Page 65 of Power Play Pursuit

Her eyes widen. “Oh, but you haven’t seen the bathroom.”

“No need to waste your time any longer,” I say, trying to be polite. “I already know this place isn’t for me.”

Her smile fades. “All right. Well, maybe I can tempt you, James.”

“I’m not looking,” he says, seeming more relaxed now. “We’re only shopping for Elizabeth, but if she says it’s not for her, then we’ll keep looking.”

“Thanks for your time, Kirsten,” I add.

“Of course. I’ll let you know if anything else in your price range opens up,” she says. “And James, maybe our paths will cross again. Go Raptors.”

He chuckles. “Yeah. Have a goodone.”

We walk back downstairs, and if I could run to the sidewalk, I would. We need to put some distance between James and Kirsten before she literally jumps him.

“Sorry it was a bust,” James says, hands in his pockets as we’re trudging back down the pavement.

I release a quick breath. “It’s okay. I’ll find something else soon enough, just not fromher.” I glance over my shoulder to make sure we’re not being followed.

He frowns. “Why not? She seemed all right.”

“Of course you’d think so,” I scoff, rolling my eyes. “She was flirting with you since the moment we got there.”

He blinks, a confused look scrunching up his face. “No she wasn’t.”

“Um, yeah she was,” I breathe out, my voice sharp with irritation. I hate that I’m this transparent. “She was more focused on getting you to notice her than actually selling me the place.”

He rubs his fingers along his stubble. “Really? Well, she didn’t do a very good job. I didn’t even notice.”

I press my lips together, but my grin breaks through. Because no matter how obvious and gorgeous Kirsten was, James wasn’t the least bit interested. And that’s the best news I’ve heard all day.

28

"All of them."

James Adler

It’s the day of Beaumont’s wedding, and I can’t stop pacing and fidgeting as I wait for Elizabeth to come out of her room. Everything has been great between us these past few days, and I feel closer to her than ever. We hung out at my place, baking and watching TV—acting like a normal couple. Well, except for the kissing part.

Finally, the door opens, and she walks into the living room wearing a floor-length, light pink dress that seems to float around her body. Her blonde hair is wavier than usual, and her makeup is discreet while bringing out her beautiful eyes even more.

“Wow, you look breathtaking. Just . . . wow.” A smile builds on my lips. “You always look gorgeous, but this is next level.”

She brings her eyes to her shoes, blushing. “Thanks. You look great too, but we said no flirting, remember?”

I take a step back, my jaw falling open. “What! Nuh-uh. There’s got to be a loophole when you lookthishot. Or when we’re going to a wedding. You know flirting is kind of a staple at weddings, right?”

She cocks her head to the side. “Really, is that a thing?”

“It is in my book. I will absolutely flirt with my date at a wedding. End of story,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest.

She presses her lips together. “Your date, huh?”

“What, are you not my date?” My eyes sweep over her, and a playful smirk pulls at my lips. “That blush confused me for a second. But in that case, maybe I should call Kirsten.” I’m not going to lie, seeing Elizabeth getting jealous was quite enjoyable.

Her mouth drops open. “You said you didn’t realize she was flirting with you. Liar.”

I let out a chuckle, shrugging. “Honestly, I didn’t. Most women act like that around me. It’s hard to tell the difference.” My voicedrops. “That's why I like you, Elizabeth. You’re not like most women.”

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