Page 68 of Worth Every Game
25
ELLY
Idefinitely have demons urging me to the dark side because I’m not wearing any underwear.Nothing. Just a knee-length maroon jersey dress that hugs my breasts and flares from the waist, paired with my trusty cowboy boots and sheepskin coat.
There’s a war going on inside me, because as much as I don’t think this thing with Jack should go any further than it already has, I prepared for tonight as though it definitely will and I can’t help wondering if he has too.
“El, the car’s outside,” Jack yells from downstairs.
I smooth down the dress, press a hand to my chaotic curls in a vain effort to tame them, and sling my handbag over my shoulder. “Coming.”
The sight of Jack standing at the bottom of the stairs in chinos and a long navy overcoat, collar popped, has my heart thumping. It’s unnerving how much this feels like a real date, even though I know it’s not.
“You look…” A little divot forms between his brows. “You look like…” He gives up and ruffles his hair with one hand.
“Very eloquent,” I tease, hopping down off the bottom step.
Jack snorts a little and averts his gaze, but I get the impression it’s directed at himself rather than me. He grabs his keys and phone from the hall table. “This is business. It doesn’t matter how you look.” A dark sensation plunges through me, but just as I worry it’s going to sink my mood entirely and possibly ruin the evening, he adds, “but you look fantastic. I’d fuck you in a heartbeat.”
“I hope you don’t say that at your other business meetings,” I say, unable to contain the smile that’s spreading over my face as I skip to catch up to him.
“Only when I really have to push a deal over the line.” I let out a laugh, and he holds his hand out to me. “Come on. The driver’s waiting.”
I put my hand in his and static sparks, zinging up my arm and somehow landing right between my legs, where my bare pussy suddenly feels incredibly vulnerable.
Damn. I should’ve worn underwear because we’re only five minutes into the evening and already my pussy is getting ideas of her own, and I’m really not sure I have the willpower to stop her. Or even want to…
Dinner is delicious, and we share more wine than we ought to. I laugh, a lot. Hanging out with Jack feels so good. Fun. Alotof fun.
This is the best date I’ve had in years.
“You’ve got to record all the songs. Studio quality.” He takes a sip from his wineglass. “Tell me you’ve done that?”
I shake my head, and Jack lets out a low groan. “All this fucking talent…What’s the deal with that?”
“What?”
“Hiding.”
I cringe. Everything in me wants to shrink at the discomfort of being made to face my own failings, and I fidget uneasily to reduce the sensation. “I’m not hiding.”
He leans towards me across the table, pinning me with a serious look. “You’re this incredibly confident, sexy woman. And yet…” He spreads his hands like he has no idea how to finish the sentence. “You’re the whole package. And somewhere along the line, you’ve forgotten it.” A fierce blush rages over my skin, and I twist a ringlet of hair around my finger. “It’s a good thing I’m here to remind you.”
His features settle into the familiar cocky expression, and a flare of heat bursts in my chest like he lit a fire under my ribs. I’m suddenly so hot, I feel sweaty, and my thoughts run wild.This is business. Business.
This man is confusing me.
I’m not wearing any underwear.
I cross my legs, trying to ignore the slickness gathering between my thighs. This is a disaster.
“We’ll film you. You gotta put the songs out. TikTok, Instagram. Spotify. Whatever the hell people are using these days.” He strokes his chin. “Actually, you should probably just pick one place to focus and grow that. Otherwise it’ll be overwhelming.”
I nod like I’m listening, but really I’m just staring at him. At his gorgeous face, that square jaw… those fucking eyelashes.
“Sound good?” he queries.
I nod frantically, although I’m not even sure what he just said. Something about social media. I’m not ready for that shit. My whole body revolts when I even think about it, so Jack might as well be talking to a brick wall.