Page 24 of Power Play

“They can sense I’m occupied.”

Ryan’s shoulder brushes mine when someone squeezes behind him. His hand closes around the back of my stool to keep it from shifting, caging me for one brief second between his arm and the bar.

My pulse stumbles.

“I’ll think about tomorrow,” I say.

“You won’t.”

I lift an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“You’ve already decided.” He nods toward my purse. “You’ll go home, reorganize your notes, read the syllabus again, then show up ten minutes early because being exactly on time makes you nervous.”

“I don’t reorganize my notes.”

Bliss snorts.

I ignore her. “You sound very sure of yourself.”

“I know you.” Ryan lifts the pitcher and steps away from my stool. “Bring the syllabus and whatever you’ve read so far.”

“My notes are excellent.”

“Then bring the excellent notes.”

“You’re enjoying this.”

“I like a challenge.”

I tilt my head. “The course or me?”

His eyes hold mine as the noise of the bar moves around us.

“You aren’t the course.”

Before I can answer, Briggs shouts from the table.

“Decker, did you go brew the beer yourself?”

Ryan looks over his shoulder. “Keep talking and I’ll bring you water.”

“Water is for cowards.”

“Water is why your kidneys haven’t quit.”

Briggs cups both hands around his mouth. “CHARM, TELL YOUR BOYFRIEND WE’RE THIRSTY.”

Every face at the Fury table turns toward us. Bliss freezes with a bottle in one hand. Aura stops beside Easton’s booth and smiles like she has been waiting all night for something entertaining to happen to someone else.

My entire face burns.

Ryan doesn’t look remotely embarrassed. He leans closer until his mouth is near my ear, his voice low enough to belong beneath the music.

“You want me to correct him, amiga?”

The warmth of his breath slides over my skin. I grip the edge of the stool and refuse to lean away.

“You seem capable of making your own decisions.”