Page 19 of Imperfect Player

“You. Me. Dinner.”

Dinner?

My eyes widen at the words. Is this him asking me on a date? If it is, how do I gently decline without completely pushing him away? Because I have to decline. I can’t have dinner with Ethan. Not even for business. He’s not my client. Everyone knows that. The talk, the rumors. No. Absolutely not.

“I . . . can’t. I appreciate the offer, but—”

“But what? You can’t have dinner with a friend?”

“Friend? Is that what we are now? One meeting, a couple texts, and you just assume that we’re friends?”

“I’m not assuming anything.”

“Oh, so you’re certain we’re friends.”

“Beyond certain.” He leans in close, elbows resting on his knees. “You liked spending time with me as much as I did with you.”

“That was business.”

“The way you were grinding against me, that was business too?”

Instantly, heat flows to my cheeks.

“You’re cute when you blush,” he tells me.

“Friends don’t call each other cute,” I inform him.

“Your friends sound like jerks then.”

“You tell Maddox how cute he is?”

“He’s not my type. Fox, on the other hand? I tell him twice a day.”

“You’re incorrigible.”

“Seriously though, I like hanging out with you. I’m not looking for anything more than your friendship—I promise.”

His words don’t quite match the look on his face, the desire I see flicker in his eyes as I cross and uncross my legs.

“Ethan, I—”

“Ethan, my guy.” Tripp walks into the office. “I’m so sorry to keep you waiting.”

“I didn’t mind the wait at all,” Ethan tells Tripp, his eyes on me.

“Thank you, Everly. You know how much I hate to keep my clients waiting.”

“Glad I could be of some entertainment,” I say, shoving out of the chair and rounding my desk. I’m grateful for the reprieve, the break in the moment where I struggled to figure out how to explain to Ethan why I don’t think us having dinner is a good idea.

“Shall we?” Tripp says to Ethan, gesturing toward the door.

Ethan’s still looking at me though. Intently. He raises his eyebrows, waiting for an answer.

There’s something in the way he’s looking at me that makes me feel unable to say no.

I nod my head, accepting my fate and my inability to say no to the man, while full well knowing that could be bad for me. Very. Very. Bad for me.

“It was nice seeing you, Everly,” Ethan says before following Tripp out the door.

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