I’d laugh if I wasn’t shocked. I delivered my truths and a lie evenly; I made sure of that. How the… Doesn’t matter. She proved my point.
“Your nose scrunched,” Hayley answers my unspoken question. “The thought of owning cats didn’t sit well with you.”
“Damn.” I shake my head with a groan. “Fine. I owe you an espresso martini. Unless I guess yours.”
“You’re on.”
I smile, expecting her to take a moment to think about it, but she throws out her response so quickly I startle. “One, my hair isnaturally wavy. Two, I know how to surf. And three, I’d love to screw your brains out.”
“Jesus Christ.” My balls tighten but I ignore it. This isn’t the first time someone’s said something similar to me, and despite what Hayley insinuated earlier, I’m not oblivious to the attention I receive. But something about the words coming from Hayley’s mouth has my cock hardening in my pants. And that’s not a good thing for either of us. Especially when I’m certain it’s her lie.
“The third one,” I state plainly, unable to repeat her words back to her in case my voice wavers.
“Dammit. I was sure you wouldn’t guess.”
“Why?”
“Becauseeveryonewants that.”
“Except you apparently.” I huff out a laugh and relax until she speaks.
“Kind of.” She leans in, her lips pressed together, almost coyly, as she lifts to her toes. “If we were fucking,” she whispers against my ear, her voice full of want, “I’d much ratherIwas the one losing my mind.”
Holy hell. I grip the back of my neck awkwardly.What do I even say to that?“I…er…ah—”
“Relax.” She grins, stepping back while I fight to hide my frown. “I have no plans to jump you, Reed. But I’m only human. A girl can fantasize.”
I pause, finding her honesty refreshing, my mind clearing enough to hold my own in this bizarre conversation.
“What if I were to say yes?” I ask, turning to give her my full attention. “Are you prepared to hand over control? Would you allow me toblow your mind?”
Hayley giggles this time, and it’s both adorable and a little insulting.
“Something tells me you won’t.” She points at my chest, her eyes falling to where her finger pokes at my abs. “So I’m willing to say yes.”
She glances up again, raising a single brow, and the meaning behind her words hits me. “Fucking Luke,” I grumble, getting the impression he told Hayley about my feelings for Bria. And when she bites back a grin, she confirms it.
“The one and only. But there’s nothing wrong with knowing what or who you want. I think it’s sweet.”
“I—”
“You’re sweet. Don’t try and fight it. I happen to like sweet. Come on, you owe me a drink.”
She spins on her toes so fast I have to reach out to stop her from walking away. “I thought you owed me one?”
“To-may-to, to-mah-to.” She shrugs. “Let’s go.”
“Actually, it’s nothing like that.” I scrunch my nose, making her smile. “But lucky for you, I’m a gentleman. One espresso martini coming right up.”
Hayley downs more than a few more martinis before the venue calls for last drinks, and I find myself watching her every move, worried about some asshole taking advantage of her inebriated state.
Barely a minute passes before the dim mood lighting brightens and I curse myself for staying out so late. My teammates are long gone and yet, I couldn’t bring myself to leave any earlier.
Hayley’s right. I barely know her, but Luke asked us to come because Hayley doesn’t have many friends here in the US, and I felt it my duty to stay.
Several guys flock to her side now that the night is over, hoping to shoot their shot. But to my surprise, she pushes past them all, making her way over to me, her confident smile locked in place.
“You stayed.” She sits down beside me and leans back in the chair, crossing her leg over her knee, the hem of her dress lifting dangerously high on her thigh. “I’m impressed.” She closes her eyes and lets out a slow, drawn-out breath, drawing attention to her chest as it rises and falls.
