Page 25 of The Love Playbook

I scowl at them before Charlotte approaches, then I pat the empty space beside me and wink. “Slide on in. I don’t bite.”

She mutters some creative obscenities under her breath, then takes the seat beside me anyway, which just confirms my theory that she’s just as secretly attracted to me as I am to her; she’s just in denial.

“You know, you should be nice, or your father might decide he likes me better. In fact, I believe his words the other night were,You’re the son I never had.”

Jace chuckles under his breath, then covers it with a cough at Brynn’s glare.

“Just give him time,” Charlotte says, her tone deathly sweet. “He just hasn’t been around you enough.”

“Pshht. Everyone likes me. I’m a likable guy. It’s my best quality. I’m even best buds with Jace’s old crew, the boys from Riverside. Isn’t that right, Jace?”

“Not really.”

I scowl, letting him know I’m unhappy with his answer before turning back to Charlotte. “He’s just jealous because he’s afraid they’re starting to like me better than him. Brynn, back me up.”

“I mean, I loved Chris from the start,” she says with a shrug.

“Seriously, babe?” Jace frowns.

“Sorry, but look at this face.” She leans across the table and takes my face in her hand, squishing my cheeks together.

I don’t even care that I probably look like a chipmunk right now because physical touch is my love language, so I’m digging this shit. What can I say? I’m a man who likes to be appreciated.

“See?” I say between my squished cheeks.

After Brynn releases me, I duck away from Jace’s warning glare before turning back to Charlotte, and my stomach takes flight, because damn, she’s beautiful when she’s annoyed.

Dark eyes sparkle under the pendant light, her cheeks flushed with color from the booze.

“Look, we should talk,” I say, deciding to be mature about this, mostly because my heart is threatening to beat out of my chest.

The muscle in her jaw ticks. “Talking is overrated.”

“Are you suggesting other forms of communication, because if so, I’m down.” I grin.

Her cheeks hollow like she’s just sucked on a lemon while the rest of her flushes pink.

“You walked right into that one,” Brynn chimes in, and Charlotte huffs.

“I don’t have anything to say,” she says, rattling the ice in her drink before she takes a sip.

“Can’t we just be adults about this?”

“Adults?” she croaks out, meeting my gaze. “Are you really lecturing me about not acting like a child? The man who still uses children’s toothpaste to brush his teeth?”

I gasp, pointing a finger at Jace and Brynn who cower under the heat of my gaze.

Traitors!

“First of all,” I say, hitting all three of them with a glare, “there’s nothing wrong with that. Bubblegum-flavored toothpaste is fucking delicious. Why should kids get all the good shit? My mouth is a party, morning and night.”

Charlotte snorts. “Regardless, whatever you have to say, I don’t wanna hear it. I’ve already made it clear how I feel about it. There’s no point in rehashing the whole thing.” She lifts her drink and makes a move to slide from the booth. “And now, I’m out.”

I clamp a hand over her arm, stopping her. “For once in your life will you stop being such a . . .” My words trail off as I acknowledge the fire licking the palm of my hand where our skin touches, before I brush it off. If Lettie wants to pretend like the chemistry between us is nonexistent then so can I.

Her gaze shifts to the place where my fingers curl around her soft skin, and her upper lip curls into a snarl as she yanks her arm away. Any minute, her head will start spinning like Linda Blair fromThe Exorcistand black shit will ooze from her mouth.

“Stop being awhat?” she asks, eyes narrowed, tone venomous.