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She let go of my arm and sipped the coffee the waitress had just filled.
“Okay,” I said, leaning forward. “Eye contact.”
Tris nodded eagerly, her blue gaze fixed on mine. I swallowed hard, unable to look away. Maybe she already had the eye contact thing down.
“The key is to hold it just long enough to show interest but not so long that it becomes creepy,” I explained.
“Got it.” Tris’s eyes locked with mine, and suddenly, the café seemed to fade away. They were wide and curious. Flecks of green mingled in her deep blue orbs.
I’d forgotten about that. There was a time when I knew everything about Tris.
The crinkles in her face deepened as she smiled. The urge to trace her skin lightly like a feather overtook me and I had to sit on my hands.
This right here was the girl I’d fallen for so long ago. The one who easily made me feel important with just a glance. Like I could take on the world.
This light, unpracticed flirting of hers stretched my control to its limit. Her pouty lips parted and her tongue darted out to lick the bottom one.
Damn it.I stifled a groan. That was the last thing I needed right now.
Tris was in love with Peter.I needed the reminder like I needed the effects of a cold shower. Her eyes softened, as though she saw through my hardened exterior to the bottled up emotions warring for dominance inside me. After what felt like an eternity, Tris blinked and looked away. “Was that too long?” she asked, her voice hesitant.
I cleared my throat, trying to regain my composure. “No, that was… It was good.”
She beamed, and I had to resist the urge to reach out and caress her face. Instead, I forced myself to move on to another topic. “Let’s talk about body language.”
She frowned. “I’m awkward. When it’s just Peter and me, I’m fine, but the second I try to make myself sexier or try to get his attention, it becomes weird.”
I stiffened, at Peter’s name, reminding myself this was ultimately why we were here. “Note you used the wordtry.Don’t. You shouldn’t have to. It’s all about showing interest. Lean in slightly when he’s talking, like you’re doing now. Turn your body towards him.” If I kept bringing it back to Peter then maybe my mind would get the hint.
Tris shifted in her seat, angling herself directly towards me. Her knee brushed mine under the table, making me even more aware of her body. Heat burned at every minor point of contact and I realized the teenage hormones that worshipped her had progressed into something far less suitable for our lesson.
I nodded. “Yeah. Perfect. You can use touch to show that you’re interested. Up until now, I’m sure whenever you touched Peter, it was more friendly versus sexy.” Saying his name scratched at my throat like I’d swallowed a box of nails.
“Okay. You’re right.” I could practically see her brain taking all this in and creating a path forward in her seduction. “So if I …” She reached for my arm again. “Hold on, this is awkward.” Tris scooted out of the booth and slid onto the bench seat next to me. She sat so close, her lavender scent was lulling me into a false sense of security.
What was she doing? “Tris?”
“No, listen. It’s not the same sitting across from each other. It’s better if we’re side-by-side. Like this.” She inched over to me until our thighs touched. Her fingertips lightly skimmed up mybare forearm and rested on the curve of my bicep, and the world shifted beneath me. I’d craved a touch like this from her for longer than I could remember.
Why hadn’t I worn long sleeves?
We stayed like that for longer than what was probably appropriate for practice. Neither of us moving. The air was saturated and heavy with unspoken words and barely contained emotions.
Holy fuck.This was torture.
When her eyes met mine, I couldn’t look away. When her tongue darted out and licked her bottom lip again, I traced the path in my mind, wondering what she’d taste like. My breathing picked up.
I needed to stop whatever the fuck this was.
“We should talk about conversation topics.” My voice had a hard edge to it as I tried to get myself under control. I shifted so her hand dropped away from me.
“What kind of topics do you suggest?” She stared, curiosity brimming in the blue depths. She’d clearly gotten the eye contact part of the lesson down.
I had to break the silence before my reaction to her touch became evident. “Light, fun topics at first,” I said, trying to sound casual. “Talk about what he likes to do, what he’s passionate about. Share funny stories you both relate to. Remind him of your shared history and the things you enjoy doing together. The goal is to keep things upbeat and personal.”
It was either use a generic ‘him’ instead of my ex-best friend’s name or hit it home and make sure we both remembered why we were here. My choice, while the better of the two evils, stroked the flames of my jealousy burning inside me. I’d erase his name from my vocabulary if I could.
With a wink, Trissa asked, “Do you come here often?” Her voice a throaty rumble.