Page 33 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 10
Kristen ordered a stupid salad, but I had to go for Bryce's favorite. A big juicy rib-eye. I couldn't resist. We were at a steakhouse after all.
"Nice choice," Bryce said. "I'll have the same." He put his menu down and then leaned in a little closer to me. "Couldn't pass up the opportunity for meat in your mouth?"
I laughed awkwardly. The restaurant suddenly seemed stifling.
Before I knew it, our wine glasses were being filled. Kristen took a sip of hers. She always could hold her alcohol better than I could. There was no way I was drinking before tomorrow's game, though. And the longer I sat here with Bryce so close in proximity, the more parched I got.
"Okay, my turn," Tim said when the waitress walked away with our order. He rubbed his hands together. "On a scale of one to ten, how attracted is Alina to Bryce?"
Bryce seemed to stiffen. "Dude. Ask a different..."
"An eleven," Kristen said and winked at me.
Holy shit.I could feel my cheeks turning red.
"Bryce thinks Alina is an eleven too," Tim said. "Stop looking at me like that. It's true."
Bryce cleared his throat. "I'm sorry. I forgot to tell you that my friends are the worst."
I was embarrassed that Kristen told the whole table I was attracted to Bryce. But I wasn't upset with his friends for getting him to confess that he was attracted to me. This was definitely a date. I avoided Bryce's gaze and fidgeted with my hands under the table.
"The worst?" Tim asked. "You know that you're in love with me."
"I don't know how many times we have to tell you this," Alex said. "There's a difference between loving someone and being in love with someone. Bryce and I love you like a brother. But we aren't in love with you, man."
Tim shrugged. "I really don't understand the difference."
"Do we need to draw you a picture?" Bryce asked and started laughing.
His laughter was infectious. Soon I was laughing and couldn't stop. I thought that our friends announcing that we were attracted to each other would take the night on an awkward turn. But who was I kidding? I thought Bryce was hot. And sweet. And funny. It was nice to know that he was attracted to me too. I was still laughing when I looked up at him.
There was that twinkle in his blue eyes again. It took my breath away. And I knew I was in trouble, because I didn't ever want to look away from those eyes.
"Can I steal you for a second?" Bryce asked.
Kristen gave me two thumbs up, not subtly at all.
"Um, yeah, sure." I slid out of the booth after him. "I was hoping to get some water from the bar."
"I noticed that you weren't drinking any wine." His hand fell onto my lower back again. Those really big, manly hands.Stop it.
"We have a game tomorrow. I really shouldn't be drinking."
He nodded. "My race is on Wednesday. I'm going to skip the wine too." His hand left my back and he waved down the bartender. He ordered two waters and leaned against the bar. "Where are you from?"
That wasn't what I was expecting him to ask me. "Wilmington, Delaware. You?"
"Pasadena most recently. I've moved a lot. Did you go to school in Delaware?"
"I went to the University of New Castle for the last three years. I just graduated."
"What about for freshman year?"
I felt that familiar lump forming in my throat. I tried to swallow it down. "NYCU."
"Why'd you transfer?"
Our waters had arrived, but Bryce made no movement to head back to our table. He was staring at me intently, waiting for me to respond.
