Page 8 of Obsessed with the Player

“I'm not afraid, and Iamrelaxed. I'm just taking things in.”

He gave me a disbelieving look before letting go of my nape and settling back onto the bar. He was wearing a simple t-shirt, which contrasted against my shirt (acasualone, but still), and yet I couldn’t help but notice how the fabric seemed to mold to his broad shoulders like it was made to make people salivate over him, and adding that to his considerable height, Andy was the perfect mixture of hot and intimidating that would make anyone wonder what a night would him would be like. The cherry on top was that sandy mane of his, which he was wearing down again.

I tried not to focus on the way I seemed to miss the warmth of his hand against the back of my neck.

I still felt a little out of sorts after our battle of wills yesterday, a dozen different emotions running through my body, but I was too keyed up to process them.

I needed to ace this test, I needed to leave Andy’s mouth hanging open, and this nervousness wouldn’t get the best of me.

“Just know we can go home anytime you like,” Andy murmured.

Of course he was going to say that. And of course I hated him more for it because I had already been thinking about it despite my big talk about proving him wrong, but if anything, his words only cemented my determination to get this done and do what I had set myself to do.

Let loose.

Even if I still didn’t know what the fuck that would entail.

The bartender finally made his way towards us, his eyes lighting up upon seeing Andy. “Same as usual for the gentleman?”

Andy grinned. “You know I'm no gentleman, but I’ll take the same, and Dan here will take a water.”

If I hadn't already been glaring at him, I would have glared at Andy all over again.Water?Really?

The bartender looked in my direction, surprised to see me there before sending another smile my way. He had curly dark hair cropped close to the scalp, giving everyone an uninterrupted view of the many earrings dangling from his ears. His warm brown eyes were the perfect shade to take stranger’s stories out of them before they’d even taken a sip of their drink.

He eyed me up and down. “Hot date?”

“More like a pain in my ass,” Andy said.

I restrained the urge to roll my eyes. “Rum and ginger ale will do.”

“Make it heavy on the rum,” Andy said before the bartender took a couple of steps away from us with an amused and curious grin to get the bottles for our drinks.

I watched him as I told Andy, “The more you resist, the more it's going to hurt when you lose.”

Andy let out a dry chuckle, brushing his jaw with his hand. “I guess we'll see.”

I couldn’t tell whether he wanted very badly for me to lose whatever game we’d gotten into, or if he was dying for me to make a fool of myself.

Whatever. I’d win anyway.

Drinks in hand, Andy guided me away from the bar, a strong, warm hand on my lower back burning me like a brand, and before I knew it, we were entering a small circle of people that were already chattering about.

“Everyone, this is Dan. He's trying to let loose after a break up from a six-year relationship, so I hope you won't be nice to him at all.”

My mind was stuck for a second on the fact that he knew exactly how many years I had been with my ex even though I hadn't ever told him. Had Travis been the one to tell him?

And why did my gut tighten at the thought?

I didn't get to linger on it. A woman beside me that looked to be in her mid to late twenties was quick to introduce herself as Kelly, who wore her dark hair pulled into a neat braid and gave me a once over the same way the bartender had, before sliding her arm through mine and saying, “My my, can we have him, then?”

Andy's eyes were dark for a second, his jaw tensing before he said, “First, let's see if he doesn't run home in the next ten minutes.”

Kelly raised her eyebrows.

Suddenly feeling a surge of determination, I said, “Ignore him, he’s a sore loser with an arrogance problem.”

I felt Andy’s glare on the side of my face as Kelly and the others laughed.

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