Page 72 of Rules, Roses, and Rivals
Jake scoffed from across the patio, but didn’t say a word. That was somehow worse than yelling. We were getting a lot of attention. The rumble of so many voices had dropped off, but people were still looking and leaning into each other to whisper.
Others had their phones out.
I hated it here.
“Other reasons.” Bubba drained the last of his beer. “Right.”
So much for behaving…
I tugged my sarong a little tighter. “Can we not do this?”
“Do what?” Coop asked, all wide-eyed innocence. Like he wasn’t vibrating with tension. That look didn’t work on me in kindergarten and it definitely didn’t work on me now. Like I couldn’t see his knee bouncing like he did when he wrestled with his own temper.
“This,” I gestured vaguely to the testosterone fog clouding the patio. “This weirdly polite gladiator match.”
Archie smirked. “Gladiators wore less clothing.”
I glared at him. “Don’t encourage them.”
Mathieu shifted next to me. “If it’s a problem that I’m here?—”
“It’snot,” I said quickly. Maybe too quickly.
“No, it’s not,” Bubba echoed my words, but not my tone. His clearly statedit totally is.
“Can we justall, try not to be jerks for one night?” My voice was barely a whisper, yet it felt like I had a microphone and shouted it to everyone present. “Please?”
The silence that followed was so pointy I could’ve stabbed with it.
“God.” Rachel’s voice sliced through the quiet like a glass dagger. “It’s like watching a pack of golden retrievers realize their favorite chew toy started dating someone else.”
I nearly choked on my wine. Rachel strolled up with a chilled drink of her own and zero patience in her eyes.
“Hello, boys,” she said with a hint of a drawl. “Still sulking like prom got canceled?”
Bubba sighed and Coop looked down like he either bit his tongue or swallowed it. Across the pool, Jake glared. But at this point, he could shove it. Either join the damn conversation or shut up. Archie, though, smiled and those internal alarms of mine clanged loudly.
“Rachel,” he said, smooth as silk. “You look like violence in a cover-up.”
“I aim to please.” She shifted her gaze to me. “Frankie, looking lethal. Need an exit?”
I didn’t hesitate. “God, yes.” I was on my feet so fast, I almost spilled my wine. Mathieu started to follow, but I brushed his arm. “Just give me a minute, please.”
Guilt nibbled at me, but I really did need a minute.
His brow furrowed slightly. Not offended, just… watchful. “I’ll be here.”
Of course he would. Too decent for his own good. Too calm in a minefield. God, I was an asshole to leave him.
Rachel gave the guys a little two-finger salute, then turned on her heel before leading me toward the far end of the pool away from the guys, Jake, the other party-goers. Everyone.
As soon as we were out of range of prying ears and had our backs to prying eyes, I blew out a breath so hard my lungs protested.
“That wasexcruciating.”
“You were doing great until you started begging for decency,” she said dryly. “They don’t have any left. Testosterone and repressed feelings burned them out a long time ago.”
I huffed out a half-laugh. It was too sad to be really funny, but I’d rather laugh than cry. “Why are you helping me?”
