She’d found herself thinking about what to wear and what they would talk about. Now, sitting across from him, the words tangled on her tongue in an uncharacteristic bout of shyness.
Their eyes remained locked. The walls of her throat tightened. His eyes were so deep and dark she might fall into them if she leaned forward too far. An ache began growing between her legs. Someone cleared his throat, reminding her they weren’t alone.
“When are you going to tell me what’s going on? I know you’re cooking up something. I can smell it.” Ally addressed the group at large, green eyes narrowed in speculation at Jack. He studied Ally with somber eyes, all smoldering bad-boy intensity laced with self-deprecating humor. “You know I hate surprises, Jack.”
“You’re going to love this one. Quit your bitching,” Karly said, her tone full of loving humor for her best friend. “Trust me when I say your boyfriend is awesome.” Randy cleared his throat. “You’re awesome too, baby,” she said and quickly patted his leg. “The best.”
“Great. Everyone knows but me?” An exasperated sigh ruffled the silky blond hair over Ally’s brow.
“Don’t look at me,” Tasha said. “I have no idea.” If something was brewing, no one had bothered to clue her in.
Ally crossed her arms and sat back against the plush leather seat. Her cool frown was the perfect foil for Jack’s steaming hotness.
“Patience.” Jack patted her leg, a smile curling his mouth. “We need to stop and pick up Luke’s date, and then we’ll be on our way.”
Luke’s date? It took all of Tasha’s control to keep her broad smile from slipping. Two words sent her fantastic evening into the toilet. She cast a covert glance at him. One of his eyebrows lifted. She winked at him, determined to keep up the charade of indifference, no matter the personal cost.
“Where’s your date?” Luke asked Tasha. “I thought you’d bring someone.”
“No,” she said.
His friendly, curious tone sent a dagger into her heart. He’d said he wanted more than friendship. I ache with wanting you . Had she imagined those words? They’d swirled in her head for days. She’d agonized over their meaning, thinking she’d hurt him, yet it hadn’t been a week, and he was already dating someone else.
Why was she acting like a schizophrenic mess? One minute, she pushed him away and the next, her guts ached because he was fine and moving on. She wanted this. This was her decision.
Get over it, Gretzky.
“I thought you’d bring Heath. You guys have been going out for a couple of years now,” Karly interjected. “Is there a romance budding?”
“It’s not like that,” Tasha replied. A loose thread on the hem of her skirt provided a welcome distraction from Luke’s burning stare.
“Tasha doesn’t do relationships.” The toe of his shoe nudged her foot. “Right?”
The edge to his voice sent a stone of regret plummeting into her gut. Leave it to Luke to throw her own words back at her. She did this. She’d pushed him away. She’d told him to take Sherry to the concert. Now, she’d have to spend the night witnessing their date. Karma was a stone-cold bitch.
The limo stopped. Luke exited the car to collect Sherry. Tasha remained in the car and tried to pretend she didn’t care. Witty banter flew between the other couples, but she didn’t hear a word of it. All her attention focused on the car door, an unpleasant knot in her stomach.
“Hey, everyone.”
“Hi, Sherry,” the group responded in unison.
Luke climbed into the car behind Sherry. Her brown hair floated over her shoulders, framing a pretty face with a sunny smile. His hand rested on the small of her back as he guided her to a seat. The knot in Tasha’s stomach tightened. The hem of Sherry’s sundress swirled around slender legs, a sharp contrast to Tasha’s tight, brazen outfit. She wore little makeup, just a touch of blush and lip-gloss, highlighting a
Their eyes remained locked. The walls of her throat tightened. His eyes were so deep and dark she might fall into them if she leaned forward too far. An ache began growing between her legs. Someone cleared his throat, reminding her they weren’t alone.
“When are you going to tell me what’s going on? I know you’re cooking up something. I can smell it.” Ally addressed the group at large, green eyes narrowed in speculation at Jack. He studied Ally with somber eyes, all smoldering bad-boy intensity laced with self-deprecating humor. “You know I hate surprises, Jack.”
“You’re going to love this one. Quit your bitching,” Karly said, her tone full of loving humor for her best friend. “Trust me when I say your boyfriend is awesome.” Randy cleared his throat. “You’re awesome too, baby,” she said and quickly patted his leg. “The best.”
“Great. Everyone knows but me?” An exasperated sigh ruffled the silky blond hair over Ally’s brow.
“Don’t look at me,” Tasha said. “I have no idea.” If something was brewing, no one had bothered to clue her in.
Ally crossed her arms and sat back against the plush leather seat. Her cool frown was the perfect foil for Jack’s steaming hotness.
“Patience.” Jack patted her leg, a smile curling his mouth. “We need to stop and pick up Luke’s date, and then we’ll be on our way.”
Luke’s date? It took all of Tasha’s control to keep her broad smile from slipping. Two words sent her fantastic evening into the toilet. She cast a covert glance at him. One of his eyebrows lifted. She winked at him, determined to keep up the charade of indifference, no matter the personal cost.
“Where’s your date?” Luke asked Tasha. “I thought you’d bring someone.”
“No,” she said.
His friendly, curious tone sent a dagger into her heart. He’d said he wanted more than friendship. I ache with wanting you . Had she imagined those words? They’d swirled in her head for days. She’d agonized over their meaning, thinking she’d hurt him, yet it hadn’t been a week, and he was already dating someone else.
Why was she acting like a schizophrenic mess? One minute, she pushed him away and the next, her guts ached because he was fine and moving on. She wanted this. This was her decision.
Get over it, Gretzky.
“I thought you’d bring Heath. You guys have been going out for a couple of years now,” Karly interjected. “Is there a romance budding?”
“It’s not like that,” Tasha replied. A loose thread on the hem of her skirt provided a welcome distraction from Luke’s burning stare.
“Tasha doesn’t do relationships.” The toe of his shoe nudged her foot. “Right?”
The edge to his voice sent a stone of regret plummeting into her gut. Leave it to Luke to throw her own words back at her. She did this. She’d pushed him away. She’d told him to take Sherry to the concert. Now, she’d have to spend the night witnessing their date. Karma was a stone-cold bitch.
The limo stopped. Luke exited the car to collect Sherry. Tasha remained in the car and tried to pretend she didn’t care. Witty banter flew between the other couples, but she didn’t hear a word of it. All her attention focused on the car door, an unpleasant knot in her stomach.
“Hey, everyone.”
“Hi, Sherry,” the group responded in unison.
Luke climbed into the car behind Sherry. Her brown hair floated over her shoulders, framing a pretty face with a sunny smile. His hand rested on the small of her back as he guided her to a seat. The knot in Tasha’s stomach tightened. The hem of Sherry’s sundress swirled around slender legs, a sharp contrast to Tasha’s tight, brazen outfit. She wore little makeup, just a touch of blush and lip-gloss, highlighting a
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