering I’m the king of persuasion.”

“So you have a plan?” Jace asks.

“Of course I do.”

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