Page 27 of All Signs Point to Malibu

His arm draped against the back of the plush booth seat, Warren sighs as he glares up at me. “Did you follow me?”

I scoff laugh at the ridiculous—true—suggestion. “Don’t flatter yourself. Needed a caffeine fix after my coffee got knocked out of my hand by a wild ball,” I say tightly.

“Well, if you hadn’t been standing in the way, it wouldn’t have happened,” he counters.

Across the booth, Sonia looks mildly amused by our heated exchange, as though she senses chemistry. She’s totally, a hundred percent wrong, but I can’t even be bothered to entertain the thought right now—I’m on a mission. I need to get myself invited to this lunch.

Liam looks back and forth between us. “What’s going on?”

“Hailey’s suddenly obsessed with me,” Warren tells them.

My mouth gapes. “Hardly.”

“Hailey, why don’t you join us?” Sonia says politely, gesturing for me to have a seat next to Warren.

That was easy—thank you, Sonia. You may be an ally in your own demise yet.

A stunning ally. She’s wearing another pale-colored sundress that accentuates her tanned skin to perfection. Fresh-faced, hair in a messy bun, her casual Sunday brunch look is arguably her best look. I bet her messy bun is actually a messy pulled-together look and not the twenty-minute exercise mine was.

“Oh, I’m sure Hailey’s rushing off to a meeting with a client. No rest for the wicked,” Warren says, sending me a look that says “beat it.”

I refuse to let him throw me off course. If he won’t help me save Liam from making the biggest mistake of his life, then I’ll find a way to do it on my own. “Actually I am...but I have a few minutes.”

I motion for Warren to slide further into the booth. He begrudgingly moves less than an inch. I sigh and place half an ass cheek on the edge of the seat, struggling not to fall out. I place my forearms on the table and lean forward, my thighs burning in the half squat position. I hide my pain as I smile brightly. “So...what were we talking about?”

“Warren has generously offered to throw us an engagement party,” Sonia says excitedly, wrapping one arm through Liam’s and cuddling closer. The two share a look of love that if I didn’t know better, I’d swear was the real deal.

But I do know better. They may seem happy now, but it won’t last.

I frown, turning to Warren. “You’re hosting an engagement party?”

“Yes.”

“You?”

“Yes.”

“Mister ‘I hate all things commitment’?”

Warren swings toward me and I nearly fall out of the booth. “For the last bloody time—yes! Isn’t your business built on you being a good listener?” His gaze burns into mine.

I glare back at him. Damn, his eyes are really blue and the color seems to intensify when he’s all charged up like this. Do other people have this effect on him or am I the only one? He’s usually so chill and yet, I seem to be particularly skilled at bringing out this version of him. Should I take it as a compliment?

As our gazes lock for far too long, something in his expression changes and while I can’t define it, I’m definitely uneasy enough to be the first to look away.

He may have won this silent battle of wills, but he won’t win the war.

I turn my attention to Sonia and Liam. “Why don’t I help him?”

“No thanks,” Warren says.

I ignore him and continue my pitch to the couple. “We can host it at my place.”

Across from me, Sonia’s face lights up.

“I have a house,” Warren says.

“A sad and pathetic smelly man cave doesn’t exactly scream happily ever after,” I say with a wild, dismissive wave that nearly smacks him on the cheek. It forces him to slide in a little further and I take the opportunity to move in a bit more. “My place is...”

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