I blink, gaping at him. Surely he didn’t… I gave the man an easy out, for God’s sake. What the hell was he thinking? He doesn’t like me. Had basically just chewed me out over getting too personal with his niece. Now he wants me to join them for a night of pizza? Yes, he apologized, but still… Except for a kiss he immediately regretted, the man has never liked me. Has always treated me like I was patient zero for Ebola.
“See?” Rose jumps all over Asa’s agreement and, releasing her hold on him, throws herself at me. She wraps her arms around my waist, and it’s such a sweet, innocent embrace, I don’t even have the heart to admonish her about us still being on school grounds. Not with glee lighting her eyes and that huge grin nearly splitting her face in half. “Please? It’ll be so much fun. We watch movies, too. And even though I really, really want to watch Moana, I’ll let you pick the movie and the pizza.”
Damn.
I’m going to cave.
While the thought of returning to Asa’s house, the site of The Humiliation, has the soles of my feet itching to break the record for the hundred-yard dash, the possibility of witnessing Rose’s eyes dim with disappointment stifles the urge.
I’m trapped into spending the evening with Asa Hunt by an adorable little con artist.
“Okay, then, sure.” I try to pour all the enthusiasm I can muster into those three words. “Let’s do it.”
And as Rose yells her victory, fist pumping and performing an awkward but cute shuffle dance, I can’t help but glance at her silent uncle.
His hooded gaze ensnares me, setting my heart into a primal beat against my rib cage.
Dangerous. I’m playing a dangerous game here.
If I had the sense God gave a pet rock, I’d risk upsetting Rose in the name of self-preservation.
But as I agree to meet them at six o’clock, all I can do is hope—pray—that I remember the rules this time around. And try my damnedest not to break them.