Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 98324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
“Ouch,” Eric mutters.
I would have enjoyed hearing more about my least favorite sibling’s fuckups, but the conversation moves on, and I can’t track it. That’s because Eric’s fingertips graze lightly over my bare shoulder as he talks.
Okay, what is happening here? It’s not like Eric to toy with my emotions. Or, fine, my libido. I don’t know what he’s playing at. Even after he drops his hand, the whisper of his fingertips is seared into my consciousness the same way my retinas burn from an accidental glance at the sun.
And I’m only human. My subconscious takes the extra step of wondering what would happen next if Eric were actually my boyfriend. We’d head back to my hotel room after this, and then…
Stop it, Darcy. Just stop.
I wasn’t always like this. When I first met Eric, I’d written him off as too nice to be interesting. But everything changed one night on a team road trip. I’d swum some laps in the rooftop pool at our hotel—the Wayfair LA.
When I got out, I’d thought I was alone. Until I heard a feminine gasp from an alcove behind a potted plant. And when I tiptoed over to investigate, I got an eyeful. He had Mona pressed up against a wall, her long legs wrapped around his waist while he…
It was the most arousing five seconds of my life, before I’d recovered my wits and slunk away. But I’ll never forget the raw urgency I saw that night. He was as rough as he was magnificent.
From that day forward, I stopped thinking of him as the nice, bland captain and started dreaming about him instead. It’s inconvenient, especially right this moment, with the heady scent of him surrounding me. I’m probably blushing brighter than a ketchup factory explosion.
Eventually, Maribel and Theo step away to greet other guests, leaving me beside Eric feeling flushed and confused.
I shove another tiny taco into my maw and chew angrily, finally risking a glance at my date.
“What?” he asks, picking up a mini quiche.
I shiver. “Don’t give me what. Why are we suddenly dating, exactly?”
He sighs. “Sorry. That was… impulsive. But I just…” He grabs his cocktail and takes a gulp. “Tessa was so…” He sighs.
I was only gone for five minutes, but… “Wait. Did she hit on you while I was speaking to the DJ?”
His face does something complicated. “Yes,” he says firmly. “And I panicked. So I was trying to send up a signal.”
“Eric Thomas Tremaine.” I let out a wicked chuckle. “You have women hurling themselves at you like moths against a screen door. Every day, probably. And you let my sister break you?”
He rubs his forehead. “Like I said, it was an impulsive thing to do. She doesn’t seem like the kind of girl who gives up, though.”
“Uh-huh.” And now that I think about it, that same fuck buddy from LA—Mona—never quite took the hint after Eric broke things off. Maybe he’s extra wary. “So now I’m your decoy?”
He looks away. Shakes his big, blond head. “Something like that. I can undo the damage, though. I can tell ’em all right now that I was just playing around.”
But that’s when I make an impulsive decision, too. “No, it’s fine. Let’s roll with it.” I grab my drink and take a sip. “This is an excellent cocktail. And we have a dance competition to win.”
He drains his drink. “Sure. Right after I have two more cocktails, maybe that’ll seem like a good idea.”
Chapter 14
Should We Stretch?
Eric
The dance competition kicks off a half hour later than promised. Doesn’t anyone pay attention to the time around here? I’m three drinks in and sweating by the time the lights come on over the little stage.
Darcy looks pointedly at my empty glass. “Are you okay?”
“I’m just loosening up. Should we stretch?”
She laughs. “You can’t be serious?”
So I guess that’s a no.
“Um, Eric?” she says as I roll my neck. “We don’t even have to stay. We brought a blender, we wished the couple well, and we ate a lot of miniature foods. Our work here is done.”
“I’m a fighter, Darcy. Can’t back down now.”
“Ooooookay.”
Tessa is the emcee, of course. She grabs the microphone and greets the crowd. She spends way too long swanning around the little stage and thanking everyone, as if she’s kicking off the damn Oscars. Finally, she introduces the first couple. “Give it up for the guests of honor! Theo and Maribel!”
Maribel and Theo hop up onto the stage and join hands, striking a pose. They’re both smiling broadly, and when the jazzy music starts, Theo swings Maribel around the stage like a damn professional.
They look fantastic. But what really stands out for me is the look of joy on Maribel’s face—like she’s already won the only contest that really matters.
“Okay. Fine,” I grumble. “This whole thing is worth it to see her so happy.”