“You never know,” I say with a shrug and instantly pull Sophie in closer. She practically falls into me, and I hold her between my parted legs, as I remain perched on the barstool. With her back to my chest, I wrap one arm around her waist and hold my beer in the other.
“Don’t look now,” Jillian sneers. “But the piece of shit has just clocked the two of you.”
I feel Sophie’s body stiffen.
“I’ll figure out a way to break that hesitance in you if it kills me,” I assure her and she twists around to look me in the eye. Me, I see it as the perfect reaction, allowing me to flirt a little. “You want this to work?”
“This was all your idea,” she reminds me and I wait for her to make her point. “There is a reason that I’m not in California on the big screen Finn, I can’t act for shit. I am not this person.”
“What person?”
She opens her mouth to reply only to close it quickly once again.
“Someone that allows a man to treat you right?”
“Someone that allows a man that is only playing a game to use me as his pawn,” she bites back and I smile.
“I’m not playing a game, Soph,” I tell her. “I’m being a good friend.”
“Is that what you call this?” I hold her stare, and keep my hand on her hip, offering a little squeeze. “Because the last time I checked none of my other ‘guy friends’ hold onto me the way you are right now.”
“Do you want me to let go?” I can see out of my peripheral vision that the douchebag friend is getting closer. “Because I will if that’s what you want. You may not realize it yet Sophie, but you are the one that holds the control in this situation. If there is ever a time you want to back out and end this, you say the word. If there is ever a point where I cross some imaginary line you’ve drawn, you tell me.”
The way she is looking at me right now, her eyes locked with mine, her lips slightly parted, and her chest rising with every deep breath she takes is intriguing. It’s in this moment thatI notice just how beautifully green her eyes truly are. Almost emerald, with tiny flecks of brown.
“Do you want to stop?” I ask, never once taking my eyes from hers. “Even though we’ve only just begun, we can call it quits. I think it would be a shame really, but like I said, the ball is in your court.”
CHAPTER SIX
Sophie
Why can’tI seem to control my breathing?
“Sophie?” My entire body grows rigid when I hear my name from behind. “Is that you?”
I stare at Finn, he stares at me and lifts his brow. Something about the silent question makes me laugh. “Is it a go?” he asks and I let the question smolder but only for a second before offering him a nod.
I watch and so does everyone else as Finn leans to the side to look over my shoulder. “How’s the wife and baby, Lark?” he asks and I bite my lip as I slowly turn in his arms and play my part. Leaning back into Finn, he once again wraps his arm around me, bringing his hand to rest on my stomach.
Lark stares at Finn and I am sure he is staring right back.
“And you are?” he asks Finn and I push back when I feel him attempt to stand.
“I think you and Finn have met before, playing dumb isn’t working in your favor.” Lark shifts his attention to me and it takes all the strength I have to keep Finn in his seat.
“When did this happen?” he asks and before I can answer Finn does it for me, only this time he manages to shift me off him and stand, Bennett moving in on one side and Aaron on the other.
“Not that it is any of your business, but this,” Finn waves his finger between him and I, “has been happening for a while now.”
Lark stares at Finn.
“Isn’t your wife’s name Rachelle?” Finn asks and I see the muscle in Lark’s jaw tense. “Her father owns that investment firm in Montgomery. What’s the name of that place, Aaron?”
I watch as the men I surround myself with play this game with Lark and I am frozen in my place. Each one is so relaxed and nonchalant. Like they pull this kind of thing every single day and are completely okay with it. No hesitance, no mistakes, almost like it is rehearsed.
“Hayward Investments,” Aaron says, crossing him arms over his chest. “Daddy Hayward is big-time, knows all the right people. Not sure he’d approve of his daughter’s husband stepping out on her and his grandchild.”
“It’s a work thing,” he says.
