Page 28 of Playing Hard to Get

Their words didn’t reach my ears due to the pounding in my head. I couldn’t take my eyes off the man who fucked me and left the party last night with another woman. When Frankie stepped back, Mitch moved to my side. I forced myself out of my chair, forced myself to accept his hug, forced myself not to react when his hands slid too low and his face burrowed into the crook of my neck.

“How’s it going, sweet girl?” Mitch’s whispered words cut like a blow to the chest. I pulled away, too quick. Frankie eyed me as I sat back in my chair.

“I hope you don’t mind I invited Mitch?” Concern. That fucking concern. “I know you’re friends, too. I thought you’d like to have him here.”

I waved her off and grabbed my glass of water. “It’s fine.”

The look she gave me let me know she knew something wasn’t fine. But she didn’t dig. Maybe she thought it was me, feeling sick. I prayed it was, because I couldn’t stand for her to know the truth.

Mitch took a seat at the table next to me. I glanced up at him, found him studying me, and I turned away as quickly as I could. Thankfully, the waiter returned with another menu and drew their attention away from me. When the waiter left, Frankie turned to me.

“You missed the funniest thing last night,” she said, her beautiful smile finding its way across her lips.

“Yeah?” I asked. A leg bumped against mine under the table and I shifted, moving out of Mitch’s way.

“Ramon challenged Corey to a dance off. Oh my God, Viv. I wish you could have seen it. They both got into it, just going crazy. Then Matt starts in, and next thing you know, half the team is dancing. Corey’s out there, doing the worst Robot I’ve ever seen...” Frankie glanced around, then did a quick imitation which had us all laughing. “Then, all the sudden, Ramon saunters out onto the floor next to him, tips his hat,” Frankie lifts an invisible hat from her head, “drops to the floor, and starts breakdancing.”

“Seriously?” I laughed, trying to picture it, when my leg was bumped again. I tucked my feet under my chair as Frankie continued.

“It was the most amazing thing. I didn't know the man had it in him.”

“I'm not surprised.” Mitch stretched his arms over his head. His leg bumped me again and I glanced under the white tablecloth. He was sprawled out in my direction, taking up my legroom. “Oh, sorry,” he said, barely glancing at me. “You know the way those guys are. They bet on any and everything.”

“They do.”

“And what better way to sucker them in than to keep something like that a secret and break it out when no one expects it?”

Frankie pointed at Mitch, nodding, her eyebrows raised. “You're right.”

“Of course I am, darlin’.” Another bump against my leg, only this time his leg stayed against mine. I tried to shift in my chair to give myself more room, but he was taking up nearly all the space around me.

I let the two of them talk, listening enough to keep up as I pretended to read the menu. When the waiter came to take our order, Mitch leaned forward over his menu, and his leg bumped mine again.

It was all I could do to stop myself from yelling at him. If there was one good thing that came out of last night, it was my conviction to stay the hell away from Mitch. All it took was seeing Kimber clinging to him as he left with her last night. I didn't have time for assholes in my life. And Mitch was nothing but that.

My conviction swayed when he touched me. His hand slid across my knee, inching up, up, up. “Your turn, darlin’.”

Startled, I looked up from my menu. Frankie and Mitch and the waiter were all staring at me, waiting. That hand went higher. I gave my best smile, clamped my hand down upon his, and forced him off me as I said, “I'll have the pumpkin soup and a house salad, please.”

“Wonderful. Anything else?”

“No, that's all I'll be needing.” With that, I released Mitch's hand and crossed my legs, pulling away from him as much as I could.

As the waiter left, Frankie's phone buzzed. She looked up from it and frowned. “I'm sorry, I’ve gotta take this.”

Her quick words filled the silence, but I could feel Mitch's eyes on me. I peeked at him and those dark eyes locked on mine.

“You okay?” he asked, leaning toward me.

I gave him a tight smile. “Why wouldn't I be?”

“Frankie said you got sick last night.” I shrugged and grabbed my water glass. “That was sudden. You left before the night got good.”

My breath left in a huff. “Yeah? Well, I guess I'm not the only one.”

“Sorry about that.” Frankie set her phone face-down on the table and shook her head. “Cael is having some issues with a client.”

“Everything ok?” Mitch’s attention left me, but his leg brushed mine again.