Page 100 of De-Witched

She saw where this was going and wagged a finger playfully. “Not enough to skip the rest of the game.”

“What if I...helped the Cubs win?”

Shock halted her thoughts. She spluttered, insult raging. “The Cubs do not need your help to win.”

His eyes went to the field, the scoreboard, then back to her.

Hers narrowed.

To her further shock, he smiled. “You’re very easy.”

She sat back. “You’re saying you wouldn’t have cheated and broken the...you’re right, I fell for that way too easily.” Like Gabriel would ever. The guy probably dreamed in black-and-white.

To his credit, he was giving the game a go, scrutinizing it as he did with everything new. Probably trying to figure out how they could improve their game. Without magic, even though he had implied otherwise. Teasing. He’d teased her.

She held the delight in her secret heart and hugged herself. She chose to focus on that, on the good parts rather than the negative. And there was so much good here.

But only for a little while.

On the echoes of that thought, she studied him. “What’ll you give me if we leave early?”

Everything about him came to attention. His head tilted to her, gaze intently green under the brim of the Cubs cap. God, he’d never looked more attractive than he did wearing her team’s merch.

“Is that a possibility?”

A slow sly grin. “Put the offer on the table.”

“I could put you on the table.”

Someone shouted on the field and the crowd shouted in return, yet it all went fuzzy as her body roared to life.

“Feast on you like my own personal dessert.” Lazily, his gaze drew down her body. “All three courses. It could take a while. If we leave now, we might finish before midnight.”

The cotton of her bra rasped her nipples until she felt like squirming, did squirm. Her hand gripped the plastic chair.

“Thoughts?”

She dragged in a breath that did nothing to help. The baseball game faded to the background. “I want my turn.”

His expression turned hunting quiet. “Is that a yes?”

She gave him a jerky nod.

He didn’t waste time, gripping her hand to lead her out of their row. As a cheer went around the stadium, he pulled her up the steps and then out into the echoing hall, where he backed her against the wall. He braced a hand above her head, the other arm bracketing her. “I don’t like baseball.”

“I figured.” God, he smelled good.

“But I like you.”

Little pops of lust burst within her and she went up on tiptoe, gripping his sweater to yank him down for a hot, drowning kiss.

“I like you, too,” she said against his mouth. “But Gabe? You’re keeping the hat on.”

She felt the smile against hers before he propelled her into motion and out of the stadium.

“This is inappropriate,” Gabriel complained the next night from his seat on the couch. He’d refused to cuddle up with Leah in front of his sister, somewhat embarrassed at the idea, and now perched on the end as Leah, Melly and Sloane all lumped together. A blanket covered them and a giant bowl of buttered popcorn Leah had insisted on was clutched by Melly, who sat in the middle with a grin just as giant on her face. It warmed him, even as he shook his head, lips set.

Leah rolled her eyes. “Pretty Woman is a classic.”

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