Everything around me—Gabby, the clinking of silverware, the hum of the music—falls away until there’s only Rina.
Without thinking, I rise to my feet.
“Oliver?” Gabby blinks, confusion clouding her eyes. “Where are you going? Should I?—”
“No.” I force a smile that feels foreign on my face. “Order another martini. I’ll be right back.”
Without waiting for a response, I cut through the flow of diners, weaving between chairs and servers as the space between Rina and me shrinks with every long stride.
I catch a hint of her sultry scent a few seconds before reaching the table, and need floods through my veins. All I can think about is getting my hands on her. She turns, as if sensing my presence. Her voice dies mid-sentence, lips parting ever so slightly.
Evelyn smiles, offering a warm greeting. “Oliver. What a surprise.”
I lift a brow. “Really? Pretty sure I mentioned where I made reservations.”
“Did you?” She gives a serene shrug. “It must’ve slipped my mind.”
Rina shifts in her chair, her fingers worrying the edge of her napkin. She won’t even look me in the eye. Her gaze skitters to the tablecloth, the wineglass, anywhere but my face.
Her avoidance pricks at me.
Has it really come to this?
We’re now pretending we barely know one another?
Or that I was never buried deep inside her body while she moaned my name?
It’s so damn tempting to strip away her restraint right here and now.
“We need to talk,” I say, my tone clipped. “About some PR stuff that’s come up.”
She lifts her chin as her composure snaps back into place. “Of course. That’s what I’m here for.”
“Does tomorrow work for you?”
“Unfortunately, I’m all booked up.”
I step closer, looming over her chair. “Then when?”
Her silence grates.
Evelyn watches the exchange with thinly veiled interest as a tall, polished man approaches the table.
Who the hell is this?
“Rina,” Evelyn says brightly, “you remember my nephew, Lucas. I thought he might join us tonight so the two of you could get to know each other a little better. You seemed to hit it off at the charity event last week.”
Lucas leans down and kisses his aunt’s cheek, greeting Rina the same way before taking the empty chair between them.
Something cold slides through me. “I’m sorry?”
Evelyn’s smile never falters. “Lucas just moved to Chicago and could use some help settling in.” Her tone is light as innocence glints in her eyes. I get the feeling the team owner knows exactly what game she’s playing.
My eyes narrow on Rina as she fidgets under the heavy weight of my stare.
Was she aware this was a setup?
The worst part is that she doesn’t deny Evelyn’s machinations, and she sure as hell doesn’t try to shut them down either.
