Page 15 of After Tonight

Riley took two steps to the edge of the bar and pointed her index finger at him. “No.”

He looked at her finger, then back to her face. “No? Seriously? Like I’m a dog?”

“You are a dog, Derek Wright,” Riley said. “And you are forbidden to ask Lucy on a date.”

“I’m forbidden?” He actually laughed at that. “By who?”

“Me.”

“And what makes you think I’ll listen to you?” he asked.

Her eyes narrowed, and she got a look on her face that actually made a chill go down his spine. “You don’t want to mess with me, Derek,” she said. “I’ve been to prison.”

But he couldn’t help it. He snorted. “You were in jail. And all the charges were cleared.”

“Still.”

“For a cybercrime. It’s not like you killed anyone.”

“Yet.”

He leaned onto the bar across from her. “You’re not so tough.”

“I could make you very miserable.”

Now that he kind of believed. “I want to take a nice girl to lunch. What’s so wrong with that?”

“You’re not good enough for her.”

Okay. So that was exactly what he’d figured Riley thought of him. And it was maybe true. And it was what he kind of wanted to change. He blew out a breath and focused on Riley, letting sincerity show in his expression. He hoped.

“So, tell me how to be good enough.”

Now it was her turn to snort. “Just give you a list and you’ll do it?”

“Yeah.” Why not?

“Why do you want to be good enough?” she asked, instead of answering.

“Maybe I think it’s time for me to…be a better guy.”

She seemed a little stunned by his answer. She frowned, then wet her lips. And for an instant, Derek noticed that her lips were pretty nice too.

He shook his head and focused. Wasn’t that just like him to be thinking of another woman’s lips mere minutes after asking another out? And seconds after saying he thought he should be a better guy.

“Lucy is a nice woman,” he said. “And we live here in the same town, have a ton of friends in common, have known each other for a long time. What’s wrong with lunch?”

“She’s not your type,” Riley said.

“Exactly.”

Riley studied his face for a long moment. “You want to turn over a new leaf? Or are you actually thinking that you’ll show her what she’s been missing?”

“You mean am I thinking about taking Lucy over to your mom and dad’s basement?”

“Yeah,” Riley admitted. “Is it bugging you that Lucy is one of the few women in town you haven’t been with or something?”

He frowned. “Sarah was a very willing participant in all basement activities, Riley. I know you kind of love making me out to be this big bad guy, but every pair of panties that end up on my bedroom floor are put there by their owners.”

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