Page 66 of A Lot Like Love
She reached out for him, slung one hand around his waist, and touched the other to his chest. He wanted to draw her close, inhale the sweet smell of her perfume, and tell her how damn much she meant to him. But he didn’t.
“Ouch!” Ryder grimaced as she slid her hand down to his stomach, retracting it the second he reacted.
“What the hell did they do to you?” she muttered, grabbing the hem of his T-shirt and tugging it up.“Damn.”
Ryder looked down and saw the angry red mark that was fast turning ugly. If his stomach looked that bad he hated to think what his face looked like.
“Are we on?” he asked.
Chloe blew out a breath, sending hair that had escaped from her ponytail flying off her face. He reached out and pushed it back, but she shook her head and tugged the band that was holding her ponytail in place out, letting it all fall loose around her shoulders.
“I’ve swapped shifts with Shelly. Parker’s already gone into the back room to play and I want to get changed before we head in together.”
Ryder’s heart started pounding, the all-too-familiar rush of adrenaline powering through him at the thought of what they were about to do. “You realize this is going to come completely out of left field, right? I mean, they’re not gonna believe what’s about to go down in there.”
Chloe’s smile was slow. She twisted her mouth like she was trying to stop from grinning, but within a few seconds she was having to bite her lip to stop from smiling hard. “I want to pretend like I’m not insanely excited about taking this guy for all he’s got.”
Ryder stepped into her space, circled his arms around her waist, and drew her close, grimacing when she bumped into him a little too hard. “Baby, I love the fact that you’re hyped about doing this. And believe me when I say I’ll make it up to you all night if you pull this off.”
She scowled, leaning back in his arms. “WhenI pull this off, you mean.”
“Exactly,” he said, leaning down and kissing her. He was sure going to miss that beautiful mouth of hers once this was over.
“So what’s the plan?” he asked. “We still heading in together, or do you want me to go in first.”
“Not a chance.” Chloe stood on tiptoes to press another kiss to his lips before backing away. “After what went down with your brothers before, you need me in there right from the start as a distraction.” Ryder followed her as she walked slowly back to the bar. “Tell them I want to play a little that you’re good for any bets I make and you’re pissed with your brothers, and then let me take it from there, just like our original plan.”
Ryder reached out and touched Chloe’s arm, his fingers pressing just hard enough to indicate that he wanted her to stop. “Thank you,” he said. “I know we’ve both been having fun, but I won’t ever forget what you’ve done for me, Chloe.”
She laughed, shrugging off his hold and trying to act like it was no big deal. “You would have figured out a way to get it back with or without my help.”
“Maybe,” he said. “But I would have lost a lot in the process. And I wouldn’t have met you.”
Her eyes found his, her gaze unblinking as she watched him. “Just promise that you won’t forget me when this is over.” Chloe’s voice was low, her words barely a murmur.
“Forget you?” Ryder chuckled and reached out to stroke her face, cupping his palm against her cheek and smiling when she leaned into his touch. “I meet a crazy sexy woman at a rodeo and she ends up being an ace poker player and saving my ass. Not to mention she’s amazing in bed. Do you really think I could forget any of that?” He could have kept going, but he still didn’t want to admit quite how much she meant to him, how much he craved her.
Her expression was hard to read—Chloe’s smile was fading as she pulled away again.
“I’ll meet you at the bar in ten,” she told him.
Ryder stood and stared after her, checked out her butt like he always did, admired her long hair that was so fun to wrap around his fist when they were in bed. But for the first time in his life, he knew that if she walked out of his life right now, she wouldn’t be easy to replace. Before it had always been about having fun. Now he was starting to realize that there was only one person he wanted to keep having fun with, and that scared the shit out of him. His time with Chloe was coming to an end—the minute she had what she wanted she’d be gone.
So why the hell was his brain going into overdrive trying to think up ways to convince her to stay?
