She snatched her hand back, but he could tell she was wavering in her resolve not to go out with him. “I’m so charging you full price.”
He grabbed her hand and held it between her own, the stud digging into both their palms. “Go out with me.”
“Ryan…”
“Please. We’ll make it a lunch date rather than a dinner date, something nice and casual.” He put some of the desperation he’d been feeling for months behind the plea. “Please, Glory.”
Her shoulders slumped. “I’m going to regret this.”
“Yes?”
Those pale blue eyes were full of uncertainty. “Yes.”
Ryan leapt from the table with a war cry. “She said yes!”
Immediately Glory was surrounded by her friends, all three women chattering a mile a minute. Ryan stumbled as Alex pounded him on the back. “Congratulations, cuz. How did you get her to agree?”
“I used the Williams charm.”
“Oh,” Alex drawled. “You dazzled her with bullshit.”
“Exactly.” Because if Glory thought Ryan was going to stop at a single date, she had another think coming.
Ryan didn’t stay in the back for long. Oh, no. He had that look in his eye, the one that said he was up to something and Glory had better watch out. The last time he’d gotten that determined look he’d nearly ripped the head off of Cyn’s ex-boyfriend, the one Glory had chosen to flirt with.
Glory pretended not to notice when Ryan pulled Tabby aside for a little chat. Too bad she didn’t have that super-shifter hearing her friends now had, because she’d love to know why Tabby suddenly shot her a sly look before whispering in Ryan’s ear.
This couldn’t be good.
It got worse when Cyn joined them, also whispering in Ryan’s ear. Ryan grinned at something Cyn said, laughing out loud when Tabby added a quiet remark that Glory barely heard.
So Glory pasted on her most innocent smile and strolled over to them. “What are you three talking about?”
“Uh…” Tabby shot Ryan a look chock full of guilt.
Ryan took hold of her hand. “I have to go home to Oregon for a week or so, and I was asking them to keep an eye on you.”
Glory’s blood ran cold. He was leaving her again.
“Glory?”
She could barely hear him over the roaring in her ears. Her chest hurt, her hands and feet tingled. God. She hadn’t had one of these in years, but she recognized all the signs. She had to calm down.
“Shit. What’s happening?” Ryan’s voice, so distant, was thick with fear.
She doubled over, unable to catch her breath, nausea racking her until she began to dry heave.
“Glory!”