Page 35 of Touchdowns and Temptations

“Guilty and...” Marina stops and looks at the door. “Your man just walked in the door with another guy.”

“What?” My head spins around and sure enough, Noah and Alex enter the restaurant. “He didn't say he was going to lunch.”

“No?” Marina asks and I give her an annoyed look. “And I thought that was what friends did.”

“Oh, you know...” I have an insult on the tip of my tongue, but I save it. Marina is deliberately provoking me because she wants me to comment on the fact that Noah and I are more than friends.

I look at him again and start to watch him when Alex sees me. He raises his hand and I do the same. Then he nudges his brother and points at me. Noah's face lights up and he smiles too. My smile widens even more as they make their way to our table.

“Uh, they're coming over here,” Marina comments.

“Shut up,” I hiss.

“Hey,” Alex says and sits down in the chair next to Marina so that Noah sits next to me. Alex grins at me and turns to my best friend. “Alexander, hi, but Alex is fine too. You were with Cara when Noah met her at the bar.”

Why does he stress that Noah met me there? Well, that's what happened. Noah came to our table and, with Marina's active assistance, approached me.

“I am Marina. Cara's best friend and her guilty conscience.” I roll my eyes and the guys laugh.

“I'm Noah,” he introduces himself and shakes her hand. “Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too,” she says, grinning at me. Before she can say any more stupid things, a waitress comes to our table.

“Hi,” she says, aggressively flirting with the McCarter twins. And how could it be otherwise? Alex jumps up.

“Hi,” he says. “What can you recommend?”

Noah moans beside me and I grin.

“We have the chicken burger with sweet potato fries on the menu today. But I think you’d both prefer something healthier.”

She giggles artificially and I roll my eyes. It's pathetic for our species.

“I think I'm allowed to sin today,” Alex flirts unabashedly and now even Marina rolls her eyes.

“Okay, and what about you? Do you sin too?” she turns to Noah. I look at her and notice that she has noticed my glance. How can you be so pathetic, first making eyes at Alex and now at Noah? I'm not jealous, but it's unbelievable how some women behave. I clear my throat and pick up my glass. Noah looks at me. Marina laughs.

“Maybe you'll order something to drink first...” my best friend says, saving the day. “They'll order food when you get back. You should check the menu first.”

To emphasize her words, she pushes Alex towards ours.

“And what would you like to drink?” the waitress asks much more reservedly. Still, she bats her eyelashes as she looks back and forth between the twins. She must be beginning to realize that she's annoying.

“I'll have a Diet Coke,” Alex says, and Noah nods at his brother.

“Me too, thanks, and if you have it, I'd be happy to add a carafe of water.”

“Of course,” she purrs, “as you wish.”

Then she finally turns and disappears, hips swaying at the counter, to pass on our order. Noah reaches past me for the menu and grins at me.

“And what can you recommend?” he wants to know.

“If you think I'm going to recommend something sinful,” I say. “Forget it. My baked potato was very good.” I point to my empty plate.

“Okay,” he says. “Then I'll have one.”

Alex studies the menu for a moment, but sticks with the snappy waitress's suggestion. She returns far too quickly for my liking.

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