The Matchmaker's Playbook(69)

“Rule number eight,” I whispered against her mouth. “If he goes in for the kiss, let him.”

“Mm’kay.” She kissed me back, wrapping her arms around me, her cold body rocking against my heat. She may have thought she was going to suck at sex, but I knew, right then, her body was very much aware of what needed to happen.

Her tongue flicked mine lightly as she rubbed herself against me.

Shit.

It wasn’t that it had been too long without a girl.

It was that it’d been a lifetime without the right one.

We kissed for mere seconds, minutes, before she withdrew, not just physically but emotionally. And I knew I only had myself to blame, for blurring the lines so freaking well.

For making her believe it was all just a game, when it was so much more.

“So, almost done.” Blake nodded, then wiped her mouth with her hand. “How am I doing so far?”

My heart cracked a bit. “You’re doing fantastic.”

“Good.” She gave me a light shove. “Not only do you owe Gabs a dress, but I’m going to kick your ass for pushing me into the water. Who does that?”

“Conceited bastards who like to win?”

“Oh, so only Ians. Gotcha.”

I smirked and pulled out my keys. Once the SUV was unlocked, I grabbed a blanket from the backseat and handed it to her.

She stared at it. “Do I even want to know why you have a blanket in your car?”

I rolled my eyes. “Not for the reasons you’re assuming.”

“Oh, so you don’t screw girls in the backseat?”

“Can’t say that I have.” I wrapped her tightly in the blanket. “Then again, there’s always a first time for anything.”

“No,” she said quickly.

“Ah.” I stepped back. “Good, you’re listening to the rules.”

“Yeah,” she whispered. “Thanks for the help . . .”

“Anytime.” The date was ending. Why the hell was I allowing it? We drove in silence back to her house.

I turned off the car and stared at the porch light, willing the electricity to go out, or for her house to suddenly get burglarized so I’d have an excuse to go with her inside.

“Final rule,” I muttered under my breath. “If you’re feeling that the date’s gone well and you want it to continue, it’s up to you to invite the guy in.”#p#分页标题#e#

Blake chewed her lower lip and nodded. “Alright.”

Shit. I wiped my face with my hands, then gripped the steering wheel. So that was it. I guessed. There was nothing left to say.

“Ian?”

“Yeah?” I croaked, not looking at her.

“Do you want to come in?”

My heart stuttered in my chest as I slowly turned my entire body to face her. “That depends.”

“On?” Her smile was confident, sexy.

“Do you have refreshments to offer me? That’s kind of the next unspoken rule—don’t invite them in assuming something will happen. Invite them in for a drink, coffee, late-night movie.”

“All of the above,” she said with a nod. “How’s that?”

“Well, then.” I shut off the car. “I accept.”





CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

The door shut behind us, blanketing the house in silence except for some engine-revving in a car commercial playing on the TV. I tried to even my breathing, but it was damn near impossible.

Blackness filled the small hallway.

“Gabs must be sleeping,” I said, mainly to fill the awkwardness with my voice.

“Serena and Gabs are at a movie,” she whispered back.

“Oh.” I clenched my eyes shut. I needed to seriously back off.

Blake dropped the blanket to the floor and turned in one swift movement. Her eyes searched mine.

I reached for her, needing to just touch her. One last time. Just one last time before I let her go to David . . . Just once before . . .

But her eyes were so hopeful.

And she was just so damn sexy.

More than that.

I’d gone from being the coach to the damn client . . . wanting so desperately for the girl to notice me that I’d go to any lengths to get her attention.

Blake’s eyes met mine. She didn’t turn away.

Life is full of choices. Some good, some bad. I wasn’t sure, in that moment, if I was making a bad choice or the first good choice in a really long time.

Tension hung in the air while we both continued to stare at one another.

When my eyes locked in on her mouth, she moved, ever so slightly, toward me, her body giving me the tiniest hint that I wasn’t going insane, that she wanted me just as much as I wanted her.

Without thinking it through any further, I slammed my mouth against hers, coming up for air only long enough to utter, “Screw David. You’re mine.”