Page 24 of Not in the Plans (London Lightning #1)

Chapter Twenty

TAG

“ W here are you taking me?”

“Relax, Liv. You’ll like it.”

“You know I don’t like surprises.”

Drawing to a stop at the crosswalk, I wrap my arms around Liv’s hips. “I know. It’s not like I’m taking you to some sex club.”

“Sex club?” She quirks a brow at me. “Really, Tag?”

Leaning down, I kiss just below her ear, feeling the reaction it gets. “You’ve already taken us to one.”

“Tag!” she hisses. “It was not a sex club.”

“It was pretty sexy to me.”

“My point still stands.” Liv looks both ways before pressing up onto her toes and whispering in my ear, “It was not a sex club.”

“Well, sadly, we are going to a bar.”

The light turns and I check both ways—still not quite sure which way to look—and cross the road.

“A bar is good.”

“Not just a bar.” I waggle my eyebrows at her. “A game bar. ”

“Is there a game on tonight?”

Even from here, I can see her thinking.

“Not that kind of game. We’re going to play some games.”

“Really?”

Spotting the entrance, I hold open the door for Liv. “Really. Hope you brought your A game.”

The bar is loud as I grab hold of Liv’s hand and pull her through the crowds. Tables are spread out with people playing beer pong. A stage is set up on the other side with a karaoke machine. People crowd the bar in the back, waiting on drinks.

“What are we playing tonight?” Liv asks.

“You keep showing me your favorite things and taking me around the city, so I thought it might be nice to do something I like and play some Ping-Pong.”

“Have you not been enjoying yourself?” She completely ignores the answer to her previous question.

Liv loves her questions.

“Do you know how fucking cute you are?” Grasping her chin, I turn her focus to me. “Of course I’ve been enjoying myself. More than enjoying, actually. But I wanted to take you out tonight and not have you worry about planning.”

“You know I do enjoy making plans.”

“Well, tonight, I’m in charge.”

Liv rests her hands on my chest. “Are you now?”

“Damn straight I am. Now, how about I get us some drinks and we start playing?”

“Gin and ginger beer, please.”

I steal a swift kiss. “As if I don’t know that.”

I know everything about Liv. She is my favorite person in this city. Hell, the world at this point.

Ordering our drinks, I keep my eyes on her. I can’t help myself. She’s in a simple black sweater, dark jeans, and black ankle booties, but she looks sexy as sin.

I don’t know if Liv would have given me the time of day if we hadn’t already met before we met in an official capacity at work. She’s too polished and buttoned-up for that.

Even if it’s not against the rules.

“Here you go.” Drinks are dropped off in front of me and I pull out a few notes to cover them.

“Thanks, mate.”

“Cheers.”

Weaving my way through the crowd, I find Liv perched on a barstool near the back wall. Her eyes are bouncing around as she takes in the place. Based on how wide her eyes are, I’m guessing she’s never been here before.

“Is this place not your usual haunt?” I ask, startling her.

“I think you know the answer to that. I don’t have a sporting bone in my body.”

“I think there’s a bad joke in there somewhere.” I laugh.

Liv groans before taking a sip of her drink, smacking her lips together. “You know, sometimes I forget how much older than me you are until you say things like that.”

“Hey, I didn’t actually say it. You’re the one who said it.”

“And I regret it.” Liv hops down off the stool. “Now, why don’t we get started on Ping-Pong.”

Resting a hand on her hip, I guide her through the crowds toward the table I reserved for us.

“You know, I don’t think I have ever played Ping-Pong before,” Liv tells me.

“You haven’t? Not even as a kid? ”

Two paddles and a handful of plastic balls are resting in the container that hangs from the table.

“It was more dinners with my father’s colleagues and sitting quietly or playing the piano to impress them.”

“No skinned knees from playing outside?”

“No.” She shakes her head. “Now, are we going to play or what?”

“For someone who’s never played, you sound pretty cocky there, Liv.”

Taking a sip of her drink, she sets it down on the ledge next to the table. “Maybe I have a hidden talent of kicking your arse at Ping-Pong.”

“Wow. The trash talk starts.” I set my own drink next to hers and take the paddle she hands me. “I’ll have you know, I’m fairly good at Ping-Pong.”

She rolls her eyes as we each move to an end of the table. “Considering you were a great hockey player, I’d assume you have a natural talent for sports.”

That stops me from serving the ball over the net. “And how do you know I was a great hockey player?”

I’ve talked about playing with her, but more in generalities. It’s not like I was part of a winning team. I loved my team, but yeah…we sucked.

She looks sheepish. “I may or may not have looked up your career highlights.”

Setting the paddle down, I walk around the table and pull Liv into me. “Why Miss Montrose, who knew you were into hockey players.”

“Retired hockey players.” She pokes my chest. “And I’m rethinking my feelings for them at the moment.”

I lean down, kissing the corner of her mouth. “It’s okay to admit you like me.”

From Liv? That’s practically a confession of love. But I don’t let myself think that far ahead .

“I’ll admit no such thing.”

An idea comes to mind. “If I win, will you tell me?”

“Now who’s getting cocky?”

“Considering you just told me that you’ve never played, I like the odds.”

Liv pushes me back around to my side of the table and I start the game. The ball bounces on her side of the table and she goes to hit it, but whiffs.

“Oh.” She looks behind her to where the ball landed. “I guess this might not be as easy as I thought.”

“Try serving to me.”

This time, she’s able to do it, but the minute I send it back to her, it’s another miss. The look of confusion on her face as she tries to hit it is fucking adorable.

We go back and forth. I score most of the points with Liv getting more annoyed with each miss or errant shot she hits.

“Let me try serving again.” Liv finishes her drink as I toss the ball to her. “I want to get at least one point off a serve.”

“Good luck.” I wink at her.

She rolls her eyes at me as she hits the ball onto my side. I make a half-hearted attempt to hit it and let it glance over my paddle.

Except, I don’t do as good of a job as I thought because Liv is marching around the table, stabbing her paddle at me.

“I don’t want your pity points!” she huffs in protest. “I want a point the right way.”

“I wasn’t giving you a pity point.” I throw my hands up in defense. “I missed.”

“You missed on purpose.”

“And if I did?”

Her eyes light up as she sets the paddle down on the table. “Then I am not going to give you what you want when you win.”

Snaking a hand around her waist, I tug her close. “You realize by telling me that you won’t tell me that, you’re actually telling me it?”

“Wait, what? Now you’ve confused me.”

My lips ghost the shell of her ear. “You just told me you like me.”

“I did…oh. I suppose I did.”

Her body relaxes, sinking into my hold.

“I guess I can tell you that I like you too.”

“Good,” she replies. “I guess I like you even if you’re trying to let me win.”

“Oh, no.” I pull back. “I was giving you a point. You would kill me if I let you win.”

“I would.” She looks satisfied at that. “Now, how about another round? Whoever wins gets to choose where we have sex first.”

This time, there is no pretense in letting her win or get points.

I have never won a game faster.