Page 12 of Going All In

That despite her insistence that we shouldn’t date, I might still have a chance. I’m not going to let this one pass me by.

5

HOLLY

His beard brushes against my cheek as his lips skim over my cheek. My entire body heats, the scrape of his facial hair jolting right to my core. I thank God that I’m wearing a winter coat, so he can’t see my nipples tighten into hard buds.

No. Stop that. No tightening into hard buds or gushing with arousal. This is not a goddamn Harlequin romance. Maddox and I are friends.Friends.

My nipples refuse to listen to reason.

“Goodnight, Holly,” Maddox says, his voice deeper than usual. He steps back and nods to the ride share that’s parked behind us.

I force my voice to function, and finally, one part of my body is responding to my brain signals. “Um. Goodnight.” I turn and check the app to make sure, confirming that the black Jeep is my ride before sliding into the back seat.

As the SUV steers away from the curb and into traffic, I pull out my phone and text JJ.

JJ

Please tell me you’re home.

I can be, what’s up?

Need your help.

Say no more.

I tuck my phone in my purse and lean my head against the cool window beside me, replaying the evening. Maddox had been completely appropriate tonight. I’d asked to be friends, hadn’t I? And he’d been nothing but friendly.

So why had I gotten shivers down my spine when he spoke in my ear after he pushed my chair in? And why are my nipples still hard from his goodbye kiss?

It must be the cold. That’s why my tits have decided to go rogue. I cross my arms over my chest and press, trying to force them back to their rightful position, until I catch the driver peeking at me in the rearview mirror.

Forget the nipples. Why am I actually looking forward to seeing him again?

Maddox, I mean. Not the Uber driver, although he’s probably a better prospect than my future stepbrother. Pretty much anyone in this city would be a better option.

I shake my head vigorously, trying to shake loose the jumbled thoughts in my mind. It’s just because Maddox is the last person I slept with. God, I can’t believe I slept with my future stepbrother. At least it’s not like I knew it at the time. I just need to go on a date, meet someone new before I have dinner with Maddox again. That’s all.

After I won our little bet—okay, I cheated, but who wouldn’t?—he decided to go double or nothing. He bet me that I couldn’t guess his favorite beer. I figured that was a simple one, since I have a great memory and he ordered an IPA the last time we were at the bar. I figured he was just assuming that I wouldn’t remember.

I should have guessed that he was setting me up. He’s a professional gambler, after all. I should know that the house always wins. And why didn’t I realize that someone’s favorite drink was essentially an unprovable thing?

I tried to be cute and guess wrong the first two times, then go in for the kill with my last guess. It worked my way the first time, after all. So I threw out two choices I knew were wrong, then guessed IPA.

I’m still picturing his satisfied smirk when he shook his head. It grates at me a little. Okay, a lot. Especially because I should know that Yuengling is the favorite of every good native Philadelphian. And now I’m on the hook for another two dinners with Maddox.

* * *

“JJ?” I call as I slam the apartment door behind me, tossing my purse on the table in the entryway.

I find her in the living room, a bowl of sweet popcorn in her lap. I sink onto the couch next to her and let out a heavy sigh.

JJ holds the bowl out to me. “Kettle corn?”

More food is the last thing I need right now. “I need a date. Maybe more than one. Actually, definitely more than one. I need to get Maddox out of my head. I can’t date my stepbrother. It’s just—I just can’t. Can you help?”

Her grin widens as she sets the bowl of kettle corn down on the coffee table. “I’m glad you’re ready. Remember when you told me you needed a date for your dad’s wedding?”

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