Page 27 of One More Shot
Her jaw clenches and I don’t miss the way she leans back slightly into her seat, putting some distance between us. ‘Can you be serious?’
‘I am being serious. What’s the harm in trying again?’
She opens her mouth, then closes it abruptly, her brows knitting together in the middle.
‘See,’ I say with a smirk. ‘There’s no downside here. It’ll be a win-win situation for both of us. You have some great sex, come, and learn what gets you going.’
‘And you?’ she asks. She’s leaned forward again, dropping her chin into the palm of her hand as she looks up at me. As much as she’s trying to temper it, I can plainly see a flash of curiosity in her eyes. ‘What’re you getting out of this arrangement?’
I lean in further too and drop my voice to a low murmur. ‘I don’t know if you’ve noticed this, but you’re gorgeous.’
We’re close enough now that I can see the way her pupils widen at the compliment. I’m also pretty sure that if I pressed a hand to her cheek now, I’d feel a warmth crawling up her skin. The desire to do just that hits me with a surprising fierceness and, if this had been any other date, I’d do it without hesitation.
I’d cup her jaw and pull her in for a kiss. The kind ofkiss that would inevitably have us heading back to my place. But this isn’t any other date, so I push down the desire and avoid looking at her lips.
Though they are very nice lips.
‘Spending time with you isn’t exactly going to be a chore, Eliott.’
Her gaze flickers down tomylips. It’s only for a moment, but she lingers long enough for me to catch the action.
Fuck it.
I bring a hand up and let my thumb trail along her cheekbone. The skin beneath me is warm, just like I’d expected, and still as soft as I remember. ‘What do you think, Eliott? You want to try again?’
The restaurant is loud and heaving around us, but every single sound seems to fade away into a distant echo as I wait for her to give me an answer. Her deep brown eyes don’t break eye contact with my own as she considers me for several long, silent seconds. Just when I’m starting to think she’s not going to answer at all, she leans in even further. There’s barely any space between us now.
Her lips part and I bite back a groan.
‘One more time?’ she whispers, her lips ghosting against my own. Not quite a kiss. More like a brief taste of what’s to come.
I nod and I canfeelthe way she grins against me. She hums quietly and then, just as I think she’s about to endthis unique form of torture and press her lips firmly against mine, she pulls back and laughs.
‘No.’
I blink back at her, still dazed. Still feeling the ghost of her lips against mine. ‘No?’
Amusement dances in her eyes. ‘Hell,no.’
Chapter TenELIOTT
I’m not going to pretend like it’s not a tempting offer.
Dane is… Well, Dane isDane, and there’s a reason he caught my eye two years ago. It’s the same reason I’ve even entertained this conversation for as long as I have tonight. I can’t decide whether it’s his good looks or the effortless charm he oozes, but there’s something about him that keeps me rooted in my seat.
We could try again.
We’re on an even playing field now.
Those words should have me running for the hills. I’ve heard them before, and I’ve been burned by them – drawn into the promise of a second chance, only to find myself right back at square one. I’ve learned the hard way that the allure of a fresh start doesn’t guarantee a better ending. The opposite is more likely.
I haven’t left yet, though.
He’s still staring at me from across the table, mouth slightly ajar, as if the possibility of me turning him down had never occurred to him.
Idly, I wonder how many women he’s used that move on. Admittedly, it was nice – the whole ‘eye contact’ and ‘caressing my face’ thing – and might’ve ended up working if he didn’t ruin things by opening his mouth.
A waiter accidentally brushes against Dane as they hurry past with a tray, and the movement is enough to jostle him back to reality. He leans back into his seat and the look of surprise on his face slowly melts away, making way for a familiar, confident smirk.
