The Bromance Book Club (Bromance Book Club, #1)(16)

Gavin glanced around, as if Del had been talking to someone else. “Hear what?”

“What you’ve learned so far.”

“Learned?”

“From the book,” Del said, crossing his arms. “You have started reading, right?”

Gavin winced.

Del grew several inches. Or so it seemed. “Are you taking this seriously at all?”

“Yes—”

“Because we took a chance inviting you into this club.”

“You just gave me the damn thing on Saturday!”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Del said. “Is there a more pressing issue in your life right now that requires your attention? Because I thought saving your marriage was your top priority.” He dragged a hand over his head and stared into space for a minute. Then he looked back at Gavin. “How much have you read?”

“The first chapter.”

“Christ,” Del muttered.

“Look, Del. I gotta be honest. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to be getting out of this book.”

“That’s because you’re not trying. Go get it.”

Gavin trudged to the bedside table, feeling like a kid who’d just been sent to the principal’s office for not doing his homework. He pulled His Pissed-off Countess or whatever it was called from the drawer. Del took it from him and held it aloft like a preacher about to drop some gospel.

“We chose this book for you for a reason.”

“Because it’s about a man who fucks up his marriage. Got it.”

“Not just that.” Del opened the book and flipped a couple of pages until he found what he was looking for. He cleared his throat. “‘My love,’” Del read. “‘We are going to start over.’”

“So?” Gavin said.

“That’s exactly what you and Thea are going to do.”

“I don’t get it.”

“You’re going to court your wife again.” Del tossed the book onto the bed. “And we don’t have a lot of time, so stand up.”

“Why?”

“Because we need to work on your flirting.”

Gavin choked on his coffee a second time. “No, we don’t.”

“You screwed things up by going over there Saturday, so you really gotta work it tonight. Get her to soften up a little so you can press your case. Come here.”

Gavin backed up. “No way. Thea hates flirting.”

“What?” Mack snorted over his shoulder. “That’s bullshit. How’d you get her to go out with you the first time?”

“By not flirting.” Which was true. She even told him so once. She noticed him in the coffee shop where she worked precisely because he never trotted out stupid lines on her or tried to be overly familiar. He wondered if she would’ve found it so endearing if she’d known he was just terrified that she’d laugh at him, but hey, it worked.

Del let out another sigh. “Gavin, all women like to be flirted with. They just like different kinds of flirting. Some like dirty talk. Some like chivalrous overtures. Others like quiet, sweet gestures.”

“How the hell am I supposed to know what Thea likes?”

Mack turned away from the closet with an incredulous expression. “How long have you two been married?”

Del interrupted. “This is part of the learning-her-language thing.”

“I’m not going to learn it by tonight!” Christ, this was humiliating.

Del nodded some kind of unspoken message to Mack, who whined, “Why me?” before dragging his feet out of the room. He instantly returned, transformed. He leaned in the doorway, crossed his arms over his chest, and cocked a half smile. Then he winked.

Gavin looked over his shoulder and back again. “What the fuck.”

“You look amazing. I can’t believe I get to be seen next to you.”

“Um . . .”

“You should warn a guy before you walk out in a dress like that.” Then he did a long, slow up and down with his eyes. And then it was over. He shrugged and peeled away from the door. “Flirting is about confidence, man. That’s all it is.”

“I don’t have a lot of that right now.”

“Not your confidence, dipshit. Hers. You want to make her feel like she’s the only woman in the room. It’s about putting a smile on her face, a spring in her step, a little blush in her cheeks. Say things that she’ll replay over and over again when she’s in bed.”

Gavin nearly groaned at the image that conjured. Thea in bed. Wearing one of those short silk things she wore . . . alone. Or worse, with some other guy. Oh God, he was going to puke.

“Put down your coffee,” Del ordered.

Gavin obeyed. Del adopted a weird-ass smile and started walking toward him. His eyes locked with Gavin’s, and goddamn, Gavin couldn’t fucking look away. He didn’t even realize he’d backed up until he collided with the wall. Del flattened his hands on either side of Gavin’s shoulders and smiled as he leaned. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Gavin automatically answered.

“I can’t stop thinking about last night.”

Gavin gulped. “Wh-what happened last night?”

Del winked. “You want me to remind you?”