“Datemodeactivated.”Ijerkily move my arms in an impersonation of a robot as I take in the curves of Izzy’s body. She looks absolutely, fucking delicious.
I’m early to pick her up for our second officialfakedate. I have to keep reminding myself about the fake part.
We’re grabbing dinner with her sisters, their significant others, and Lila and JT.
“Do your fans know how big of a nerd you actually are?” she asks, hands sitting on the dip of her hips—the spot where mine long to be.
I shake my head. “Turns out, nerd with bad dad jokes doesn’t exactly fit my carefully curated image.”
She rolls her eyes. “Boo. I have never disliked your fans more. And there was a time when I was not a fan of your fans.”
“Don’t hate on the Steelies,” I say, standing. “They’re the most loyal in the business.”
She hums, unconvinced, but her lips twitch like she wants to smile. “The Steelies is a terrible name for your fan club.”
“I tried to get them to go by the Jax Pack, but it just won’t catch on.”
We make it to Cattlemens just a few minutes before the time we all planned to meet. The place smells like stale beer and steak, and the hostess waves us through before we give her our name.
The rest of the group is already gathered around a big corner booth. JT is flanked by Jameson and Lila, and Kelsey and Carter are snuggled into the opposite side. Bryn waves us over.
“Look who finally showed up,” Bryn says, raising an eyebrow at Izzy.
“We’re exactly on time,” she retorts. “How did you all get here so early? Kelsey is never on time. Mom used to threaten to leave her home at least once a week.”
Kelsey snorts. “Worked great. I still got to go, and I never had to be anywhere early.”
“Are any of us really on-time-is-late and early-is-on-time people?” Bryn asks with a grin. “We just happened to all be out at Wild Bluffs Country Club golfing before this, and Carter made us leave way too early to get here.”
“I have no regrets,” Carter says, taking a sip of his beer.
JT claps. “Can we talk about the fact that the last time we were all here, Izzy and Jaxon were barely speaking to one another. Now look at them.”
“That’s not awkward at all,” Jameson says dryly.
JT’s grin is so large it has to hurt his face. “I just wanted to get it out there in the open.”
“Oh yeah?” Izzy asks. “Like how open you were when you and Lila were sleeping together in her brother’s house without telling him?”
JT shakes his head. “I’ve learned from my mistakes and am trying to pay it forward.”
Izzy laughs, and I follow her lead as she slides into the booth next to Lila. I take the open seat beside her, letting my hand settle on top of hers. She gives me a look—like she’s not sure if it’s for the act or something else.
Truthfully, neither am I.
Kelsey launches into a story about their new client—someone with enough fame that even I recognize the name, which means they’re probably a big deal.
“They found us through a referral,” she says, practically vibrating with excitement. “Said he liked how we managed the Loren Kline campaign and thought our vibe fit his.”
“You’re being modest,” Carter cuts in. “They said Kelsey and Lila’s proposed security plan was the most comprehensive they’ve seen all year.”
Izzy’s smile is wide as she says, “Look at you. That’s amazing.”
The waiter comes by, and we start rattling off our orders. I graze the outside of Izzy’s thigh as I lean in to tell the server I’ll take the porterhouse, medium rare.
Her eyes flick to mine for half a second, the corner of her mouth twitching like she’s trying not to smile. I leave my hand resting there.
The conversation shifts to JT and Jameson’s upcoming tournament, which, judging by JT’s expression, is not exactly a cause for celebration.
