I grinned down at Dani after Tally handed me my second beer. It would be my last beer of the night. Dani was currently polishing off her third drink and getting a little extra touchy-feely. I wasn’t going to take advantage of her current state, but I also wasn’t going to discourage the touching. Her hands on me felt incredible. She wasn’t groping me or anything, just sticking to my side. Every time her body brushed up against mine, I had to will myself not to yank her into my lap or grind my hard dick against her. She might not mind it now, but she’d be pissed as hell about it in the morning.
And her mood had improved. We didn’t talk about her father anymore, but I still wanted to punch the guy for making her look sad. I couldn’t even bring myself to consider him my idol any longer.
“Are you pouting?” She tapped her finger against my lips, and I resisted the urge to nibble.
I chuckled. “No.”
“What’s going on in that brain?”
“Nothing important.”
She quirked a brow. “You know that you can tell me. You should be happy right now. Not only did you get your two points, but you also have a hot girlfriend sitting next to you.”
A bubble of laughter popped out. “Are you drunk?” We needed a new subject. I had no plans to bring up her father again tonight. She’d heard enough about him, and I didn’t want to upset her again.
“What? No. Just a bit buzzy, why?” Then she tugged me closer, her warm breath washing over my ear, which did not help my already hard cock. Thank fuck for dim bar lighting. “It’s part of the ruse, remember?”
I ran my thumb down her cheek, cupping her jaw. “Oh, I remember.” And I hated the reminder because I wanted more than the ruse. And it was starting to piss me off.
“Should we kiss?” she asked.
“Do you want to?” I kept my voice low, my body desperate to taste her.
She lowered her gaze and bit gently on the corner of her mouth. I sucked back a groan. No matter what happened tonight, I knew I wouldn’t take it further than a kiss or two.
“Kiss me, Gabe,” she whispered. I closed the distance between us, sealing my lips to hers. Who was I to say no to her?
I kept the kiss light, fully aware that we were sitting with my teammates, and I didn’t want to take advantage of her current state.
Her tongue trailed along the seam of my lips and I opened briefly to tangle my tongue with hers, before ending the kiss. While it would make complete sense to tug her closer and keep kissing her—we were “together,” after all—I didn’t think Dani was ready for that amount of public affection.
Tonight had been perfect, and I’d loved having Dani here with my friends. It felt as natural as breathing, and I wasn’t ready for it to end. She fit in with us so well, like she’d always been here. And my need for her had just continued to grow. Fuck, how could I be so gone after two weeks?
“I should probably switch to water after this.” She took a sip of her drink after settling back in her chair.
“Hydration is key to skipping a hangover. Want me to grab you one?”
“Why are you so sweet?” she murmured. Her tone held a note of surprise, and it wasn’t the first time I wanted to ask her about what kind of guys she dated. Of course, if they’d all been like Jenzy, I could understand her comment.
“Not sweet, just a good guy,” I said.
“Too sweet, like those iced snickerdoodles.” Her fingers trailed over the top of my hand where it rested on my thigh.
My muscles clenched again. I needed some ice water, too, before I leaned in and told her that she tasted way sweeter than those cookies we both loved.
“Don’t move.” I pressed a kiss to the top of her head and made my way to the bar.
“You two are adorable together,” Simone said as she handed me the waters.
“Uh, thanks. Yeah, Dani’s amazing.”
She smiled. “Don’t let that woman go, Tucks.”
“I’d be a fool to.” I gave Simone a nod and then turned back to where Dani was sitting and laughing with my friends.
I’m fucked.
***
