Page 9 of Duke
“Means…” I shake my head. “Most people would just go search online and settle for the least worst-looking cheap pair of boots they could find. But you decided to manufacture your own fucking boots. You know how hot that is?”
Leaning forward, she settles her elbows on the table. “You think I’m hot?”
She’s flirting now, the energy between us shifting.
Igniting.
An unexpected shadow of disappointment moves through me. I wanna take this girl home, no two ways about it. But I also wanna keep picking her brain. I see so much of myself in the things she’s saying. The struggles she’s working through.
For the first time in a long time, I actually wanna…well, take my time.
There’s a buzz in the back of my skull. That’s the only way I can describe the weird sixth sense I have when it comes to Ryder. Glancing across the bar, I see him watching me. Watching us, more like it.
He cocks a brow.You like this one, yeah?
I give him a tiny nod.I do.
Grinning, he brings his beer to his mouth. For all his fucking around earlier, I know he’d never step on my toes when it comes to a girl. Not only because he’s not a total dick but also because we have completely different tastes in women. He likes countrygirls who can hold their liquor and who know every word to every Nirvana song. Bonus points if they’re brunette.
Me? I like girls who are going places. And yeah, if they have a nice ass, I don’t mind that.
Wheeler is definitely going places, and she definitely has the sexiest, cutest ass ever.
I don’t wanna fuck this up. If I move too fast, get too deep, I risk scaring her off. My hope is that she and I will be seeing a lot of each other going forward. Gotta keep this chemistry alive without blowing my proverbial load too soon.
Her mouth, though. It’s quick and smart and lush. I wanna kiss it almost as much as I wanna listen to the words that come out of it.
Judging by the way Wheeler keeps leaning forward, her leg pressing into mine and her tits on display, I may not have much choice in the matter.
“Surely I ain’t the first one who’s told you that.” I nod at her beer. “Want another?”
Figure that’s a good way to slow things down—one more beer, which I’ll nurse as long as possible. Gives me an excuse to keep the conversation and the darts going in the world’s best, worst game of edging.
“Yeah.” Wheeler nods, doing that thing where she digs her teeth into her bottom lip. She’s looking at my mouth now. “Sure, I’d love one. Thank you.”
“Be right back.” I gather our empty bottles between my fingers before gesturing to the board. “No cheating.”
“I’d never!” She gives my arm a playful shove. “Well, I would if it meant winning. But I don’t need to cheat to win.”
“Always so confident.”
“Well, yeah.” She’s grinning as she teases me.
She doing this on purpose? Veering into flirtatiousness so I don’t hit on any more sore spots? The shit she said about herparents makes me think that maybe…I don’t know, maybe she’s going through something. Is she close with her family? Do they talk? Are they fighting? I’m sensing sadness, but she’s given me so little to go on that I could be projecting.
I gotta be careful not to overstep. She’ll tell me what she wants me to know when she’s ready to tell it.
Problem is all of a sudden, I want to know everything.
Ryder picked right up on it: IlikeWheeler.
She may want me. But that doesn’t mean she likes me back. I’m okay with that.
I’m okay with that, I repeat as I order another round and fight the growing crowd to bring the Shiners back to our table.
Only I’m not okay with the idea of hooking up with Wheeler tonight and never getting to talk to her so honestly—so openly—again. What if we sleep together, and then she wants nothing to do with me? What if getting naked makes things awkward?
Still, when Wheeler slides her hand onto the underside of my forearm as she accepts the beer I hold out to her, arousal bolts through me. I try very hard not to let it blot out my desire to get to know her better.
