Jules’ eyes practically bulge out of her head. “You’re messing with me.”
“Nope, tonight I had planned to visit an art exhibit, and she wasn’t interested. How can I hook up with a girl who doesn’t appreciate art, Jules?”
“Well, you obviously can’t,” she agrees, and we chuckle. A strand of hair catches in the breeze and slides across her cheek.
I reach out, gather it in my fingers, and move it to the side. As I do, our eyes lock, and her fast intake of breath doesn’t go unnoticed. My God, what I’d do to kiss her. But we’re friends who just set each other up, which means I can’t do that.
“What about Tate?” I ask, my voice an octave lower. “What happened there?”
She rolls her eyes and a tortured sound catches in her throat. “My God, he was more interested in you than me.” I chuckle at that. “All he wanted to do was talk about Rider, Kane, some guy named Luke and another named Jonah, I think.”
“You think?”
“I sort of zoned out,” she confesses.
“If a guy has you at his table and doesn’t give you the attention you deserve, then he doesn’t get to have you at his table again,” I say, meaning every word of it. A small smile touches her mouth. “What?”
“Do you practice these lines?”
“You think I’m feeding you a line?” I jab my thumb into my chest. “You’re talking about the guy who says whatever comes to his mind, remember?”
“I remember.” Her pretty brown eyes soften, and her hand touches my cheek. “That was sweet, Rider. Thank you.” She’s about to pull her hand away, but it lingers, and damned if I don’t like the feel of her soft skin against my face. “Wait, what did you say about me?”
“Ah, it’s not important,” I begin and I’m about to turn when she grabs my arm.
“Oh, no. Spill,” she demands and gives me the death glare.
“Fine. I just told him you had a fetish, is all.”
“A fetish? What kind of fetish?”
“It’s not important.”
“Rider,” she shrieks, and a few people moving down the sidewalk turn to see what the commotion is all about.
“I told him you were a dominatrix, and I wasn’t into being tied up, and that’s why we could only ever be friends.”
“Rider!” I shriek. “You’re horrible.”
“Yeah, I know,” I say, and she whacks me.
“I am not a dominatrix, not that there’s anything wrong with that. It’s just not something I’m into.”
“Ah, so maybe you’d rather be tied up.”
“That’s for me to know and you to find out.” I arch a brow. “I mean. Never mind, that didn’t come out right.”
“You want to hit this art exhibit with me or what?” I ask, cutting her some slack.
She sighs. “I guess I don’t have anything better to do.”
“Wow, you sure know how to make a guy feel important.”
She taps my head. “Your ego is big enough.”
“…and I can back it up,” I say and nudge her in to motion.
She rolls her eyes at me, and she glances up at the sky. “We’re going to get wet.”