Page 19 of Bad Boy for Hire
But she knew what they were doing. It couldn’t be more obvious unless one of them announced that they would give her and Xavier a moment alone.
Xavier slid onto Elliott’s abandoned chair after May’s “friends” went inside. He sent a nod over to the guys who had found a table on the far side of the patio.
“Looks like your friends were able to find a seat,” she said.
“Looks like your friends left you alone.” He leaned on his forearms—all sinew and muscle.
“I’m not alone. I have you.” That had come out breathier than she’d expected, but it couldn’t have been helped. She traced the branches of his pine tree tattoo with her eyes before tracking her gaze to his face.
Just gorgeous. Every inch of him.
Rather than reach out and touch that branch tattoo, she tugged on one gold hoop earring instead. She wished she had a drink in hand. He was making her nervous, and all he’d done was sit next to her.
“So, I decided,” Xavier announced, rapping his knuckles on the table as he glanced around, “that I resent your ex-boyfriend.” He stopped rapping and looked over at her.
“That makes two of us,” she said. “Why do you resent him?”
“For starters, he has singlehandedly ruined my chances at taking you out on a date. Or to bed. Or both.”
“Oh.” That’s what she said. That’s all she said. The rest of the sentence had lodged in her throat.
“I’ve been thinking about your conundrum. The wedding. The invitation.” He shook his head. “I can’t let you go alone.”
“You can’t, huh?” She laughed, grateful for a release of some of the tension choking the air.
“I also can’t let you hire me.”
“I would never. And I told Lou you’d be insulted if you were paid like an escort.”
“For you, I’d make an exception.” He licked his bottom lip, and she most certainly did not stare. “Paying me is unnecessary when you could have me for free.”
Her heart raced when their eyes locked. She pictured having him in the way he’d meant it. He had brought up taking her to bed. It was a nice picture.
“What you need is someone you can have fun with so that the wedding won’t feel so heavy.”
She nodded. That was exactly what she needed. Going to Posy’s wedding would mean reopening the wound of losing the Stantons. The mere thought of the whole family under one roof was nauseating.
“You’re offering to come with me so I don’t have a nervous breakdown?”
Rather than glibly agree, he leaned closer and lowered his voice. “I’m offering you an opportunity to break your no-hot-men rule and go on a date with me.”
She pressed her lips together. That sounded…nice. No, better than nice. Dreamy.
And terrifying. The dates she’d been on since she’d left Prescott had been casual. Most of the time the attraction had been one-sided, if it was there in the first place. With Xavier, that wasn’t the case. Their attraction was mutual. She hadn’t experienced mutual attraction in a long time.
“If you’re offering out of pity…” she started, not wanting to seem too eager to say yes.
Xavier let out a short laugh. “You sure it’s not the other way around? I’m risking everything by sitting here and asking. You shoot me down, I have to crawl back to my buddies and tell them about my crash and burn.”
“Oh, and you think I’d be off the hook with Elli, Lou, and Lisa? I’ll never hear the end of it if they find out I didn’t say yes.”
“Guess that doesn’t leave us much of a choice, does it?”
Oh, he was good.
She allowed herself a moment to enjoy the sensual electricity zapping between them. God, if she ever kissed him, they’d probably both ignite on contact. What a way to go.
Suddenly, two beer bottles were plunked onto the tabletop between them. “From your bros,” Cheyenne announced. “Love your necklace.”
