Jennifer winks at him. “I’ll ask again when your boss isn’t at the table.”
Conversation flows reasonably well after that. It only gets awkward when Grey is discussing school and classes with Jennifer and the other students, and a foot brushes against mine…from in front of me.
I’m nottryingto manspread, but I’m almost six-foot-four, my legs are longer than Vox’s, and my guess is Flirty McFuckFace across the table thought he was playing footsie withmyman. Unfortunately, he got me instead.
“That’s not Vox’s ankle you’re rubbing,” I deadpan, interrupting the conversation. The two glasses of red wine I’ve had seem to have lowered my inhibitions just enough to allow me to be an asshole. “Try moving a little to your right,” I add in an effort not to come across as a possessive dick.
Even if that’s exactly what I am.
Not even halfway through dinner, Vox removed his coat and loosened his tie. Unfortunately, the material is still strangling his biceps, and it’s all I can think about. Plus, this close, I can damn near taste him, which is also adding to my poor choices and bad attitude.
“Oh, my bad,” Aiden says. The kid doesn’t even blush, but thankfully, hedoespull his foot back.
Rachel brings dessert out about twenty minutes later. Jennifer and Kara are talking animatedly about plans for springbreak, clearly trying to convince Grey and Rachel to let Jennifer go.
When Aiden and Ashley, the quietest of the friend group, join in, I seize the opportunity to lean into Vox’s side and whisper, “We need to get out of here.”
Turning to me with schooled features, his eyes bear the same heat I feel.
“My condo at eight,” he whispers, barely moving his lips.
“Okay.” It comes out as a relieved sigh, and when he gives me a quick nod of agreement, he sends my heart into overdrive.Finally,with a plan in place, I’m able torelax into the evening.
I’m done punishing myself, and I never meant to punishhimat all. We can be discreet. We can be togetherandfocus on the job that needs to be done.
We’ll have to.
Chapter 27
Vox
Imanage to get through dinner without giving more than selfies to Jenn and her friends. I have no doubt she thought I’d hook up with at least one of them, maybe even all of them.
Not only was I not interested in the attention and obvious flirting, but it made my skin crawl with Connor seated next to me.
Jenn’sfriendsmay have been afterme,but I didn’t miss the looksshesnuck atConnor. The way I wanted to claim that man in front of everyone, just so they’d all back off, was a feeling I’ve never experienced.
There are a lot of new feelings for me where he’s concerned. I want to wrap my arms around him and bury my face in his chest. I want to show him off. I want to make dinner with him. I want to laugh with him without being worried about what others will think or say. I want to hold his fucking hand.
Connor has embedded himself in my veins, making him impossible to ignore.
I offer to help Rachel with the dishes, like I do every year, solidifying my status as Rachel’s favorite child. Jenn and her friends have said their goodbyes and thankfully moved on to the basement.
After placing his dish in the sink, Grey pats me on the back.
“Sorry about that, Vox,” he says with a laugh. “You know Jenn, always has to meddle.”
“It’s all right,” I lie. “I think I escaped mostly intact.”
Grey moves to lean back against the counter, ankles casually crossed in front of him.
“Any of them tickle your fancy?” he asks, making me pause and turn an arched brow toward him.
“Tickle my…fancy?” I repeat, wondering why the hell he’s asking.
“Yeah, you know…did you like them? Want to take them out? Hook up with them? Aiden was clearly interested, and I’ve never known you to turn down a sure thing,” he jokes.
“Uh, no. No one ‘tickled my fancy,’” I answer, resuming my washing and drying duties. “Besides, it’s way too close to the Winter Classic to get caught up in all of that.”
