Page 31 of Forbidden Puck
“Good! Then what's the problem?”
“It'd just look bad if I took you out, okay? I don't want to give Lance anyreason to suspect us of anything, because it could blow up in my face in a bad way. That's all.”
I shrugged. “Fair enough, dude. I've been telling you to go and leave me alone for the past five minutes, but you keep sitting here arguing with me over it. I don't know what else you want me to say.”
Radar stared at me, his eyes burning like red-hot embers. I wasn't sure what was going through his mind, but I had to laugh.
And then my stomach butted in and gurgled, loudly. I cradled my tummy and waited for it to stop.
“You haven't even eaten,” he said, almost sounding annoyed by that fact.
“I ate lunch.”
He checked his watch. “Lunch was, what, nine hours ago?”
“So what. I'll order some food in. Besides, I'm sure the code says something about how wrong it is to feed starving women, too.”
Radar bolted off the couch and extended me his hand.
“C'mon. I'll take you to MacAllister's. It's a sports bar and grill, right across the harbor downtown.Hardlythe kind of place you take a girl you want to impress. We can go our separate ways after.”
I didn't say a word. I just stared at his hand and smiled. I understood now that Radar was only trying to convincehimselfthat he was justified in taking me out. He needed a reason, that was all. But did I really want to go? He had a point, after all; Lance might get pissed at us.Especiallyafter I made him all paranoid earlier …
“Just come with me,” Radar urged. “We're obviously not going to do anything stupid. We'll grab a bite to eat, then we'll split ways. I'm going to meet a chick and we just admitted that we're not interested in each other. Lance would understand.”
“Are you sure? I don't want you to get into any trouble …”
“If your brother asks, we'll tell him the truth. We've got nothing to hide.”
“Iwouldlike to get out of the house.”
He urged me to take his hand again. “Then come with me.”
I gave him my hand. Radar pulled me from the couch, and I marveled at how my tiny hand had totally disappeared in the fighter's ridiculously rugged and knobby hands …
Chapter 10
Her Rescue
Radar
When I saw Ella sitting on that couch by herself, I knew something was wrong.
She looked ready for a night out on the town, in a stunning jade-green dress with taupe T-strap heels. But her body language, and the look on her face, told a different story—like her night had already ended.
When she told me her brother had bailed on her, my heart sank to my stomach.It's a sad thing when a girl gets herself all excited and made up and ready to go out and have a good time, only to have her plans fall apart at the last minute.
I wantedto come to her rescue the second I saw her looking so sad. But I couldn't justforgetabout yesterday. How I nearly did something verystupid, and came so close to getting caught by Lance.
But thatcouldn'thappen again. Right? A single moment of weakness, that's all last night was; a bad decision fueled by alcohol.
Besides, she just told me that I wasn't her type. That kinda sucked to hear her say, but okay. And, yeah, I guess she wasn't really my type, either. She was too smart, too ambitious, too much of a challenge.
And Lance couldn'treallyget pissed at me if I took Ella out to MacAllister's, right? BecauseI obviously wasn't trying to score with Ella if I took her to a noisy sports bar and grill.AndI told her that I was meeting a girl from a hook-up app. It was truly a win-win for both of us. I got to be the hero, and Ella got to be rescued, and Lance had nothing to worry about.
The smile on her face when she took my hand, and I hoisted her off the couch, made it all worth it for me. She glowed again, and she surprised me by jumping into my arms and giving me a hug. A knot in my throat tightened when she squeezed herself against me, and I felt her breasts press against my chest.
Okay, the truth was, yeah, this girlwasbeautiful. And her dress was really stunning, like I said. I knew I'd have to mind my manners all night andnotcheck her out, no matter how much I was tempted. I don't mind admitting all that to myself—in fact, I think it's only healthy and fair to admit it. I can think that she's attractive without wanting or needing to act on that attraction.
