“I know. I’ve noticed.”
“I think it’s more than he even realizes.”
Ashton looked at Leann and a small smile touched her lips, “You think?”
Leann nodded, “Yep.”
Ashton reached for my hand and squeezed it. “Come on, let’s get back out there before one of them says the wrong thing and all hell breaks loose.”
Chapter Ten
Sawyer
“What the hell was that?” Ethan demanded as soon as Ashton was out of hearing distance.
“Ash going to the restroom,” I drawled in a bored tone.
Ethan started to stand up and snarled at me.
“Sit down,” Beau barked and Ethan lowered himself back into his chair. “You know what he means, Sawyer.”
“He knows I like Lana. Hell, he was with us all day on the boat. She was with me. Me. She wants to be with me. You can see it all over her face. Not my fault he asked her out and she was too nice to turn him down.”
Ethan let out a frustrated sigh. He knew I was right. “You’re still hung up on A—” he trailed off when Beau turned his angry glare his way.
“No, I’m not hung up on Ash. She’s moved on and I’m trying to do the same thing. But you’re stepping in my way.”
“Do you have to flirt with her on my date? Could you at least let me enjoy tonight with her?”
Shaking my head, I picked up the Coke the waitress had placed in front of me. “And let her think I don’t care she’s with you? No can do. She needs to know what I want.”
Beau cleared his throat and stood up. “Hey baby,” he pulled the chair out beside him for Ashton to sit in.
I turned my head to watch as Lana walked up to the table shifting her eyes from me to Ethan. I’d strategically taken the spot at the end of the table when Ethan had sat down leaving the spot next to the end open for Lana.
“I’m guessing that seat isn’t for me,” Leann said in an amused tone under her voice as she passed me to go sit on the other side of Ashton.
Lana pulled her chair out and sat down, putting herself equidistant from Ethan and me. Sliding my chair over, I closed the distance between us until my thigh was resting against hers.
“Hey,” I said quietly as she peeked at me through the curtain of her hair separating us. I reached up and tucked the silky locks, blocking my view, behind her ear. “There, that’s better.”
Her posture tensed.
“You gonna eat those oysters with me?” I asked, leaning down to look at her menu, instead of opening mine.
“Oh, I uh,” she stammered and Leann let out a loud sigh.
“Tone that down a little bit would ya? The girl is so rattled she can’t even talk.”
I didn’t take my eyes off Lana, “Am I making you nervous?”
Lana lifted her eyes to meet my gaze. A small apologetic smile touched her lips. The pale pink lip-gloss she was wearing made them appear even plumper than normal. I leaned in and caught a small whiff of the raspberry scent.
“A little,” she replied softly.
She was on a date with Ethan and I was making it very hard for her to be comfortable. The guilt that came with that knowledge stopped me from leaning in and taking a small nibble of those raspberry flavored lips.
“I’m sorry. I’ll stop,” I said softly enough that only she could hear me. Ashton’s voice was in the background as she talked to the others in her attempt to draw the attention away from Lana and me.