Page 84 of The Bluffing Game

“I’ll be watching you, Parker.” I smile, but there’s no mistaking the venom in my tone.

“Keep watching.” He tilts his head up, as if in challenge. “This one’s mine, Leone. Stick with who you know. Little boys shouldn’t get involved in big men’s games.”

“And wannabe soldiers shouldn’t go to war with veterans,” I hiss back, all the while waving at Toby and Sage. “Only one of us will survive this, Parker, and it sure as hell won’t be you.”

“I’ll remember you said that when she’s screaming in my bed tonight.” He pushes his sunglasses back up his nose and turns around. “Sage will be mine.”

I don’t trust him, and the last thing I’m going to do is back off.

I look over toward Sage and Toby, and I can see he’s looking up at her with big, wide eyes. My heart sinks because, at this moment, I realize something. I’m falling for Sage, but it’s not only that; so is Toby, and that’s a much more dangerous thing to worry about.

I’m not going to let Parker worm his way into her heart, but I have to make sure to protect Toby just as much as I protect Sage. Even if it means breaking my own heart.

Chapter 23

SAGE

“I’m so excited to see you in a couple of hours.” Parker’s voice is soft on the phone. “I really want to spoil you and show you that we could really be the full package,” Parker says.

I murmur my agreement, not wanting to say that I don’t know how excited I actually am, but I don’t know what else to say. Everything that he says to me seems to be going so fast, and I don’t really understand why he likes me. He’s barely asked any questions about me, and he seems to only talk about my appearance and how good I look on his arm. I should be happy. He is handsome. He hasn’t pushed me into doing anything. He shows me that he’s interested in me. He’s made it very clear, and yet it doesn’t feel like there’s a real spark between us. I don’t know if I’m overthinking it. I don’t know if it’s because I have this crazy chemistry with Dalton, but for now I’m going to ignore it.

“So, are you sure I can’t pick you up?” Parker says.

I pause because I know that’s what he wants. I know he’s waiting for an invitation.

“No, I’m good. I’ll meet you there.” I hear the doorbell ringing, and I hurry to the front in surprise. “Hey, can you hold on a second? There’s someone here.”

“Okay, sure.”

I open the door, and I see Dalton standing there with an impish grin on his face.

“Hey, are you busy? Can we talk?”

“Oh, sure. Hey, Parker. Dalton’s just come over and …”

“Not that jerk-ass again,” he says.

“Excuse me?” I ask, shocked that he called Dalton that.

“Nothing, nothing. I was just coughing,” Parker says. “I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah, I’ll see you later.”

We hang up, and I usher Dalton into the condo.

“You look like you’re getting ready for something,” he says.

I forgot about the curlers I put in this morning and laugh as I touch my hair self-consciously.

“Yeah, Parker and I have another date. What’s going on?”

“You’re still seeing him?” Dalton asks, shaking his head, looking pissed.

“Yeah, we have been dating.”

“He’s not a good guy, Sage.”

“There is nothing wrong with him. I don’t know why you would say that.”