His mouth tips into a slow, knowing grin. “You lost, Bell?”
I shove my sunglasses up my nose and lean back, feigning a calm I absolutely do not feel. “Four times, Gage. Four times in as many weeks.”
His brows tug together, just a little. “Yeah?”
“The yacht.” I hold up a finger. “Outside Marty’s. Sunday dinner at Coco’s. And now here.” I hook my thumb toward the rear windshield, in the vague direction of my sister.
He tilts his head toward me, and his hair falls across his forehead. “The world is full of coincidences, Bell.”
“Bullshit.” I flash him my sweetest smile. “Twice is a coincidence, Gage. But four times?” I pause with a tsk, shaking my head twice. “It’s a problem.”
His mouth curves, lazy and slow. “So, what are you saying?”
I shift in my seat, forcing my shoulders to stay loose, my spine to press back instead of curl forward. “Are you following me?”
“How do I know you’re not the one following me?” His eyes practically sparkle with amusement.
“Please,” I say with a scoff. “I’ve been here for hours.” The words slip out before I can stop them. Anger rises like the tide, mostly at myself for being in this position. But I save a little for him, too.
He tilts his head, studying me. “Hours, huh?”
I grit my teeth. “I’m waiting for a friend.”
His hand flexes once on the wheel. “You on a job, Bell?”
“Is that what you’re doing?” I shoot back, grappling for the upper hand. “Areyouon a job?”
He drags his thumb across his lower lip, slow enough that my breath hitches. “If I told you I was? Would that make you nervous?”
Something cold and electric slides down my spine.
A shard of honesty cuts through me before I can stop it. “AmIthe job?”
The words leave me, and the immediate cold prickle at the base of my spine tells me I shouldn’t have asked. Gage’s smile softens, and I can’t tell if it’s laced with pity or kindness. I turn away, stare through the windshield, and force my pulse to settle.
He leans his head back against the headrest, letting his attention drift out the windshield. “What if I just really like you?”
A disbelieving laugh bursts out of me. “Come on, Gage. That line doesn’t seriously work, does it?”
He huffs a noise that sounds more like a groan than a laugh. “You tell me, Bell.”
I shake my head, but my mouth betrays me, curling into a small grin. “Nah, you had ample opportunity to prove thatifit were true.”
His brows lift. “Yeah?”
“Do you really need me to count out all thecoincidencesagain?”
He turns toward me, and heat rolls off him in waves. “Yeah,” he murmurs, eyes dropping to my mouth. “I think I do.”
Something in the air shifts between us, turning the cool air warmer. I’ve never backed down from a challenge in my life, and I’m not about to start now.
“The yacht, outside Marty’s, Coco’s party, when you walked me to my car after Coco’s dinner.” I let my gaze slide to hismouth for half a second before dragging it away. “You didn’t try to kiss me once.”
It comes out like an accusation, and I want to shove the words back in my mouth the instant they leave it.
His eyes drop to my lips, slow and deliberate. When they come back up, something molten lives there. He smiles like I’ve just handed him his favorite weapon.
“Is that what you wanted?”
