Page 29 of Throwing the Curve

Peyton looked around the room and grinned. “Told ya.”

It was one thing to be turned on by Peyton’s touch. It was a whole other thing to have it happen with a hundred eyes on them.

“Just got a little too real for ya?” she asked.

“Mmm,” he grumbled. “People should mind their own fucking business.”

Peyton giggled, then threaded her hand through his. “Let’s get you a drink.”

The car pulled to a stop in front of Peyton’s house. She turned to Ryan. “My god, that was exhausting. I don’t know about you but I could use a drink.”

Ryan’s face glowed in the dashboard light as he turned to look at her. “You asking me inside?” His eyebrow quirked in that cocky way he had about him and dang if her stupid stomach didn’t flip just a little. What the heck was that? She hated cocky guys, and Ryan was cockier than most. He knew he looked good. Women had been trying to fawn all over him all night. In an effort to use her as a human shield, he’d been touching her, running his hand up her back, whispering in her ear. And yeah, okay, she’d shivered a time or two, but it didn’t mean anything.

“Don’t read into it,” she growled.

Ryan held up his hands. “No expectations.”

“Mmm hmm,” she muttered as she opened her car door and slid off the smooth leather seat.

Together, they walked up the sidewalk to her place “I can’t believe I’m being given a look inside the inner sanctum.”

“Don’t make me regret this,” she said pointedly.

His deep chuckle slid across her spine, and her body betrayed her by shivering again.

“You cold?” Ryan asked.

“Yeah, good thing we’re here.” She put the key in the lock and pushed open her front door.

“Good thing, cause these California summer nights are chilly.”

She turned and glared when the little smirk on his face matched his tone. “I thought you wanted that drink, ‘cause I can send you back to your car.”

The jerk laughed again. “I don’t know why you don’t just admit you’re attracted to me.”

“I can admit you’re good-looking, but you don’t need me to tell you that. You had women telling you all night.” She glanced back at him as her mind replayed all the conversations she’d had with various wives and girlfriends, who all seemed to have an opinion about how amazing Ryan was and how good looking. They’d certainly come out with the hard sales pitch on the importance of tying him down before some other woman sunk her claws into him. “I’m just so lucky to have caught the eye of such a handsome man.” She batted her eyes at him mockingly. “How you chose little ol’ me I’ll never know.”

He made a rough, semi-amused sound in the back of his throat. “Okay, you made your point.” He pushed his hand through his hair. “I appreciate you being such a good sport tonight. A lot of the wives are uncomfortable with the single players on the team, so when they see a crack in the armor, they go in for the kill.”

Peyton led the way into the kitchen. Digging into the freezer, she pulled out a bottle of vodka. “Moscow mule? Or you want a beer?”

“I’ll have whatever you’re having.”

She grabbed a couple of copper mugs out of her cabinet and set them on the counter. When she turned toward the fridge, she bumped into Ryan. His hands settled on her waist. “Sorry, I didn’t realize you were so close,” she mumbled.

“No problem.” He stepped toward her and her back hit the counter. Ryan rested his palms on the counter on either side of her. “I’m curious. How come you don’t want to acknowledge this attraction between us?”

Her nipples beaded against her top, betraying her, so there was no point in denying it. “I already told you that you are undisputedly attractive. But I can think you’re good-looking and still not be attracted to you.”

“And you’re saying you aren’t attracted to me?”

“Mmm hmm.” She kept her eyes pinned on the collar of his shirt, afraid that if she looked him in the eye, he’d see what a liar she was. She didn’t even like the guy. Unfortunately, her body didn’t seem to care. She’d been telling her body to get on board with the conversation all night. So far, it wasn’t listening.

“So this attraction is completely one sided.” His voice became dark and husky as he shifted closer to her. It took everything she had not to clamp her legs together to ease the instant ache that was created from his voice.

He traced his finger along her collarbone and held it there a moment while his thumb gently rubbed back and forth at the base of her jaw. His hand rested against her neck like a collar, but there was no pressure, so why was it so hard to breathe? It felt like the air had all been sucked out of the room.

“I can feel your heartbeat pounding.” His finger pressed lightly against her pulse. “You can pretend you don’t want me, Peyton, but your body says otherwise,” he growled.

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