Page 20 of Rinkmates

He nods to the shoehorn. “Is this a threat or are you flirting with me?”

When he flashes a smirk that could charm the socks off a sloth, I swear I hear Priya swoon, clinging to the wall next to her like it’s the last lifeboat on the Titanic.

I lower the shoehorn and stride toward him. “It’s definitely a threat. Believe me, if I was flirting with you, you’d know it.” He lifts a black brow in amusement, and I quickly add, “For a second there, I thought we were getting robbed. So, what’s up with you?”

He scoffs. “You really think a shoehorn would have made a difference?”

Shrugging, I twirl the curved end of the horn between my fingers. “Oh, trust me. In the right hands, this little beauty can work magic.”

“The right hands, huh?” His voice trails off as he leans casually against the door frame. “Those hands of yours are pretty small.”

“Small hands, maybe. But I’ve got a talent for making the most of what I’ve got. Want me to show you?”

He grins, and I’d never admit it out loud, but that look he’s giving me makes my heart jump in a very funny way.

But I’m not the only one in the room with this problem, because Priya squeals again, shattering the strange tension between us.

“I can’t believe it’s you,” she says.

The good friend I am, I rush to her and pull her behind me. She’s going to hate herself for being so embarrassingly starstruck. I guess it’s like being drunk. You don’t know what you say until you’re sober again.

“What do you want?” I try to sound as casual as I can.

Priya does another funny sound behind my back and Riley nods to the hallway. “Can we, um, can we speak outside? Alone?”

I narrow my eyes. Why would he want to speak to me alone? Anything he wants to say, he can say in front of Priya. “Depends on why you’re here?”

“Because.”

My eyebrow shoots up to my forehead. “Because?” That’s all he has to say?

Has he taken one too many hits to the head?

He straightens his posture and slides both hands into the pockets of his sweatpants again. When he bites his lip nervously, I resist the urge to roll my eyes. If this is his usual seduction tactic, he’s barking up the wrong tree.

Riley signals for me to follow him, but I fold my arms and shoot him a defiant look. I’m no dog to be ordered around just because he thinks he’s some kind of ice prince.

A sharp poke on my shoulder causes me to spin around and I face a furious Priya. She’s silently mouthing every swear word known to mankind, her eyes nearly popping out of their sockets as she emphatically gestures toward him, insisting that I talk to him.

I dramatically roll my eyes and make wild hand gestures back, signaling that he’s completely bonkers, entitled, and I have zero intention of following him just because he’s famous.

Priya looks confused, but before I can continue my silent protest, she wrenches me around and shoves me toward him.

Thanks for the backup, Priya.

I come to an abrupt halt, narrowly avoiding a collision with this massive mountain of a man. I regain my balance and quickly smooth out my hair.

I look up, and his eyes catch the light, revealing a mesmerizing shade of whiskey.

Damn. Those eyes could drown a girl. Drown me.

No, not me. Never.

He grins, obviously enjoying my reaction, and I grind my teeth. I can’t hide how I stared at him—he’s infuriatingly irresistible. But it’s just looks.

I narrow my eyes, trying to mask the unwanted attraction, but he grins like he just won sexiest man alive.

“Don’t get any ideas,” I snap, trying to ignore the way my heart flutters.

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