Game (Gentry Boys, #3)(43)

Girls had told me that before. Some of them scattered those words around like fallen leaves. I had never said it back. I wasn’t a liar in that way.

Stephanie swallowed a bite of pizza and started telling me about how Truly was trying to get her a job at Cluck This. Apparently, after Saylor quit a few weeks ago they were short on waitresses willing to stick around. I was surprised since Steph didn’t really seem like the waitress type.

“How come?” I asked her.

She shrugged. “Got to make some money somehow. I talked to my academic adviser about landing an internship next semester but that’s three months away. I ought to do something in the meantime.”

Stephanie refused to talk about her bookie days. They’d only ended recently and I got the hint they’d ended badly. Since it was a sore subject I stayed away from it. My buddy Al might have been able to tell me. After, all he was involved with the same shit. But I never mentioned Stephanie’s name to him, even though I’d talked to him a fair amount recently as I started to get the hang of sports betting. I had made a pretty penny on the recent World Series but football seemed to be the biggest windfall. I remembered that this weekend the Cardinals were going to be playing the 49ers and made a mental note to give Al a call later, when Stephanie couldn’t hear. I felt mildly guilty for not telling her about any of it. But if she had bad memories, I didn’t want to dredge them up. Plus she’d warned me once about betting. She said if gamblers were really in the habit of winning all the time then there wouldn’t be bookies. I knew what I was doing though. I knew how to get out of the game before it started holding me underwater.

I ran my hand up and down her leg. “You can practice by serving me.”

She gave me a contemptuous look. It was insincere. I could tell from the blush in her cheeks and the way she squirmed in her seat. “Does everything have to turn dirty with you?”

I twirled her hair around my fingers. “I am just trying to nurture your career aspirations.”

She was battling a smile. “So you think I should abandon the whole business degree thing?”

“I think you should let me help you.”

“But Chase, you’ve already been so generous. When I think of all the ‘help’ you’ve already given me I almost can’t f*cking breathe.”

Now she was getting dirty and I had to shift my dick around to ease the ache. Stephanie climbed into my lap. I had never been reluctant about sex but she seriously drove me f*cking nuts. If she thought she could get away with teasing me then she had another thing coming. I pulled her legs around me so that I had her positioned in a wide straddle. We were in a back booth and there weren’t many people around but we were still in public. Yet I wasn’t going to let that fact dissuade me from sticking my hand down her shorts.

Stephanie shuddered because she wanted it but then she glanced around and decided to be shocked. “Chase,” she warned, pulling away.

“You started it,” I growled and got her shorts all the way open. “Now you’re gonna learn that you can’t stop me from finishing it.”

She was breathing hard. She didn’t want to stop me. “I already knew that,” she whispered in my ear.

Then I looked up and suffered a boner killer. Cordero was standing four feet away and staring at me.

“What are you up to?” he said and laughed.

Stephanie was embarrassed. She slipped off my lap and kept her head down as Cord slid into the booth next to me.

“Great timing, bro,” I muttered.

“Shut up,” smiled Cord. “I probably just saved your ass from getting arrested.”

Cord was all set to give me some more shit. He was enjoying this. Typically the shoe was on the other foot and I was the one hassling him. But he glanced over at Stephanie’s red face and decided not to add to her mortification.

“You on break?” I asked smoothly, squeezing Steph’s hand under the table to let her know it was no big deal.

“Yup. Just stopped by to grab a late lunch. I’ve got another four hours before I can head home to the little woman.” Cord was an amazing artist. He’d finally started putting it to good use when he began working in a tattoo shop shortly after he reconnected with Saylor. It was a good paycheck and he was good at it. He also evidently practiced on himself. I could swear that boy was sporting more ink every time I saw him.

I shoved my slice at him. “Take mine.”

“Look at you getting some manners, Chasyn.” Cord took a bite. His blue eyes shifted from me to Steph while he chewed. He swallowed and took a long drink of my soda.

Stephanie tapped my shoulder. “I’ll be right back.”

I watched her as she headed for the women’s bathroom. Some dude sitting alone looked up from his phone to watch her pass. I could tell he liked what he saw. He licked his lips and I wanted to kick him. He needed to return to his goddamn status updates or whatever the f*ck he was doing. That girl was all mine.

“Shit,” Cord said and shook his head, taking another bite of pizza. “You’ve got it bad. Never thought I’d see the day.”

“Why?” I was insulted. “You think true love shouldn’t be reserved for the likes of me?”

Cord swallowed and stared at me. “Is that what this is, Chase?”

“You seem doubtful. You been talking to Creedence?”