Page 49 of Tiger Lilies and Tight Ends

The air between us thickens just a bit. I wouldn’t say we’ve been flirty with each other before, but we haven’t not been. And having her here, I know she’s with her friends, but she’s also here for me, and I like it. I like it a lot.

“Hmm, we’ll see what I can come up with,” she says.

“Maybe you make it sparkle just like the boots. I like them, by the way.”

She pops a foot out, and while she may be looking at the boot, I’m looking at her smooth muscular thigh. Her hair, her eyes, her hands, her legs . . . I love them all. Everything about this girl is perfect.

“I was thinking, how about I cook for us tonight? You’ve cooked a lot over the past couple of weeks, and it’s my turn.”

Surprise registers on her face. “You want to talk about dinner?”

I shrug. “When am I not talking about food?”

“You know you grilled the chicken last night. You cooked for us.”

“Yeah, but that’s all I did. You made the rest. That risotto had my eyes rolling back in my head.”

She brings her finger up to her chin as she thinks. “I could go for a nice steak with a grilled potato.”

“Done. I’ll pick some up on the way home.”

Home. I like the sound of that when associated with her. Her and me.

Behind her, someone bumps into her, and she takes a step toward me. Instinctively, I wrap my hand under her elbow to help her balance. More people have squeezed into this area, which means more people are probably staring at us.

“I hope you have fun today,” she tells me, my gaze falling to the glossiness of her lips.

“Fun?”

She’s so pretty, she takes my breath away.

“Well, yeah. If it’s not fun, then why do it?” Her turquoise eyes sparkle at me.

“Could be for the very large paying contract, but I like the way you think, Kent,” I tell her, smiling. How could I not smile at her?

“I suppose that contract is nice, but don’t forget you earned it.”

“Never.”

Knowing I need to get going, I make a decision and surprise us both when I hold up my pinky. She looks at it and then at me. I can see the hesitation on her face to touch me in public, but I don’t care. She’s here, and no matter what, I have her back. Slowly, she lifts her hand and wraps her pinky around mine. Our eyes lock, a little of that anxiety ringed around hers recedes, and she smiles back.

I may be on the Tarpons team, but I’m also on hers.

No matter what.

“See you later?” I ask, already looking forward to when we are at home, hanging out just the two of us.

“Can’t wait,” she tells me, and with those two words, part of me falls.

Chapter 21

Lily

Iknew we were going to be photographed.

There are always so many cameras in the friends-and-family area just waiting to capture something intimate or unexpected, and well, I guess Tyler stopping in front of me and holding up his pinky was definitely unexpected.

For the past couple of weeks, rumors have continued to swirl about Dean and me, and then speculated why I was at a Tarpons event. Of course, Dean released a statement saying that we had ended our eight-year relationship, which immediately set the internet on fire. Everyone wanted to know why, and then as the pictures of me at the barbecue went viral, the Dean Davis fan club hauled out their pitchforks.