Page 12 of Mr. Risky

His eyes with those sinful dark lashes were taunting me.

Because yes he did.

Yes, he absolutely did.

When the diner was slow, we’d open the back door and escape out to the beach and sit on the sand, me playing the flute, and him taking that fiddle out of the old leather case that smelled like a library.

And we’d play for hours sometimes, his leg brushing by mine, our fingers meeting as he’d drop a pretty shell in my lap. I thought it was the beginning of forever.

Either he was lying or he truly had forgotten, and either option was so damn humiliating.

But fuck him, I had a better boyfriend now.

Granger had been a stupid mistake. Jax was my future, and I couldn’t wait to tell him all about my first evening as a Siren.

Even though every other man here was dressed in a three-piece suit, Granger was dressed in dirty work pants and a loose gray T-shirt. There were little holes in it where I could see his tanned skin.

Pippa took his hand eagerly, looking up at him with eyes shining.

Even though she was my best friend, Pippa had always been just a bit arrogant. In fact, sometimes I had felt like a bit player in her starring role.

But she had changed. It was obvious, just from subtle shifts of her body, that Granger ran the show now.

I said nothing to him, and he kissed Pippa, his touch slow, lingering, the kiss going on just a touch too long for normal behavior, and she leaned into him with a sigh of adoration, the thick gold band heavy on his finger.

This was fine. I didn’t care.

But was this how the whole summer was going to go? Him practically tonguing her in front of me?

There was still that uncomfortable gleam in her eyes when she turned around. Like she was scoring a point on me every time he came into my vision.

Why did she still do this? Why was she so convinced that some crush two years ago affected me at all today?

And there was no way she could know—it had been more than a crush.

I’d thought he was my soulmate.

It was so ridiculous. How could a sweet-talking dirty cheater ever be my soulmate? Who else had he been cheating with?

Pippa, so sharp, so firm and confident, didn’t even ask Granger to get dressed.

You didn’t tell Granger what to do. He’d get dressed in his own damn time.

I looked away.

“I need to go circulate around the tables.”

“I’m sure it will be lovely,” Pippa said. “You’re doing such a good job, Sosie. I’m so happy to be able to help you. God knows a music graduate student can’t make much.”

My cheeks felt heated with embarrassment, but I forced my voice to stay calm.

“No. . . . I don’t make much.”

“We thought you could really use this job.”

We

“Thank you,” I said steadily.