Page 47 of Playing to Win

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When our eyes meet though, I see the sympathy there and I realize she’s not making fun. Her tone is soft and her gaze is only for me and her fingers are burning through the fabric of my shorts. Seeping right through until it feels like she’s touching my bare flesh.

Shit.

Derek just laughs some more and turns away from us.

Thank Christ.

“He’s an asshole,” I mutter.

“I know he’s just joking.” She pats my leg like she’s my grandma and when she starts to remove her hand, I drop mine on top of hers, keeping her hand pinned there.

“Maybe he’s not joking.” My tone comes out way more serious than I intended and I swallow hard, hating myself.

No more beer for me.

“Ace.” She tilts her head to the side, her ponytail swinging and I reach out with my other hand, slipping my fingers into the silky strands. “You know you don’t do serious.”

“You’re right.” I nod. “I don’t.”

“Meaning this is nothing.” She waves her hand between us.

“I don’t know about that. I did ask you on a date.”

Ruby blinks at me, her lips parted, though she’s not talking. Like I stunned her silent. “You did not.”

I nod. “Did so.”

Skepticism flares in her gaze. “This isn’t a date. It’s a meeting at a bar.”

“Sounds like a date to me.” I shrug.

“Definitely not.” Ruby shakes her head.

“Tell me what constitutes a date then,” I challenge, sounding like a dickhead.

Because I am a dickhead.

“Well, first, if you were asking me on a date, you’d offer to come pick me up.”

Uh huh.

“And when you’d pick me up, you’d take me to dinner or a movie, or some sort of form of entertainment that’ll keep us occupied for a few hours,” she continues.

Sounds fucking boring as shit. “Keep going.”

“And then you’d take me back home and—”

“Kiss you at the front door, convince you to go inside and end up in your bedroom and fuck you until you were screaming my name?” I suggest helpfully.

Her cheeks go bright red. “Absolutely not.”

“What? Why not?”

“I don’t fuck on the first date.” She manages to make the sentence sound prim but come on.

Ruby just said the word fuck.

That’s hot.

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