The Playboy's Dangerous Bet

I

is going to propose

as a blank page, no flings, no messy exes, nothing. He's my first

ure, acting secretive with his phone, and whispering behind

'm wa

f the blue, my heart does a little flip, wonder

nough mood to cover my sister's coffee shop by my

ice, and I definitely do

of the shop after she showed up an hour ago stric

ul of a blueberry scone, "two years is a lo

. Her ink-black hair, cut with icy-silver streaks, is clipped back in a messy claw clip, and her wi

r couple glaring at her from the corner table. They've been n

hem s

've been together two years, Gia, not two decades. Besides, I know for a fact the proposal is coming. I caught

ernail against her iced coffee. "Right. Because buy

s to be

ng to say it. You're twenty-nine and still a virgin, Liv. Let's be real, if a guy dated me

s, my cheeks

ut the woman does not

priva

ead toward us, her lips pursed in horror. I offe

eet, fake smile. It drops the ex

decibel. "I think Ben is a good guy. I'm just genuinely surprised he's actually okay wit

led having boundaries, Gia. You s

a nun in real life, but somehow you write the mo

gar packet at her head. She

re me your horniness and go to a c

unter. She tilts her head, looking past my shoulder toward the back corner of t

pretending to check the pastry displ

rner booth and my stom

wo-top near the window. He doesn't be

look like he belongs

is dressed in a dark leather jacket over a black shi

sit alone. They scroll on t

ing none

still, hands rest

bl

bruised, the skin

ht, or does he just

. And he is staring directly

to the register. With Gia basically sp

k for her number alre

ispers, leaning closer to me. "The ma

, Gia," I say dryly, organizing a stack of napkins. "

. She takes three dramatic steps to the right,

stepping down the counter to restock the

ok a

hould be g

are

inch, but his gaze trac

ckle runs down th

is hand up to his face. Slowly, deliberatel

g blue eyes locke

ree

d gesture. Way too int

a

ally look

and I am wearing an apro

rved with a scalpel-hard, h

nsters I only allow to exist between the pages of my manuscripts. Th

ing around so my back is to him. "He ha

cket. I pull it out, practical

Almost done? Need

nch. The tense coil in

My sweet, predictab

I left my car today! S

longer than necessary before slip

back up

nd start polishing a clean plate. "I wanted to give y

crunchin

e sets the plastic cup down, aligning it p

ok at me, but

ings when she's trying to keep her

acing the rim of her

say gently. "So you aren't ca

r bracelets clanking loudly against the counter. "Anyway. Nature calls

s toward the hallway tha

breath and toss

chair pushing back ec

e in my bac

tmospheric pressure of the room just shif

t walk out

doe

alls over

alwood and cold a

luctantly,

ensity of his sta

have to tilt my head bac

gaze to the sharp, ruthless cut of his bone structure an

The kind of lethal beauty that sets off ev

sion is a

I have a boyfriend. A good boy

I ask, my voice comin

reaches into his leather coat, pulls out a black metal

. Long fingers. Scarred

im makes the air between u

coffee,

gh gravel that scrapes

gh

fee. Ob

grip

run the card and the machine beeps

him along with t

ard. He ignore

white café napkin across the counter. He stops pu

lating look, turns, and wal

listening to the chime of the door fade away

llway, her phone in her hand. "D

n she sees my face

own at the cheap paper napki

as I pick it up

e written in sharp,

come to Velvet Tears at

leaves m

the coffee shop bl

o

hell i

ster shut. I stare at the glass door where a complete strange

s he kn

I don't care what that note says. I am absolutely