Page 12 of Bachelor

“Always.” Jessica grinned, her eyes lighting up at the sight of him.

They were an odd pair, but over Christmas, I’d realized just how much Jessica liked him. Plus, he’d literally lay the world at her feet if she asked. Bill truly worshipped the ground she walked on, and I couldn’t be happier for her.

But my happiness was immediately squashed by a second figure approaching the railing.

“Oh, great,” I mumbled to myself. I watched Rhys as he leaned on the railing, a glass of whiskey clutched in one hand. He nodded at me, a similar look of resignation on his face.

How long could we possibly talk about a fairy romance?

Well, two hours later, I was nestled between Jessica and Tyler Bakken, who was a surprise guest. Apparently, he’d come with Rhys. I’d known Tyler for many years now. He was one of Christian’s friends, his teammate, but I knew they’d grown apart over the past year.

Tyler had taken it upon himself to read the fantasy novel and had been arguing certain theories about what would be happening in the third book, which didn’t come out until next year.

I leaned back on a cushion, nursing a glass of wine as Tyler and Bill argued their points, Jessica laughing and cutting in to argue her own.

Rhys was sitting on the other side of the coffee table, resting his elbows on his knees as he watched the three of them with interest.

Eventually, Bill, Tyler, and Jessica stood, going into the kitchen to refresh their drinks and snacks.

Leaving me and Rhys alone.

I swirled my wine, the sudden silence almost too much to handle.

“Did you enjoy the book as much as they did?” he asked, his voice low.

“I did. I didn’t put as much stock into the connections between it and her previous series, though,” I admitted, looking down into my wine. I knew if I looked into his eyes, I’d get lost in them, and that wall I’d put between us would start to crack. “Did you actually read it?”

“Of course. I couldn’t come here not knowing a damn thing about it, could I?”

I smiled despite the promise I’d made to never show an ounce of emotion in front of him again. I looked up at him. He was seated casually, his hair slightly ruffled and glasses off kilter as he brought his whiskey to his lips.

“We’ve agreed to stop fighting over the book,” Bill said as he exited the kitchen and dropped several decks of cards on the coffee table between us. “We’re moving on!”

Jessica sat down beside me, Tyler choosing a seat next to Rhys. Rhys leaned forward and grabbed a deck, deftly shuffling it before saying, a glint of mischief in his eyes, “Don’t let Whitney play. She cheats.”

My mouth parted in surprise at his jab. “I don’t cheat!”

“You count cards, and that’s cheating.” A boyish grin ghosted over his mouth.

I felt my own lips pulling into a smile. “Only if you get caught.”

His eyes lighted on mine, but he said nothing further as he continued to shuffle each deck.

“I don’t cheat,” I repeated to the group, all of whom giggled and rolled their eyes.

“We should take her to Vegas,” Bill smiled, nudging Jessica. “She’d be a hit, and we’d never have to work a day in our lives afterwards.”

“She’d get arrested.” Rhys smirked.

“Oh?” I cut in, leaning forward and fisting a deck just to keep my hands busy. “Why’s that?”

“Everything you’re thinking shows on your face,” he replied, which elicited a nod from Tyler, who quickly paled and turned a rosy pink.

“What am I thinking now, then?” I asked.

Rhys looked at me. He inspected me, looking deep into my eyes, then dropped his gaze to my lips, but only briefly. A ripple of electricity shot down my spine, but I ignored it, fixing him with a scowl. One of his brows arched.

“Oh, shoot. I forgot the wine,” Jessica said, standing up.

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