“A bad one,” he fires back, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “I’m a better guy now.”
Eddie howls with laughter. “Betterbeing the keyword in that sentence.”
“Hey now!” he protests. “I’ve gotten better. It’s been a while since we were last caught.” He chuckles, like this is charming.
It’s not.
“You’re a criminal!” I snap, spinning to face my sister. “Pippa, do you really expect me to go on a date with a criminal?”
“A charming, charismatically handsome one with good hair, good teeth, and the ability to make you laugh.” He moves his fingers through his dark hair as the diner’s neon lights bathe it in blue.
“You wish, creep.”
Eddie chuckles. “Looks like you got the mean twin, Wes.”
“Good, I like my women mean,” Wesley says without missing a beat, those dreamy blue eyes never leaving mine. “Means she’s paying attention.”
“If I’m paying attention at all, it’s because I don’t trust you. What if you run off with my purse?”
He chuckles. “Trust is overrated on the first date. And if I was gonna steal your purse, baby girl, it’s only because I like being chased.”
“Keep running, Casanova. Because the only thing chasing you will be the police department if you dare to look at my purse the wrong way. Also, before your ego gets any bigger, this is by no means a date,” I snap, shooting a glare at my sister so vicious it would make babies cry. “This is extortion.”
Pippa paints on her fakest smile, looping her arm through Eddie’s like it’s the most natural thing in the world. “You’re standing outside a diner, arguing with a boy you clearly remember, and you haven’t walked away yet. That’s basically a date.”
“I’m only here because you kidnapped me.”
“You could’ve escaped,” Wesley points out. “You’re scrappy as hell, I can tell.”
I glare at him, placing two angry fists on my hips. “You don’t get the privilege of assessing my scrappiness.”
“Already did,” he says, that grin turning dangerous. “I give it a solid eight out of ten.”
Eddie snorts. “Bold rating system for a guy who keeps getting threatened to have the cops called on him.”
“And yet she’s still standing here, looking too damn beautiful, her phone never touched,” Wesley announces, adding a stupid, flirtatious wink afterwards like it’s punctuation.
Pippa squeezes Eddie’s arm, smiling sweetly up at him. “I’m cold, Eddie. Do you think we can go inside? Or should we stand out here letting my sister verbally assault your friend all night?”
Eddie straightens, clearly flustered. “Yeah, of course.” He glances at Wesley. “Try not to get arrested before the appetizers.”
“No promises,” Wesley replies, his gaze darting my way.
I hate how intoxicating his smile is. It should be illegal. It’s as criminal as he is.
I huff, crossing my arms as Wesley steps closer, lowering his voice just enough that my goosies start goosing. “You always this hostile on first dates?” he asks.
“This is not a date.”
“Yet,” he says charmingly, opening the diner door for me like he’s in charge. “By the end of the night, you’ll be team Wesley.”
“Not gonna happen,” I snap, silently cursing myself for being attracted to his bad boy persona, and a confidence I wish I had. “Felons don’t do it for me.”
“Good thing I’m still in my probationary charm phase,” he jokes, still holding the door open for me.
I hate him.
I hate his smile, and the way his ego is both alluring and infuriating at the same time. It kills me that he doesn’t flinch when I snap at him, and it only attracts him more.
