THE CRAZY GOOD SERIES - Rachel Robinson Page 0,22

do you know that?”

“I have my ways. You’ll just have to trust me.” It’s something in the way he says it, but I do.

“You’re wrong. I mean yes, I did lie. Number three wasn’t the first thing I thought when I saw you,” I tell him. I take a deep breath and get ready to shock the hell out of him. He folds his hands on the table in front of him and waits expectantly. Our food came during one of the lulls, so I shove some vegetables around my plate.

“Go ahead. First word you thought when you saw me.”

I meet his hazel eyes full on and say, “Wet.”

He doesn’t even look surprised. He smiles at me, but this time it’s different, calculated. It’s a half smile, one side pulling up more than the other. One dimple. He nods his head a couple times and I swear between those two things alone, I am actually wet right now. I’m also blushing and totally embarrassed.

“Someone spilled a drink on my shoe…remember? Literally, I was wet,” I say. His lips press into a firm line, but his eyes are still amused. Thankfully, I remember that part of the night to fall back on. “I want to know about you. You’ve already accrued enough information to stalk me for the rest of my life.” His gaze darts behind my shoulder again, but this time I turn around to see what has his attention. A massive guy, who could only be one of The Guys, is wobbling, very confidently, from the bar to our table.

“Wining, dining, and then sixty-nining? That’s not your style, buddy. Introduce me to your friend,” the guy says, as he eye fucks every corner of my face and body in the most uncomfortable way possible. He’s good looking, but not nearly appealing as the guy sitting next to me.

“Get the fuck out, Steve,” Maverick says. “Go back to the bar.” He doesn’t tell the guy my name. Shit. This is the guy Morganna is trying to set me up with. I’m uncomfortable in the worst kind of way.

“Hey darlin’, you’re hot with a rockin’ body. Come find me when you want a real man,” Steve says. Maverick makes some inarticulate noise from behind me. Morganna is going to hear a rash of shit from me the next time we speak. This guy is totally skeevy. Worse yet, he thinks I’m a freaking frog hog. “See ya buddy,” Steve says as he ambles back to the bar.

I am absolutely mortified when I see a bleached blonde girl grab his crotch and smile. She. Touched. His. Dick. In. Public. When I finally turn back to Maverick, I’m not sure if I’m mad, sad, or thankful he didn’t mention my name. He has his head in his hands.

“Jesus Christ, Maverick. Who the fuck are you? I know what you do, but honestly if that,” I wave my hand over to Steve and his public mauling, and then gesture to myself, “is what you want or expect from me, then you have the wrong girl.” I shut my mouth and refuse to say anything further. This is his life, he can do whatever he wants. I am the variable for tonight. “Just one date,” I remind myself out loud.

He takes my hand, swallows hard and sighs. “Please, forgive me for that. He’s a real jackass. I’m sure he didn’t realize I was on a real date,” he says, defending the caveman.

“What the freak is a real date?” Now, I’m mad. I’ve settled for mad. I want to say anything to make him angry, too. “I have that guy’s phone number. Morganna has been trying to set me up with him!” I point at Steve without looking back, because the sight nauseates me. Maverick’s eyes widen a little. I swallow the rest of my wine in a large gulp and stand. He just looks at me from his seat, his gorgeous eyes lingering on my body for a touch longer than I’m comfortable with.

He doesn’t stand. He takes another bite off his plate. “You can’t go out with him. You know that, right?”

“Excuse me? I can go out with anyone I please. Maybe a public show of sex is exactly what I need to get my head straight,” I say, pushing in my chair, making it obvious I’m ready to leave. He sips his water and looks at me over the rim of his glass. When he doesn’t say anything I tell him, “At least