Page 95 of The Games We Play
I nodded. Without another word, he stepped out from behind the bar and disappeared down the hallway toward his office. I shifted in my seat, trying to peek past Dudley’s broad shoulders to catch a glimpse of Mac.
Moments later, he returned, holding something in the air. As he got closer, I saw it was my book.
“This one?” he asked, a teasing glint in his eye.
“Yes!” I grinned and stretched my hand out toward him.
But he pulled up short, tucking the book under his arm as he leaned in across the bar. His face hovered close to mine, and instinctively, I leaned in too. The space between us shrank until only a breath separated our mouths.
His warm exhale brushed against my upper lip. My tongue darted out to wet my bottom lip, and his eyes tracked the movement like a man starving.
“Hand it over, Mac,” I said, my voice low.
“I want something first,” he murmured, gaze dropping to my mouth.
“You’re not getting a kiss,” I warned, even as my heart pounded in my chest. God, I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to taste the heat of his mouth, the familiar hint of tobacco and adrenaline that always lingered on his lips.
“Not even on the cheek?” he asked, tilting his head just enough to make it a dare.
I narrowed my eyes at him and reached out, grabbing his chin firmly and turning his face away.
“Don’t try that stupid trick where you turn your head at the last second,” I said, narrowing my eyes playfully.
He chuckled under his breath, the sound low and amused.
Then I leaned in and pressed a slow kiss to his cheek. His skin was warm, the faintest trace of sweat on his jawline. I lingered a heartbeat longer than necessary, inhaling him, letting myself feel it.
“Perfect,” he murmured, turning his head back to me. Our eyes locked, and the air between us went still. My stomach somersaulted as I stared into that familiar gaze—intense, hungry, soft around the edges, only for me.
I was dangerously close to grabbing the collar of his shirt and kissing him until the world disappeared.
But I didn’t.
I pulled back, lips curving into a smile that didn’t quite mask the desire crackling beneath the surface. “Good,” I said, settling back onto my stool. “Because that’s all you’re gonna get.”
29
MAC
“Boo!” Penny yelled, slapping her hand against the bar top with a playful scowl. “You were totally hovering!”
“Was not, little lady!” Harry shot back with a bark of laughter, fanning out a handful of cards like a magician. “You just weren’t quick enough.”
“Menot quick enough?” Penny raised a brow as she picked up her drink. “Please. I’ve got more agility in one toe than you do in your whole body, Harry. Let’s be honest here.”
She brought the straw to her lips and took a long sip of what was now her sixth drink of the night. When she said she was going to try one of everything, she wasn’t bluffing. She was draining the last of theLet’s Not Be Over—a whiskey sour that had clearly added some extra sass to her already fiery charm.
Harry let out a deep, belly-shaking laugh as he slapped his cards onto the bar top in defeat.
Dudley leaned toward me and murmured, “Who knew a card game could get this competitive?”
I smirked, keeping my eyes on the scene unfolding in front of me. “It’s Penny we’re talking about.”
Dudley nodded knowingly and moved off to the other end of the bar to start closing out tabs.
“I hate to break up this championship round,” I said, stepping closer to where Penny and Harry were locked in a dramatic stare-down. “But we’re closing soon, and Harry, I need you to settle your tab.”
Harry huffed, stalling for dramatic effect before finally relenting. He pulled out his wallet with a sigh, muttering something under his breath about “youthful reflexes” as Penny grinned, victorious.
