Page 71 of The Wingman

“Safe word?”

“If a date went bad, we texted ‘karaoke’ to each other. Rider was big on safety.” I smile and then shake it off. I need to stop thinking about him for my own mental health. I take a huge drink of my wine and nearly finish it off in record time.

“Kane’s here,” Lindsay says and waves him over.

I’m not too worried about Rider being with him. No way would he be up and out this soon. He took one hell of a hit to the head. Lindsay stands and gives Kane a kiss and my heart pinches. I’m so happy for them.

“Hey Jules,” Kane says, and plops down next to me.

“Kane,” I say and force a smile.

“So you and Alek,” he says and Lindsay gives him a grin.

Oh hell no! This has to stop and has to stop now.

“There is no me and Alek.”

“Yet,” he says. “He’s here, a bunch of guys from the team are, and I thought I’d be your wing man.”

“No, please, don’t.”

Before I can stop him, he stands and speaks to someone behind me. Mortified, I hunch forward and stare at the few drops left in my drink, willing all this to just go away.

“So yeah,” he says to whoever it is hovering close. “I’ve found myself with two women tonight, and since I’m a one girl kind of guy, I thought you might like to help me out.”

“Ground open up and swallow me whole,” I murmur. I play with my phone, and resist the urge to type out ‘karaoke.’ That thought makes me laugh. Rider is laid up and not about to come to my rescue. Heck, maybe I should go out with other guys, maybe that will help me forget Rider once and for all.

“You’ve got no game, bro,” the familiar voice says from behind.

I stand so fast, my chair topples and Rider grabs it. He moves it aside so there is nothing between us but space and tension.

“What…what’s going on?” I ask my gaze going back and forth between Rider, Kane and Lindsay.

“What’s going on is my bro here has no game.” Kane reaches for Lindsay’s hand. She gives me a knowing smile as they disappear into the crowd. “It’s a good thing I showed up when I did,” Rider says. “My bro sucks at being a good wingman and you could have been on a date with that guy,” he says, and points to some random dude at the bar.

I eye him for a second, remembering the game we played when we first met. “Too much hair gel,” I say, my heart crashing against my ribs. What exactly is going on here? I’m not sure, have no idea really, but I’ll play along for now. “If he leans in for a kiss, he’s liable to put my eye out.”

“You’re right,” he says producing his adorable dimple when he grins at me.

“And you might have been set up with her,” I say, and gesture to the tall blonde swaying her hips on the dance floor.

“Her legs are far too long.” He shakes his head and frowns. “Our kids would have been disproportionate.”

“Whew, dodged a bullet there,” I say, and wipe my brow.

“And that guy,” Rider says, gesturing with a nod as he steps closer his warm scent falling over me. It takes every ounce of strength I have not to throw myself at him. “You would have needed your safe word with him.”

“He does kind of look like he keeps his ex in the freezer, doesn’t he?”

Rider laughs out loud, and the tension drains from my body. “I’ve missed you,” he says, his voice so low and soft it seeps under my skin and wraps around my shattered heart. My pulse picks up tempo and the room sways as my blood drains to my feet.

“Rider, we can’t…” I wave my hand back and forth between our bodies. “…go back to this,” I say and take a small step back, his entire presence overwhelming me and making it hard to breathe. “I just…can’t.” My heart is already broken.

He shakes his head. “Good, I don’t want to, either. I don’t want to be friends with benefits anymore. In fact, I don’t even want to be your friend.”

My heart fractures a little more. My God, had he come here tonight just to be cruel to me? I back up even more, and that last glass of wine begins to fog my thoughts. “I…why?”

He doesn’t even want to be friends anymore?

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