Page 17 of Austen Persuaded

“Playing a game.”

“Yeah, I can see that, but …” I was at a loss for words. The guys never played board games. We didn’t own any. None of us were board game-playing people. Viviana and her friends were. But not Rainn and Rafael.

And this game didn’t look like Monopoly or Checkers. It looked like the nerdy kind of game. The kind I wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole. Or ten-sided dice. Or whatever they called it.

It wasn’t that I looked down on board game nerds. They were fun people, when they weren’t playing their games. I just wasn’t interested in those games myself.

Because of him.

I closed my eyes to try to shut out the memory—but it rushed in uninvited anyway.

His bedroom had smelled faintly of cedarwood and laundry detergent, with a tiny plastic dragon perched on his windowsill and stacks of hardcover books lining the floor like some kind of chaotic border. I’d sat cross-legged on his bed, laughing throatily as I tugged at his sleeve, hoping to distract him.

“Come on,” I’d purred. “You seriously expect me to care about imaginary goblins right now?”

He’d just grinned—that maddening, dimpled, focused grin—and handed me a set of colorful dice that clicked together like candy. “You will. Trust me.”

And, annoyingly, I had. Against all odds, I’d actually listened. I’d asked questions. I’d created a character. I’d even made up a ridiculous voice for her. He’d guided me through a battle scene so vividly that I forgot we were in his room and not trapped in some mythical forest with an enchanted sword.

By the time I looked at my phone again, it was almost 11 pm.

We hadn’t kissed that day. He hadn’t even touched me. But somehow, it had felt more intimate than anything else we’d ever done. And that—that was the problem.

No.

There is absolutely no point in thinking about that. About him. About a time long ago. About freaking board games. But …

“Well, what brought this on?” I asked tentatively, resting my arms on the back of an empty chair.

“Oh, some guys at my new job play it every day at lunchtime. They invited me to play a few days ago, and I’m kind of hooked,” Rainn said.

“And now he’s forced me to play,” Rafael said, rolling his eyes before they eagerly returned to study the board.

Rainn laughed. “You’re the one that wanted to play a third time.”

“Shut up, you dork.”

“You’re both nerds now,” I said with exaggerated disappointment in my tone. “I should have seen it coming. You were both watching thatStar Warsshow last week, mandarin, or whatever it is.”

Rafael looked outraged for a moment and then took a calming breath. “The Mandalorian. Whatever, Annie. I saw you with a big stack of books on your nightstand today. Maybe you’re not as much of a party girl as you’d like us all to believe, eh?”

“Oh, that’s way below the belt, Raf.” I punched him in the shoulder lightly. “But as it happens, I do plan to do some reading. I have hours to kill before Brandon stops over tonight.”

Both of them turned sharply toward me with eyebrows raised.

“Yeah, he called. For a booty call. And he’s going to get … theboot,” I said, cackling as I kicked my foot out.

Rafael jumped up from his chair and hugged me, spinning me around. “That’s my girl. I wish I could sit and watch, with popcorn. But you’ll want it to be private, won’t you?”

I nodded. “I was hoping you could send him into my room when he arrives. Make him think I’m waiting in there for him.”

“Sure, what time?” Rainn asked, cracking his knuckles.

My lips twitched. “He said around midnight. And don’t get any crazy ideas. I’m going to deliver the news Annie-style.”

“Play the next game with us?” Rafael asked with pleading eyes, pointing to the empty chair. “We’ll be done with this round soon.”

“And now you’re not even pretending to not be hooked,” I said, shaking my head. “As appealing as that is, or isn’t, I am going to read.”

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