Page 38 of Playing for Keeps
“They all are,” Camy countered. “Except that one, I guess.”
Rylan watched the direction of Camy’s gaze and tried her best not to blush when she locked gazes with Del.
“Great, now he thinks I’ve been sitting here staring at him the whole time,” she snapped and looked away.
Camy laughed. “You’ve certainly been looking all around the place for him.”
She resisted the urge to look in his direction again. “Have not.”
“Girl, please. First, you know you can’t lie to me and second, I’ve been sitting right here watching you.”
“Well, it might help you find someone to take the place of Mr. Morris tonight if you’d look at someone other than me,” Rylan quipped.
Something happened on the television and a group of guys cheered from across the room. Mariah Carey’sAll I Want for Christmas Is Youcame on and a chorus of women standing near the door began to sing their rendition of the holiday hit. A more cheerful setting Rylan couldn’t have imagined if she’d tried. And for once in the past few months she felt relaxed enough to simply enjoy the atmosphere and not give a second thought to her family problems.
“Well excuse me if I’m basking in my best friend’s glow of love.” Camy continued their conversation.
That last word had Rylan tensing. “Oh no, Del and I are just…we’re like really good friends with benefits or something like that,” she told Camy.
The words didn’t sound right to her ears, so Rylan wasn’t at all surprised when Camy looked at her as if she were crazy and said, “Again, don’t even try it.”
They had both turned so that their backs faced the bar and they could participate in the people-watching pastime. Camy crossed one leg over the other, her thigh-high suede boots looking stylish and sexy at the same time. The shiny black leggings she wore beneath the boots shaped her thighs while a festive red sweater that molded to her every curve accentuated her D cup breasts.
As for Rylan, she’d chosen a cute black corduroy mini-skirt over gray sweater-tights and a long-sleeved gray bodysuit topped off with ankle boots that she’d had for two years but hardly ever wore. They probably looked as if they were trying to pick up men, which they sort of were.
“You know he’s watching you too,” Camy said with a grin.
Rylan didn’t turn her head to look. Years of going to bars or clubs with Camy had taught her that. Never look at the subject at hand.
“It’s his job to watch everyone in his establishment. He needs to make sure his customers are doing okay. He is the manager you know.”
“Uh huh. Well, I think he’s keeping an eye on his woman with all these available guys in the house tonight,” Camy replied.
To prove her point about available guys, when one came up to Camy just seconds after her remark and asked if she’d like to dance, Rylan watched her friend smile and wink in her direction. There wasn’t really much dancing space in Game Changers, but from time-to-time, people did have a tendency to get up and move to the rhythm of a favored song. Rylan remained seated, her elbows resting back on the bar as she continued people watching while waiting for their food.
“You trying to kill me or what?” Del asked when he came up to stand beside her.
He smelled terrific. Dolce and Gabbana’sThe One. She’d seen the bottle on his dresser along with a couple of others, but this was her favorite. He looked fabulous too wearing all black tonight from his Game Changers polo down to his black Timberland boots.
“Excuse me?” she asked. “I haven’t seen or talked to you all day.”
Del stood remarkably close to her without actually touching her and Rylan desperately wanted to loop her arms around his neck and touch her warm berry glossed lips to his. But there were way too many people in here for her to venture into the area of PDAs. While Del had made it clear that he had no problem being seen with her or people knowing that they were sort of together at the moment, Rylan still wanted to err on the side of caution.
“Then please let me apologize for that misstep. Because this punishment you’re inflicting is torture.”
He stepped in front of her at that moment, resting his palms on her knees. Heat soared up her legs and straight to her crotch leaving her speechless for a few seconds.
“Are those the kind of lines you’re used to using on women?” she asked when she regained her senses.
Del was touching her quite intimately in the middle of his restaurant. Her heart was thumping wildly at the thought.
He shook his head, his sexy grin spreading.
“Just you,” he told her and leaned forward to kiss first her cheek and then the spot beneath her ear.
Rylan couldn’t help it; her hands came to Del’s shoulders. Otherwise she was sure to fall off the stool.
“Oh please, can’t you two get a room?” Lance said from behind her.
