Page 48 of Wait For It

Bailey held his palms up in surrender, before stretching his long legs out in front of him. “Sorry, sorry. Just trying to get to know your friend here. Although, if you’d introduced us like a proper gentleman, none of this would’ve happened.”

“Fine,” I conceded.

The side of his mouth lifted in a grin as he redirected his focus back to Ari. “So, tell me,” he said, completely poker-faced. “Is this your first circus?”

I dropped my fist to the table with a dull thud, muttering, “That’s enough.”

His smile slipped, and he jerked his chin in a stiff nod. “Okay, point taken. No need to bite my damn head off just because you’ve got your panties in a bunch.”

Perhaps my reaction was a tad on the defensive side. There was no denying Ari’s makeup made her look a bit like a clown in the circus. So, maybe she’d gotten into some psychedelic drugs before getting dressed for dinner. She was still a nice girl who’d already dealt with one asshole today—two if I was including myself.

She blew out her cheeks and scribbled something in the notebook before meeting my gaze.

You look very nice.

For reasons I couldn’t explain, my pulse slowed considerably as I read it, restoring my vision to its factory settings. “Thank you. You look—well, you look different.”

Her soft smile fell into a wince, and I belatedly realized what I’d said hadn’t come out sounding like much of a compliment.

She pressed a hand to her chest.

Is this not okay? Would you prefer I wear something else?

My mouth went dry. I lowered my gaze to where Ari’s fingers had settled along the swell of her breasts. The dress was as modest as it was hideous, giving absolutely no indication to the woman underneath. Was this the real her, or was she buried somewhere underneath the layers of polyester?

I squeezed my eyes shut as images of Ari flooded my brain, the byproduct of years of visualization exercises. I’d start by swiping the lipstick off using my thumb before planting a soft kiss to the dimple beside her mouth.

It wasn’t enough.

I needed her naked and sprawled out before me like a feast. My fingers threading through every strand of her long hair until fanned out around her face like an auburn halo. I wanted to see those green eyes blaze with need as I tasted the salt on her skin, bringing her to pleasure again… and again… and—Goddammit.

She had me all over the place.

“Wear whatever you want,” I snapped, ignoring Bailey’s amused stare as I ran a hand over my face and tried clearing my head.

I bet she’d taste like the ocean.

Great, and with that, my dick was scrambling to get out of the dugout and into the on-deck circle.

Who was the bigger asshole now?

Ari suddenly exhaled several short bursts of air, sounding as though she was trying to fog up a window.

Good one. You are so funny.

My mind went ninety to nothing as I studied the words and her seemingly fake smile, trying to figure out what it was I’d missed. Nothing about any of this seemed humorous.

Bailey leaned in, shockingly unaffected by the fact that we’d gone back in time. “It’s pretty clear you went to a lot of trouble for tonight. I hope you didn’t do this for him. Trust me, he’s not worth this level of—” He gestured toward her face. “Whatever you’re calling this.”

A woman should always look her best for a man.

O-o-o-okay…

So, Ari had gone a bit cuckoo since lunch. But, on the bright side, I could scratch the cold shower off my to-do list.

Bailey tried stepping in as a pinch hitter, but when his hand moved to cover Ari’s possessively, I was no longer considering how to make it up to him. No, in a completely irrational turn of events, I began imagining how I could ruin his pretty-boy face.

“Got a minute, pal?” I clipped out, the muscle in my jaw twitching.

---