Avery’s dad looked stunned, and her grandparents glared, but everyone else laughed. Everyone except Bri, who blushed a deep red and smacked his hand away. Good. She should know what it meant to be a resident of Wellingford. It wasn’t always a positive experience. He nodded at Avery’s sister, who sat across the table. “Hey, Alexis.”
“Hey.” She didn’t look much happier than Avery.
“How are things? When’s the wedding?”
If Bri’s elbow in his stomach wasn’t enough of a hint, the way Alexis looked sick told him he’d fucked up. She gave him a smile that was so fake his teeth hurt. “Eric and I didn’t work out.”
Ryan Flannery strikes again.“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
“It’s okay.” She shot a look at her grandparents, and sighed. “Mostly okay. Excuse me, please.” Then she was gone, making her way in the direction of the bathroom.
He sat back, feeling like the world’s biggest ass. “I didn’t know,” he said again.
“It’s a recent thing. Don’t worry about it,” Drew said, then turned to field a question from Avery’s grandmother.
“You would have known if you weren’t so busy running away from this place.” Bri spoke so softly he almost didn’t catch her words.
“For the last time, I’m not running from anything.” He smoothed her hair off her shoulder. “I sure as hell didn’t run from you the other night.”
Bri huffed out a breath and reached for her water. She fumbled it, knocking the glass over—and into his lap. Ryan cursed and she stammered out something that might have been an apology, followed by, “I can’t believe this is happening.” She grabbed a handful of napkins from the dispenser in the middle of the table and started dabbing at his crotch.
He groaned, instantly going harder than a steel pike as she patted him. She was so busy trying to clean up her mess, she didn’t seem to realize what part of him she was spending so much time stroking until he cleared his throat.
Bri froze. “Oh crap.”
He pulled the wet napkins from her suddenly limp hands. “This was fun, but I can take it from here.”
Her goddamn perfume teased him much the same way her pink lips did, tantalizing and yet subtle. She finally looked at his face and frowned. “You’re doing it again.”
“Doing what?” He knew exactly what she meant, but he wanted to see if she’d actually call him out on it. “I didn’t knock over your water—you did.”
“You’re staring at me like you’re thinking—” She blushed and frowned harder. “Knock it off.”
“You’re projecting. I wonder why?” He abandoned the napkins and traced a finger up her thigh, chuckling when she shivered. “Could it be that you recently had your mind blown?”
She elbowed his side again. “Shut up. We’re in public.”
“That didn’t bother you the last time we were together.” Nor did his touch, since she hadn’t shoved away his hand yet. Interesting.
“Oh my God, will you stop talking?”
“It’s not my fault someone has their panties in a twist.” He trailed his hand higher than was proper and squeezed her thigh. A flush stole over her chest, creating a fascinating contrast to her white V-neck T-shirt.
She leaned in, kissably close. “Don’t think for a second that you had more than a passing effect on my panties.”
The heat and unmistakable challenge in her eyes was all too similar to the other night on the porch, right before she’d called his bluff and kissed him. It wouldn’t take much to shove her over the edge again. He opened his mouth, though he couldn’t say for sure if he was going to push her away or closer…
Drew cleared his throat. He leaned on the table, his gaze jumping from Ryan to Bri and back again. “Is there something I should know?”
“I…” She went red and then pale. “Excuse me. I need some fresh air.” And then she was gone, moving so quickly she was almost running.
“What the hell was that about?” Drew said, though his face said enough—he knew. Goddamn it. His brother shook his head. “You sure know how to clear a room—and you didn’t even use any stink bombs this time.”
“Shut the fuck up.” Ryan pushed out of his chair and headed for the door, cursing when his wet pants clung to his hips. Even as he pushed out into the cold night air, he told himself he wasn’t chasing Bri down. But when he saw her leaning against almost the same stretch of wall he had earlier, he walked over. “Listen—”
“No,youlisten.” She stepped up and smacked her hands against his chest—and then left them there. “I don’t care what happened the other night. It’s not going to happen again.”
“Who said I wanted it to happen again?” He did, though. He wanted to kiss his way across the flushed skin of her chest and pull down her shirt to taste her nipples. Just one more time.