Shit, now he was smiling. “You got it.”
“You’re stalling. I want to hear the pickup line!”
He cleared his throat. She’d asked for it. “Hey,” he said amiably, putting his arm over the back of her chair. He didn’t touch her, but he still felt her warmth on his skin and had to stop his fingertips from gliding over her bare shoulder. “Want to bet I can set you up with that guy in two seconds?” He nodded at a lanky man who was moving in their direction.
Rachel lowered her gaze, leaning forward as if to escape his warmth, and hid her smile in the shadow of her hair. “You’ve made questionable bets before.”
Yes, but none had cost him as much as the one with Rachel.
“So, wanna bet?” he persisted.
“Sure. There’s no way you’ll be able to do that,” she played along, lifting a corner of her mouth.
Connor held out his arm and stopped the man who was about to walk past them. “Hi,” he said casually, “would you like to go out with my friend? She’s intelligent, funny, and super open in bed. The most important thing to her is that the man orgasms.”
Rachel tilted her head back and laughed, while the guy turned pink and whispered, “Um…okay?”
Rachel laughed louder. “God, no! He was joking. Keep on walking.”
The man shrugged and couldn’t get away fast enough.
“You didn’t really just say that,” Rachel said, stunned, looking at him with her mouth gaping.
He refused to smile outright. “I’m not done yet. To the women who thought it was funny like you just now, I say…” He cleared his throat and looked at her seriously. “All I care about is that you’re intelligent and funny. Want to go out with me?”
Rachel’s eyes twinkled with amusement as she leaned back against his arm. Her shoulder blades brushed warmly against his forearm. “How many times did it work?” she asked quietly.
“A few times.”
“Well, I'm sure those women didn't regret it. At least the female orgasm is more important to you than your own, so…” She trailed off, her cheeks reddening. “Sorry.” She cleared her throat. “That…wasn’t professional. Or friendly.”
“No, and you better not tell my brother if you go out with him tomorrow,” he murmured dryly, allowing himself to look at her, following the curve of her flushed cheekbones, and imagining for a second that there was nothing between them but this table. Her gaze darted to his lips, and his pulse quickened, and abruptly, he pulled his arm from behind her and turned away. “Well, I was an idiot. Back then.”Just like I am now.
She nodded and scooted her chair back a few inches. “Connor?” she whispered after a few seconds.
“Yes?”
“Thanks.”
He looked at her, confused. “For what?”
“For respecting my boundaries.”
He swallowed and nodded. “I’m only invasive when you explicitly ask for it,” he replied hoarsely.
He saw her swallow and her gaze travel back down his face. “Are you flirting with me?”
“No, of course not. Because you asked me not to,” he murmured. “And that wouldn’t be fair to my brother.”
She laughed, but it sounded mirthless. “Connor, if you don’t mind…”
“Why should I?” he asked sharply. “We’re…friends, remember? I want my friends to be happy. And…at least Alec isn’t a mess.” With that, he stood. “See you around, Rachel.”
She wrung her hands in her lap. “And I had the feeling you were making a point of not doing just that.”
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “My self-control is limited,” he muttered as he turned and left. Let Tara put the drinks on his tab. Let Cian and Alec do as they pleased.
Because that feeling when he was with Rachel… He could name it now. It was longing. For her. Even though she’d been sitting right across from him.
