Page 21 of Forbidden Desires

Oh. Well, I suppose that makes sense.

I nod in response to Dexter's comment and grab my bag before pushing through the door. He takes a step back to make room for me.

At my agreement, he seems to get some of his confidence back. "You ready for a night of being wooed?"

I laugh despite myself. "You're going to woo me? I can't wait to see this."

He grins wider, the kind of smile that makes my stomach flutter. "Just you wait and see, brat. You're about to have the time of your life."

He guides me to a white Ford and opens the door. I slide into the seat, and Dexter shuts the door behind me. When he hops into the driver's seat I turn his way. "What's Pete doing tonight, then?"

Dexter shrugs before responding. "My guess? Probably coming up with a million ways in which tonight will go well, and then a million more in which it will end badly."

My laughter bubbles out, unbidden. He pegged Pete perfectly. The laughter has the added bonus of soothing some of the nerves too.

Dexter pulls away from the curb, humming along to the music playing low on the radio. His voice is melodic and easy to listen to, and I quickly lose myself in the song.

"So," I say, after we’ve been on the road for a while. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see." He winks, and damn if it doesn't make me smile.

And my smile? It only widens when he pulls up in front of Dorky's Arcade. I've been meaning to come here. One of the interns told me about it, in my first week in town, and I knew it would be the perfect place to get rid of some stress.

"You brought me to an arcade? Is this your idea of wooing, playboy?"

Dexter chuckles. "I figured you could use a little fun. Pete said you've probably been working too hard." He slides out of the car and then comes around to open my door, offering me his hand. "Besides, I have a terrible competitive streak, and it's probably best you see that side of me before we take things any further."

I take his hand, enjoying the warmth of his skin against mine, and hop out of the car. "That's a brave move, playboy. What are you going to do when I beat you?"

Dexter leans in, his voice dropping low. "Oh, honey. You can try. But there's no beating me."

I swallow hard, heat prickling at the back of my neck. Tugging my hand away before the touch lingers too long, I pretend to be unaffected. "We'll see about that."

Inside, the air hums with the sounds of old-school game machines and the chatter of kids and adults alike. Dexter exchanges some cash for tokens, then hands me a stack. "Pick your poison."

I grab a token and twirl it between my fingers. "Prepare to have your ass handed to you, playboy."

We start with air hockey,and it's immediately clear that Dexter is not here to let me win. He's ruthless, grinning every time he scores, while I try to keep up and trash talk my way through the game.

"Come on, Suzie. You can't let me win that easily," he teases after his third goal in a row.

I narrow my eyes. "Oh, you think you're hot shit, huh?"

Dexter leans across the table, arms braced against the edge, close enough that I can smell the hint of aftershave on his skin. "Honey, I know I am. And what's more, So do you."

My breath catches, and for a second, all I can do is stare at the way his lips twitch with amusement. He's too close, and it's doing things to my head. So I smack the puck toward the goal—and this time, I score.

"Looks like someone got distracted," I say, sweetly.

Dexter laughs, a low, rich sound that makes my stomach flip. "Touché."

After he beats me at air hockey, we bounce from game to game, snacking on popcorn and candy between rounds. Dexter's competitive but never mean, and every time I catch him watching me, it sends a shiver down my spine.

At one point, we find ourselves at the basketball hoops, and I realize I'm actually having a good time. He's fun. Playful. And his good mood has a way of making me relax around him.

"So, you and Pete," I say casually, shooting a basket. "How'd you meet?"

Dexter catches the ball on the rebound, spinning it in his hands. "We work together. He kind of took me under his wing when I started at the company. At first we were nothing but friends. Although I had the biggest crush on him, I didn't realize he was bi too. Until he said something about a male coworker. After that comment, it took me about a week to get enough courage together to ask him out."

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