Page 54 of Reckless With You

“Well, come on. Let’s go eat.”

“What’s that look for?” Tucker asked.

“You seriously don’t know?”

“No. Enlighten me.”

“Come on. We need to go sit down at our table behind Samantha, or she’ll be even more disappointed.” He looked confused for a moment, and I shook my head, pulling him along so we could go find our table.

I did not miss the many glances from both men and women as we made our way. Though I didn’t really think any of them were for me. Sure, people hit on me, but I wasn’t Tucker. There was something about him. He was beyond sexy, but it wasn’t only his looks. He had this way about him that drew people in like moths to a flame. You didn’t even know that you were leaning closer, putting yourself out on a limb to be nearer to him until you were there. I hadn’t noticed that before, not when I thought Tobey was my one and only. I was clearly missing out there, but Tucker had only been my friend. He was still my friend—even though I knew what he looked like almost naked.

And what his mouth felt like on mine.

And I really needed to stop thinking about that. I didn’t want to be all red-faced and breathy and moaning in my seat as I thought about him. That would not be good for anybody. “Thank you,” I said to Samantha as she gestured toward the booth in the corner.

“You’re so welcome,” the woman said, looking directly at Tucker.

She set down both menus in front of him, winked, and sauntered off, her hips swaying just slightly.

“You know, this could get annoying if I didn’t realize that that’s exactly how people always act around you.”

“Really?” he asked, shaking his head as he handed me a menu. “And how do they act?”

“Oh, you know. The normal hitting on you thing, where they clearly can’t stop themselves from wanting to bow down at your feet and ask you out.”

Tucker rolled his eyes.

“It’s not that bad.”

“Um, yes it is.”

“I see men hit on you all the time. You’re beautiful. And you just have this way about you. That smile lures them in like bees to a flower.”

My stomach tumbled at those words, my cheeks going hot. “It’s not the same. People love being near you.”

He shrugged and leaned back in the booth. “Maybe. But I think it’s the same with you. You were just hyper-focused on someone before so you didn’t see it.”

I opened my mouth to say something, but he reached out and ran his knuckle over my hand before resting his palm over my fingers. “Forget I said that. We’re not going to talk about him. Ever.”

There was a growl to his tone this time that kind of worried me, but I didn’t know where it came from. It was even worse than usual. Had something happened? I didn’t really think the two of them ran in the same circles outside of when they were with the Carr group, but I didn’t know. Maybe I was seeing something that wasn’t there.

“There are at least six women in this restaurant right now, and probably a couple of men, eyeing you.”

He snorted. “There’s probably the same amount looking at you. Men and women.”

“Probably because I’m next to you. You’ve always been a ladies’ man.”

He frowned a bit, looking down at his menu. We didn’t have time to finish that line of conversation though, because the waiter was suddenly there, handing over two glasses of water and taking our drink orders. We both ordered Japanese beer since it was a fusion place, not just Korean, and then leaned back, our menus closed. Apparently, we both knew what we wanted to order. That was good. Because I was starving.

“You are a ladies’ man,” I said again, wanting to finish the conversation.

“But I don’t cheat. I don’t poach. I have rules. I’m not an asshole.”

He looked so annoyed at that, that I reached across the booth and ran my fingers down his arm. He smiled, flipping his palm over so I could put my hand on his. Friends did that, right?

“You’re not an asshole. And I know you never lead women on. It’s just that I know you go on a lot of dates.”

Tucker shrugged. “I go on a lot of first and second dates. I don’t want to get married.”