Page 249 of Playing Dirty

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Rowan nearly inhaled her drink wrong.

I rubbed a hand over my face. “Can you all relax for five damn seconds?”

“No,” Jace said. “This is the most emotion you’ve shown since sophomore year.”

“That cannot possibly be true.”

“You alphabetized your protein bars once.”

“That was efficient.”

“That was psychotic.”

ROWAN

Okay, maybe this group was actually funny.

Loud and annoying and slightly terrible.

But funny.

And Mason around them was different too.

Less sharp.

Less guarded.

Still controlled, obviously.

But human.

Which was honestly messing with my head a little.

Because I’d spent weeks thinking this guy was emotionally impossible.

Meanwhile Jace was out here exposing him like a federal investigation.

“You know what?” Tessa said suddenly.

“What,” Mason answered carefully.

“You’d be hotter if you admitted you liked her.”

Dead silence.

Absolute silence.

Luca physically turned away laughing.

Jace slapped the counter so hard the bartender glared at him.

I stared at Tessa. “Oh my God.”

“What?” she asked innocently. “I’m right.”

Mason looked at me.

That was the problem.

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