“Oh.” The sound is out of my mouth before I can stop it. Divorce? Sure, I wondered if she had a boyfriend, and I saw she wasn’t wearing a ring… but divorce?
“Is that a problem?”
Her body suddenly goes stiff, and her eyes turn worried. Me? I’m just confused.
“Yeah,” though I realize again how that sounds as I quickly shake my head. “I mean no.”
Now I’ve confused her. “Then what do you mean?”
“I mean I’m baffled that someone was lucky enough to marry you and let you get away.”
Our eyes are locked as I watch my words hit her. I know the second she realizes what I said, because they double in size. But they’re true. I’ve known this woman for a total of twenty minutes, and unless her grand plan tonight is to take me to a hotel and harvest an organ, I don’t think I’d ever divorce her if I was lucky enough to have my ring on her finger.
“I… oh… um…” I’ve officially left her speechless. She’s shuffling her feet back and forth, and if I didn’t know better, I’d think I made her a little nervous, which is a shift from the confident woman that was just on stage with me. Then again, if that was a dare, I have a feeling this is Gabi. And seeing both sides of her, I now want to know everything about her.
“How could you possibly know that?”
I give her a slight shrug and take a risk by reaching for her hand. I relax when she doesn’t shove it away. “Call it a special talent.”
She lets out a slight laugh, her eyes looking up at me again, but this time in a little wonder. Like she really can’t believe the words I’m saying, or that I’m holding her hand. Her eyes are bouncing around as if she’s trying to assess my bullshit level.
“So you can sing. You apparently can read people after knowing them for thirty seconds,” Gabi lists as I watch in realtime the spark come back in her green eyes. “I watched enough of the game tonight to know you’re pretty good at football. Are there any other talents I should know about?”
The smirk that hits my face lets her know that there are so many things I want to say that are not limited to, but including, make her come with only my tongue and/or through nipple play; make her so wet she’d need to change her panties from a few dirty words; and, of course, fucking her until she’s speaking in tongues and not able to walk the next day.
But I don’t. Because I’m a fucking gentleman.
“Oh Gabi… there are so many for you to discover,” I say, figuring that’s the safe way for me to flirt without also coming across like a fucking douchebag. “But there will be plenty of time to learn about those later.”
“Oh, will there?”
“Yes, there will,” I say, putting my hand on the small of her back as I lead her toward our VIP area. “If this is truly a celebration, there’s something drastically missing.”
“What’s that?”
“Unlimited champagne.”
CHAPTER 4
GABI
Oh Gabi…what are you getting yourself into?
I’ve asked myself that question no less than ten times since Maddox sweet-talked me and the girls into coming over here, but as I sit here, surrounded by football players and their partners, I have to ask myself again, because… what in the actual hell have I got myself into?
Sure, from the outside this looks innocent enough. It’s me and my two best friends, surrounded by a bunch of football players and their partners. Shelby has been in a very deep, and flirtatious, conversation with one of the coaches who recognized her. Hannah has become besties with one of the player’s girlfriends named Ainsley.
Then there’s me. Again, from the outside, things seem innocent enough. I’m sitting next to Maddox, my legs crossed into him because that’s the way I like to cross my legs. It’s not signaling anything. It’s not me trying to be closer to him. Sure, it’s helping me lean in closer, but only because the music is loud and I’m trying to hear him better. I’m alsonotthinking about other special talents that he referred to having.
Nope. None of those are true.
Except they are… because what the hell am I getting myself into, and why do I want a Vegas rebound with a twenty-something football player?
“So, Gabriella, where are you from?”
I laugh. “It’s Gabrielle. But no one calls me that.”
“Fair enough. Okay, Gabi, same question. Where are you from?”
