Chapter 9
Chloe contemplated punching Dylan Hawke in the jaw.
What stopped her?
Well, it was that gorgeous face—the stubble-laced chin, dark, deep-set eyes, thick lashes. A fist to his face would impair all of that. Plus, it was easy to tell by his lingering make-her-skin-flush smirk, he was being facetious.
“It’s unedited. Only a draft. Reading it would be a pointless waste of your time.” She internally gagged, realizing those words probably sounded a tad desperate, as if she’d something to hide.
Oh wait. That’s right…shedidhave something to hide.
Eyes on the table, fingertips tapping his half-empty bottle, Dylan broke out in a subtle scoffing ha-ha. “What are you trying to hide? Did you write something about me?”
Yes.Chloe’s heart drummed, thumped, maybe even froze for a second. “No.” She washed back that not-so-little white lie with a swig of ale. “What would make you say that?”
“Why else would you try so hard to convince me not to read it?”
Annoyingly perceptive.
The waitress interrupted, delivering Chloe’s meal, then said all chipper-like, “The karaoke contest will begin in a few minutes. Did you sign up for it?”
Chloe and Dylan shook their heads.
“Interesting.” She popped her chewing gum. “I’ll leave this sign-up sheet here for y’all to add your names to, just in case you get the urge to sing,” she said, dropping the paper on the table before she trotted away.
“Are you into karaoke?” It was a keen topic shifter for Chloe; although, she discerned there was no getting around coming back to the discussion sooner or later. She needed that manuscript in her possession as much as a bee needed nectar from a flower.
“Not one bit.” His stiffened reaction gave Chloe the upper-hand on just what card to pull.
“I’ll play you for it.”
“Play me for what?” Dylan’s head tilt was accentuated by a set of furrowed brows. Even with a look of confusion, he was the kind of heart-throbbing-hot that was hard not to gawk over.
Keep it together, woman.It would serve her well tofocus on getting back those first pages of Project Sizzle. Ignore his face, the set of pecks bulging through his T-shirt, and that head, full of the thick hair she wanted to run her fingers through.
“My manuscript. It’s a contest, right? This karaoke thing? I propose we get up on stage, sing a song. Crowd chooses the winner, who, in return, gets the manuscript.”
Brilliant.
Arms folded, Dylan threw his head back in a chortle, then anchored a hard, narrow-eyed glare on Chloe. “No.”
“Oh, I get it. You hate losing.” She lifted a piece of beer-battered fish off the plate and chomped.
“First of all, I wouldn’t lose.”
Chloe blinked twice, then fixed eyes of intent on Dylan.
“What?” Dylan returned a set of fixed eyes on her.
“You said,first of all. So I’m waiting for thesecond of all, that typically follows.”
Dylan rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m not doing karaoke.”
“Then why come to a karaoke party if you don’t plan on—”
“Fine. Whatever,” Dylan grumbled. “You win.”
“I win what? My manuscript back? Wow. I’ll admit, this was way easier than I thought.” A victory smile spread over her face. It was all she wanted, after all: the words on the first drafted pages of Project Sizzle never to be seen by him.
