The Matchmaker's Playbook (Wingmen Inc., #1)(21)

More blushing. “We need to go before he sees us.”

“And that would be bad because?”

“Every time I’m with him I act like one of the guys. I don’t want him to see me like that anymore. It’s bad enough that sometimes he still calls me ‘buddy.’ It’s time for more. I want more.” She slumped onto the table, leaning her head on her hands. “I want him to know I have boobs.”

“Need I remind you the jury’s still out on that one?”

“I do!”

“Show me.”

“No!”

“Do it.”

“We’re in public.”

“Fine.” I moved to her side of the table, scooting my chair loudly across the floor until I was thigh to thigh with her. I wrapped an arm around her shoulder and tugged her against me. “I guess I’ll just have to cop a feel.”

“I will seriously cut off your fingers if you cop anything.”

“No, you won’t,” I whispered in her ear. “Just imagine it’s David.”

She tensed even more.

“Relax,” I whispered. Her hair smelled like Hawaii. Fresh flowers and suntan lotion invaded my senses. It was . . . refreshing. Slightly dizzying, in a good way. I lifted some to my nose and inhaled.

“Are you sniffing my hair?”

“Is David watching?”

“No, he’s eating.”

“Bastard must be clueless then, because no doubt he’s seen you. There’s only fifteen people in here. Okay, turn away from him, toward me.”

“I’m uncomfortable.”

I kissed her just below the ear.

A whoosh of air left her lips.

“Good. Relax toward me.” My right arm clenched around her while my left hand inched up her thigh toward her shirt.

Eyes wide, she watched my hand move until it slid under her shirt. Then her gaze met mine, like it was a scary movie and she was afraid to look.

It was exhilarating, watching her watch me. Most girls looked away, most girls just closed their eyes and screamed my name.

She stared right through me.

Eyes trained on mine. Eyes that trusted way too easily.

“Breathe,” I instructed. “In and out.”

Blake’s eyes closed for a few brief seconds before she opened them again and exhaled slowly.

My fingers danced along her ribs. I fought the urge to frown. Why the hell was she hiding her body? She was fit, really fit. Then again, she was an athlete. Her skin was soft, velvety. My hand reached the edge of her sports bra. I didn’t go underneath; that wasn’t my job. Actually, feeling her up wasn’t part of my job either, but I had a dual purpose.

The minute my hand came into contact with her bra, she sucked in a deep breath, her chest heaved, and her body tensed.

Holy shit. I kept my response on lockdown. Her breasts were perfect, and clearly they existed. The itch to feel more than a few seconds was enough to make my body throb. Instead, I slowly pulled my hand away just as David approached our table.

“Blake?” David was around six two, the current point guard for the Huskies. He had dark curly hair and dimples that I guess girls might find attractive. He was a bit on the lean side, but from what I’d heard, he was a nice guy. Really into his game, though, didn’t date, rarely partied, and liked to go home on long weekends. Yawn. “I didn’t see you.” His gaze fell to me. “Who’s your . . . friend?”

I stood, knowing full well that my height matched his perfectly, but out of the two of us, I could easily kick his ass. I had a football player’s body, and I’d worked hard to keep it that way even after my injury.

David’s eyes narrowed as I held out my hand. “Name’s Ian.”

“Ian!” DJ held up his fist. I bumped it. His fiancée was another happy client, one of Lex’s, not that he knew. “How’s it going, man?”

“Oh, hey, do you guys know each other?” DJ asked. “David, you should have seen this guy play.”

“Oh?” David crossed his arms. A hundred bucks said that the last thing he wanted to hear was my glory-day stories.

“Nah, let’s not bore him.” I chuckled. “Nice to meet you, David. Are you a friend of my girl’s then?”

“Your girl?” He repeated, his eyebrows nearly getting lost in his hairline. “Your girl?”

And this—this reaction was what I lived for, what I waited for. I’d just touched Blake, intimately. She was still feeling the effects of the buzz, riding the chemicals that were released when any sort of intimate action was explored. Men, for some reason, picked up on that kind of hormonal release, meaning that for the first time in his entire life, David was finally seeing Blake as a woman.

Her blush helped.

And the fact that her hair was down.

Back ramrod-straight, she puffed out her chest a bit. My fingers itched to cover up the treasure I’d just discovered. Instead, I winked. “Yeah, my girl.”

“Didn’t know you were dating,” David muttered as his gaze drifted toward her chest, then flashed away.

I burst out laughing. “What are you? Her dad?” When he didn’t say anything, I pushed further. “Aw, how cute. Have you always been like a father figure to my Blake?”

Blake made a whimpering noise beside me as I held out my hand to her and helped her stand.