Page 58 of IOU

I always do, and secretly, I enjoy it.

“I think you keep these scary rumors going on around you, so no one will find out you’re really a water drinking trivia nerd.”

See? Observant little thing.

“Are you making fun of me for being smart?”

Redirect her, Maverick.

“I didn’t say that. I’m impressed you’re smart. I just don’t understand why you try to hide it. ”

“Who says I hide it? I’ve never denied I was smart.”

She pauses a moment, and then waves away her comment. “Okay, I take that back. Maybe you don’t necessarily hide it, but you keep people from finding out the real you.” She grins. “The super-duper smart you.”

I nod, rather impressed. “Maybe you’re right—”

“I know I am.”

I ignore her comment and finish my sentence from before she interrupted me with her bragging. “Maybe you’re right, but how many people know therealyou? The you that sleeps with stuffed sea lions and watches aquarium reality shows.”

That smug smile of hers drops.

Not so confident now, are we?

“How many people at Havemeyer know you spend your late nights up playing trivia games?” I add, just to drive my point home.

She’s quick to snap back. “You’re playing too! And you’re up just as late!”

I shrug and press the button for the million-dollar question. “Guess you know some of the real me then.”

It’s all I can share with her right now. As much as she’s growing on me, eventually, I will find her an apartment, and she will leave, taking the real me with her.

Her face relaxes at my comment, and she takes a breath, nodding like I’ve made her happy admitting thatsomeof her observations of me are correct. “Last question. You ready?”

“Ready.” Excitedly, she shifts in her seat, pushing up against my hip. “Can you see?”

I swallow. “I can see.” Right down her tank top where the soft swell of her breasts rises with each intake of breath. If that weren’t torture enough, the smell of my shampoo coming from her hair is enough for me to want to stake a claim.

“All right, here we go. What can be both a resinous substance obtained from turpentine and part of a cricket field?”

I worry my lip with my fingertip, making her fear that I don’t know the answer, but really, I’m just taking a few extra breaths to settle down my rock-hard dick. Must she be this close?

“Please tell me you know because I’m seriously thinking about Googling the answer, Maverick!”

I grin. I like her calling out my name all desperate like.

“I’ll take another IOU. Please!” she begs.

I would have done it for free.

Clearing my throat, I answer quickly. “The pitch.”

“Are you sure? It’s for a million dollars ...”

I cock a brow.

“A fake million,” she clarifies, “but still. It’s the principle of the matter.” Her eyes dart to the screen, watching the clock count down. She’s waiting on my confirmation.

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