Page 49 of Hypnotized By Love

As they exchanged numbers, I turned to Mason and said, “She’s much quicker than me. I probably would have said, ‘Thanks, you too.’”

Romeo came over with our enchiladas and told us to enjoy. I, surprisingly, was no longer hungry.

Mason did not have the same issue. “I’m sure you have game, Sinclair. Give me one of your best pickup lines.”

I tossed my hair to one side and then leaned forward and asked, “Is this chair taken? How about you?”

“Okay, okay.” He nodded. “Not too bad.”

“What about you?”

“The main thing is to make them laugh. So I might approach someone and say, ‘Titanic.’”

“Titanic?” I repeated, confused.

“Yeah, that’s my icebreaker.”

I laughed so loudly that several people turned to look at me.

“Then,” he said, “I might tell them that I’m a writer and researching important dates in history and ask if they’d like to be mine.”

That earned him a slight giggle from me.

“After that second laugh, I’d say, ‘When I text you good night later, what number should I use?’ Works every time.”

“It wouldn’t work on me,” I said, although I was fairly certain it would. I was ready to give him my number and he hadn’t even been trying to get it.

Also, he already had it.

He nodded, like he was carefully considering the sort of lie I’d just told. “The best kind of line is one that is really specific to the person.”

“You’re right,” I agreed. “Like if I was trying to get you to come home with me ...”

I let my words trail off, and I reached out to lightly touch him on his forearm, letting my fingers softly trail along his warm skin. I heard him suck in a breath, and I smiled, glad that I could have that kind of effect on him.

Tequila had apparently removed my hate-filled goggles. There was no mistaking the way his eyes darkened, the hunger and lust I saw there. It made me ache in a way I didn’t know was possible.

What would he do if I leaned forward and asked him if he wanted to get out of there? Offer to let him hypnotize me a little bit into saying yes. I’d even quack like a duck if he wanted me to.

I knew what would happen. Without my other stuff getting in the way, I clearly saw that he would leave with me in a heartbeat. That was a problem, even though I couldn’t remember why.

“Did it hurt?” I asked in a low, soft voice.

“Did what hurt?” he said after a moment, with a smile so sexy it stole my breath.

I pulled my hand away from him and sat up straight to say, “When you broke through the earth’s crust, ascending from hell.”

He was shocked for a split second and then laughed so hard that this time everybody in the restaurant turned to stare.

They were going to kick us out of here.

“Shh,” I told him. “You’re being very loud.”

“We’ve got a little bit of a pot/kettle situation going on in that regard,” he told me and started eating his enchilada.

I didn’t have much of an appetite, given that I’d already eaten enough chips to feed an entire military regiment, and I pushed the beans and rice around my plate. “Do you think they’ll have fun?”

“Who?”

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