Page 48 of Playing to Win
“How many dates does it take until you’re fucking the poor guy?” I ask, truly curious.
“At least three. Maybe more.” She’s nodding. “Yeah, definitely more. Like five dates. Six?”
I’m starting to sweat. That’s a lot of work for what sounds like little reward. “I’ve never really dated anyone before.”
Her brows shoot up. “Seriously? Not even in high school?”
“I never really had to.” I shrug. “Girls just…wanted to hang out with me, but we never actually dated.”
“No surprise,” she murmurs.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I’m vaguely insulted.
“It means nothing.” She shrugs. “I guess when you’re—you,you don’t have to work hard to find a random girl and hang out with her for the night.”
“That’s not what I’m looking for.” I’m not? “And I don’t give a damn about random girls,” I say vehemently. “They don’t know me.”
Shit, where is this coming from? I blame it on Ruby. She makes me feel…I can’t even explain it. I just know one thing.
I want her. I want to spend more time with her. I want to kiss her and talk to her and get to know her better. I want to strip off her clothes and fuck her nice and slow. Then fuck her hard and fast. Make her come. Make her shout my name. Stuff her mouth full of my dick. Go down on her until she’s coming all over my face.
Yeah. That’s what I want. With her.
Ruby.
“I don’t really know you either,” Ruby points out.
“You know me better than any other woman does.” I curl a few strands of her silky blonde hair around my finger and gently tug. “You actually have conversations with me.”
She sucks in a sharp breath but otherwise, there’s no other reaction to me touching her. “Are you just starved for conversation, Ace?”
“I’m starved for a lot of things.” I let go of her hair and give in to a sudden urge, tracing the side of her neck with my fingertips, curling them around the front of her throat so I can lightly hold her there, pressing beneath her chin and tipping her head up so our gazes meet. Her breath catches, her lips parting and a shuddery exhale leaves her. “Love the shirt. Trying to send a secret message to anyone?”
Ruby tries to glance down at herself, but she can’t thanks to the way my hand is currently wrapped around her neck. Not in a threatening way. But damn, I like the way my fingers look, curled around her throat. It’s fucking sexy.
She’ssexy.
I have a feeling we’d be so damn good together.
Like we have the potential to burn down the world, if she’d just let me show her.
FIFTEEN
RUBY
Ace is…differenttonight. His mood has shifted, and I can tell he’s a little drunk. And like I said to Derek earlier, he’s also somewhat in his feelings. Do those feelings have anything to do with me?
I’m thinking yes. Most definitely. And they’re all conflicted.
Great. Feeling’s mutual, bud.
He’d looked so down and out when I first spotted him sitting at the table. The moment he noticed me, though, his eyes lit up. His entire face brightened and I knew then.
He was sad because I hadn’t shown up yet. He thought I was going to be a no-show. And while I shouldn’t look too much into it, this guy was most definitely just feeling low because he thought I was going to reject him. I’d bet big money women don’t reject him. I mean…
Look at him.
What rational woman would reject him?
