The toddler held out her arms to Daniel. “Pretty,” she told her mother.
Daniel took a healthy step back.
Vanessa shook her head. “Just like her father, flirting already. I’ll let you go. But call me this week.”
“Sure, sure.” Evan waved and walked back with Daniel. “Nota babe, that was my old boss. She’s surprisingly human today. Who would have thought?”
Daniel gave him a sharp look then shrugged. “Whatever. But if you don’t get us another ten points, we might not be able to make a comeback.”
“What? We’re losing? When did this happen?” Evan gaped at the score as he rejoined the group.
“When you were flirting with the tall blond,” Will explained.
“I wasn’t flirting. Vanessa used to be my boss.”
Kenzie didn’t look too thrilled with him, but Evan had no idea why. He’d been far from flirting, and Vanessa’s entire family had been right there along with her little girl.
Wait. Was Kenziejealous?
“Your boss sure is pur-ty,” Rachel said. “Isn’t she, Lila?”
Lila nodded and around a mouthful of chips said, “Yep. Just stunning. Gorgeous, even. Right, Hector?”
Hector sat, his chin in his hand, staring at Lila, looking dopey. “Yeah, gorgeous.”
Will laughed. Lila stroked Hector’s arm. She’d been doing that a lot.
Kenzie shook her head. “Pathetic. Ladies, we need to bekillingthese guys, not just winning by a few points. Rachel, stop holding Will’s hand. Lila, stop teasing Hector. Let’s bowl, people.” She paused and shot Evan a glare. “Just as soon as Evan throws his gutter ball.”
* * *
Kenzie didn’t like feeling so awkward about Evan’s boss, but dang it, had Evan come to chat with the leggy blond or play with them?
It felt like he took forever schmoozing. Did he not see that the woman had a baby with her as well as a gorgeous husband and a ton of her own friends?
Did Evan’s boss really need to be monopolizing his time?
While the others had relaxed and taken Evan’s departure as a cue to chow down, Daniel had grown impatient. Like her, he threw his all into a game. And like her, he played to win.
“Gutter ball?” Evan’s tone was smug, sickeningly so. “When it means I might lose to Kenzie and her team of female vipers?”
“Hey.” Lila frowned.
Rachel shrugged. “I’m good with it.”
“Watch and learn, ladies.” Evan stepped up to the lane, wiggled his fine ass—and it was everything she could do not to stare since her brother watchedherevery time Evan’s turn came—then bowled a strike. The jerk.
“Ha,” Kenzie barked. “Lucky bowl.”
“It’s skill, plain and simple.” The look he shot her mouth had her belly fluttering because she knew he meant he hadotherskills, like the kind he’d showed her with that kiss.
She’d done her best to try to forget about it, but it wasn’t easy. She hadn’t been kissed in more than a year, and she’d for sure never been kissed like that.
Bryce had been a kind lover, and they’d had good if not great times. Nothing so passionate that she’d lose herself in a man’s touch. Or push her so far beyond her control she’d forget her brother being near.
She grabbed her ball, and Evan stepped closer. In a low voice, he said, “I tell you what. I’ll make you a side bet. We’ll go double or nothing, winner of the next game wins the whole thing.”
“Fine.” That took a little pressure off her, but not much, because she stood way too close to the man. And he smelled just as good as he had the other day.
