Page 16 of Reckless Encounters

“Eli’s going in.”

We tune in, watching our friend carry his team to another victory, not allowing any hits.

Drinking beer after beer, he’s still an asshole, but for once, I’m not walking on eggshells around him. In fact, we’re laughing, sharing smiles here and there, and getting messy over some wings.

It’s, dare I say…fun. I especially enjoy the way he watches me lick the buffalo sauce from my fingertips. Not sure if he’s turned on or shocked by the lack of etiquette this Upper East Side princess actually has.

By the time I check my phone, it’s almost one in the morning.

“I better get going… I need to get back to Binx.”

“Who the hell is Binx?” Parker asks incredulously.

I chuckle at his tone. “He’s my kitty.”

His nose scrunches in disgust. “You have a cat?”

“Yep, and he is perfect. I will hear no shade about my baby.”

“What kind of name is Binx?”

I scoff. “Are you serious? You never saw Hocus Pocus, the all-time best Halloween movie ever? I don’t think we can be friends, after all.”

“Oh, the one with the three witches? One has the crazy red hair?” he asks, and I nod with another laugh. But then something flickers in his eyes as they latch onto mine, his face transforming with a mischievous smirk. “Also, I never said we were friends.”

I wave him off, ignoring his last statement. “So you have seen it?”

“I don’t remember watching it, but I do remember that my mom liked it.” His voice softens on the last part, and I don’t miss the way he used past tense when speaking of his mom.

“Well, it’s settled, then…friend, we need a movie night so you can brush up on the Sanderson Sisters.”

He shakes his head with a small smile on his lips. “Me and you?” Parker points from himself to me. “A movie night? That sounds like trouble.”

My pussy clenches at the memory of said trouble. And with the way he’s looking at me, we’re definitely sharing the same memory.

The waitress brings us our check, and Parker pays while I use the bathroom before we head outside. It’s the perfect time to shake off whatever moment we just shared.

“I think I’m going to call an Uber,” I say, holding my finger up. “And before you tease me about being a brat, I typically walk almost everywhere, but I’m in this nice dress and I’ve had a few too many beers. I’m not walking.”

“Well, smartass, I already called us an Uber. Luke and his Tesla will be here any minute. I put in the West Village, but we can update the drop-off address once we get in there.”

Did I tell him where I live? I don’t think so, but he’s never told me either, yet I know all about his penthouse in Tribeca.

“Oh, okay, thank you… I’m so used to you throwing my last name in my face,” I say, and my breath hitches, realizing how close we are standing.

His thumb reaches out for my lower lip like he did that first day in the hotel. “What’s the deal with that? Why don’t you take advantage of your family’s pull in this city?”

A big part of me wants to explain…wants him to understand me and not think of me as the snotty rich girl from the Upper East Side.

Swallowing, his thumb slips from my lip, but he doesn’t stop touching me. My body tingles as he moves his hand around the back of my neck, cupping it as he tilts my face up to look at him. This isn’t friend territory; he was right about that.

I have to clear my throat before I can speak.

“Long story short…I love my parents, but I decided a long time ago I would never fit the mold they created for me. Growing up, the only time I felt like myself was when I was out at my grandparents’ place in the Hamptons. They let me get dirty, explore, put my elbows on the table, eat dessert.” I laugh because I know that sounds childish, but back then, I was a kid, and I needed that freedom more than I realized. “And then in college, when I met Sloan and Quinn, not being placed in the perfect little bubble my parents created for me was the most freeing thing I had ever experienced.”

His stormy grey eyes bore into mine like he’s soaking in every word until they drop to my lips. I find myself leaning into him, begging his mouth to take mine.

Just when I think he’s going to kiss me, a horn behind us honks, causing us to both whip our heads toward the interruption.

---