Lauren’s gaze darted to the woman sitting next to Jack. The black-haired beauty with a mass of tumbling, curly hair was dressed in a figure-hugging red dress showcasing a tanned, curvaceous body. She placed a hand on Jack’s toned arm and laughed with scarlet lips at something he’d said.
Dropping her gaze to her own hands, Lauren’s heartbeat shuddered at an irregular pace. She didn’t care that he was on a date and refused to let her treacherous heart tell her anything different.
“Go say hi.” She heard Ava encourage Jade.
“No… I couldn’t,” she squeaked.
“Why not?” Ava asked.
“I can’t just go to him and say hi. He’s on a date.”
Ava scoffed. “You’re just saying hi.”
Jade’s eyes grew as round as saucers. She latched onto Lauren’s wrist, digging sharp nails deep into the skin. “Oh my God, he’s looking this way.”
Lauren inwardly groaned. She tilted her head so her hair fell slightly over the side of her face and hoped Jack wouldn’t see her. Although, they had only met once, so what were the chances of him remembering her? Especially when he had the Amazonian queen keeping him company.
The grip on Lauren’s wrist tightened, and she was sure she’d be left with deep puncture wounds. “He’s coming this way!”
The nearest exit was too far away to make a quick getaway before Jack arrived at their
table.
“Hello, Lauren. I thought I recognized you. Ladies.” He nodded at Ava and Jade.
Not wanting to be rude, Lauren plastered a smile on her face. “Jack, it’s good to see you,” she lied through her teeth. He made her heart and stomach do unfamiliar things, and she didn’t like it one bit.
Jade’s grip on her arm slackened, and Lauren glanced at her friends and watched as their jaws dropped open. They stared at her with a hundred questions burning in their eyes, and she knew she was in big trouble.
A moment of awkwardness passed before Lauren remembered her manners. “Jack, these are my friends Jade and Ava.” She then pointed to Jade and added, “Jade’s a huge fan of the Flaming Stars.”
Jack beamed a smile in Jade’s direction. “The Stars are looking good. They should have a great season this year.”
Jade’s face flushed as red as her hair, and she sat frozen with her mouth gapping. Then Lauren noticed her flinch, and she assumed Ava had kicked her under the table.
“Y–yes,” she stuttered. “I’ve already bought my season tickets.” Jack’s low, sexy chuckle caused Lauren’s belly to do a somersault.
“You really are a fan,” he said.
Recovering from her frozen state, Jade giggled. Lauren saw Ava pinch the bridge of her nose and shake her head. Their friend was acting like a star-struck teenager. This time Lauren wanted to kick her.
Jack brought his attention back to Lauren. “The mirror was a huge hit. You were right though, she really only wanted me home.” Jack’s sexy smile had her burning up in the chair.
Picking up the drinks menu, she fanned it in front of her face, annoyed that his sexy smile and smooth-as-honey voice had her thinking about asking him back to her place so they could get naked. And that went against everything she believed in. She wanted to kick herself for reacting this way.
“That’s great.” Her voice sounded sharp.
Lauren hadn’t meant to sound rude. Especially since she shouldn’t have cared that he turned up the wattage of his sexy smile while flashing it at Jade. Lauren was supposed to be immune to men like Jack. There should have been no effect on her at all. But his masculinity, good looks, and his sex-on-legs demeanor were more powerful than anything she’d ever experienced.
Underneath the glitzy wrapping was a hot-blooded male who knew his way around a lot of women, and she needed to remember that. A prickling sensation at the back of her neck reminded her not to be tempted by the man and all that pretty packaging.
Just because she was angry with herself for forgetting her noMr. Prettypolicy, it didn’t mean she had to be rude. She put the menu back down, mustered up a polite smile, and said,
“I’m glad you’re back in Susan’s good books.”
“I’m sure it won’t take me long to get out of it again.” He laughed.
Jack placed a hand on the back of Lauren’s chair and the tips of his warm fingers brushed
