Page 60 of Why Not Both?

I clear my throat. “So does it happen often? Getting hit on by bridesmaids?”

He chuckles. “Why? Jealous?”

“What would I have to be jealous of?”

“I don’t know, firecracker. What would you have to be jealous of?”

I don’t have an answer.

“You’d be surprised how often it happens, actually,” Spencer continues, letting me off the hook. “Me and Derek. And Derek doesn’t even deal with the guests very often.”

“I actually wouldn’t be surprised. You and Derek are both really hot.”

“You think Derek’s hot?”

I give him a sweet smile and flutter my eyelashes at him. “Why? Jealous?”

The dark look in his eyes gives me the answer.

I laugh. “Hot or not, Derek isn’t my type.”

“But I am?”

My laughter dies and my steps hesitate. He stops as well and we just look at each other for a minute. I’m searching his eyes.

“Spencer…” I say, but I don’t know how to finish.

He tugs me forward and we keep walking. “What are you doing Monday? Want to do the Grind with me?”

I make a gagging noise and he laughs.

“Come on. You said you’d do it with me. And we haven’t been hiking in a while.”

“I’m pretty sure the caveat is that you go running with me.”

“We can go running another day.”

I glare up at him. “It sounds to me like you’re trying to get me to climb that fucking mountain with no intention of holding up your end.”

“I would never!” he says in a falsetto voice, a hand over his heart.

“Hey. Get your own quotes.”

He grins down at me, and I have the startling realization that walking home with him was a bad idea. I’m only torturing myself with what I’ve decided I can’t have. Why can’t I have it again?

“I can’t on Monday. Daze and I are going to our parents’ house. We’ll be there most of the day.”

“Tuesday then?”

“Why do you want me to do it so much?” I ask.

“Maybe I want to see if you can keep up with me.”

“Of course I can’t. I run, not climb stairs. And you have longer legs than I do. You’re like a foot taller than me.”

“I don’t think I’m that much taller.”

I lift an eyebrow. My eyes scan him from the top of his head to his feet. When I reach his face again, he smirks at me, eyebrows raised.

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