Page 30 of Keep Your Guard Up
“Keys,” he demanded.
“Wha—no way. I need to get myself to the other side of Soggla. You can walk your lazy ass home, thank you.”
“Keys,” Chance said again, flicking his fingers upwards.
“No! No way am I giving up this call over just because you don’t want to walk the two kays home,” he grouched, sending pleading glances my way.
I held my hands up, tea towel in one—no way was I getting involved in that.
He pointed a dark finger at me, evil gleaming across his previously panicked face. “You owe me.”
“You owe me more,” I countered. Chance snickered.
“Come on, Lynnie. Look at all those times I’ve played innocent wingman for you over the years, all the dick I’ve gotten y—”
“For fuck’s sake! Fine! I’ll drive him home juststop talking,” I growled.
I swear he squeaked in excitement before running over and planting a fat, sloppy kiss onbothof our cheeks before racing out the door.
“That poor girl,” Chance mumbled.
Chapter 14
Chance
How I ended up in this house, washing dishes alongside the only woman able to simultaneously make me both hotandbothered, was beyond me. How we’d managed to get through nearly the entire stack of dishes without saying a word to each other was the less surprising of the two.
“Is there a reason why you’re here, Riordan?” she asked, breaking the long stretch of silence. The tightness in her voice showed how she was forcing the claws away to ask.
“Well, I was invited. And usually when someone invites you somewhere, you go—”
“Not in my house. I’m well aware of why you’re here. My grandmother has a thing for stray puppies. I meant why are youhere, in Soggla?” She eyed me suspiciously as she wiped the tea towel over the last bowl I’d handed her.
I released the water in the drain and started on wiping away the excess. “I was given an opportunity that was too good to pass up,” I replied with a shrug.
Technically, it wasn’t a lie.
She scoffed. “That’s what they all say.”
“Who?”
“Anyone who has even attempted to fill Al’s shoes, or any other coach’s for that matter,” she replied, rolling those honey brown eyes.
“Ah, so that’s why you’ve been avoiding me like the plague.” I threw her a smirk I justknewdrove her crazy. “You think I won’t last.”
She shrugged but immediately dropped her gaze from mine.
Interesting.
“Something like that,” she replied. Her eyebrows pinched gently as she pushed the towel into the edges of the bowl.
“Why areyouhere?” I dared ask.
Rosey lips tightened to the point where I was sure she wouldn’t answer. Irritation took over her face, creases forming at the edges of her mouth and in between her arched eyebrows.
“Where else would I be?” she asked quietly.
Looking down to her, her eyes were already waiting. Pools of swirling honey met a delicate core of cocoa.
