Page 41 of Hat Trick Holidate

A vast grin spreads across Brad’s face as I call him by his name like it’s the greatest honor, and his shoulders straighten with a new sense of importance. Society’s obsession with celebrities is a little disheartening, but when I turn to Emmaline, radiant and glowing, I can’t help but feel a surge of happiness.

Maybe it’s not so bad to be affected by someone else’s smile if it can brighten up your entire day.

“That was nice. You’re a good guy.”

A rumble gets caught in my throat. “I’m not. Ask my brother.”

“You have a brother?”

Damn it. Why did I bring this up? Swirling my glass, the vodka rises on the sides, and I finish it off in one healthy gulp. There’s another one coming so what the hell. “I did.”

“Oh…” I can see the gears clicking in her expression. Her eyes don’t quite meet mine. “Did he pass away?”

“When a person uses the past tense, it generally indicates something that has already occurred.” I pause. “I need to use the restroom. Excuse me.”

chapter 16

EMMALINE

Well,well, well. I guess my brother was right—Bryce Wynward is a grump. His chair scrapes against the tiled floor as he pushes off against the armrests and strides to the opposite corner of the restaurant. I’ve never watched anyone walk with so much purpose. I just wish I knew his purpose.

It’s obvious his brother passed away, but to get angry about a simple question is a dick move. And I deserve better from his grumpy ass. We’ve been having a fantastic time until this moment.

The waiter drops off the drinks. “Your dinner will be out shortly.”

With a tight-lipped grin, I acknowledge him and take another drink. It’s my third, and my face is getting hot. It’s my tell-tale sign that I’m getting tipsy. I should slow down, but when Bryce hasn’t returned, I check my phone for the umpteenth time. If he’s not back in five minutes, I’m going after him and giving him apiece of my mind.

What do I do instead?

Bingo.

Slam my third French Martini.

I’m rolling the dirty cherry over my tongue when Bryce returns. I hold the cherry between my lips, and his gaze heats me from the inside out until he laughs.

He freaking laughs.

“You have some juice dripping on your chin.” He reaches over, sweeping his thumb over my chin and sucks the liquid from his skin. God, I wish it was his finger in my mouth. “I’m sorry for storming off, but I don’t want to ruin the night by talking about him.”

He settles just as he notices my empty drink and his full one.

“Emmaline, did he bring your martini?”

“Yep.”

“And you drank it already?”

I give him shit right back. “That’s what an empty glass usually means,” I say with a fair amount of sass and a little bit of snake venom.

He slides his hand over mine and rests his large palm on my forearm. “I deserved that. Are we even?”

“We’ll see.”

Our food and wine come simultaneously. Bryce feeds me a bite of his steak, and it melts in my mouth. It’s tender with a deep, earthy flavor from the wine, shallots, and mushrooms.

“Mmmmm. I can’t believe how good this is at a casual restaurant. Who knew?”

His eyes darken, but he doesn’t say anything. I return the gesture and give him a bite of my salmon dish.

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