Pushing His Luck - Rhyannon Byrd Page 0,4

say something that was just flirtatious enough to make her blush whenever they hung out, she’d kind of felt that she’d been friend-zoned until the stupid bonfire two weeks ago.

“It’s true,” Sophie said with a little nod. “Ever since we all became friends, if you’re anywhere in the vicinity, Paul’s eyes are on you. Always. We were both surprised it took him so long to make a move.”

“Huh. Weird,” she mumbled, still finding it odd that he’d been attracted to her in the first place. But while she wasn’t basking in confidence, she also wasn’t going to body shame herself for having had a kid. She had curves now and she was fine with that.

The sad truth was that she’d always viewed Paul’s about-face after they’d first met as more of a lifestyle thing, seeing as how she was a bit shy and not at all flashy. And Paul was… Well, he was the kind of hotness that meant he could date anyone he wanted. The kind of guy who could easily walk into any event and quickly have the most beautiful, dynamic woman in the room begging for his attention.

“I wonder what happened,” Sophie mused, probably wishing she could get him under one of her microscopes and somehow uncover an answer. “I mean, there’s got to be a reason for his dick-of-the-year behavior.”

Karin’s chest shook with a hard, humorless laugh. “Who knows? Maybe I’m just a really bad kisser.”

Natalie frowned, clearly unhappy to hear her bagging on herself.

She lifted her shoulders in a sad shrug. “Or maybe he just decided that he didn’t want to bother dating a single mom.”

“If that’s the case, Sean won’t need to kick his ass. I’ll be doing it for him.” Natalie tossed her glossy red hair over her shoulder as she sniffed with disdain, then looked over at Paul again. “God, he’s so wasted he can barely stay on his feet. I don’t even think I’ve ever seen him drunk before, and now this.”

Before she could respond, Chris obviously got his first look at Paul and the blonde, because he suddenly snarled, “What the fuck?” and was on the move.

As the chattering around them ground to a halt, every person there seemed to be watching with varying degrees of confused fascination and dread as Chris walked around the edge of the bonfire, heading straight for Paul, a scowling Sean right at his side. When they reached Paul and the blonde, he had his arm wrapped around her waist and she was kissing his neck, her lips trailing drunkenly across the Celtic tattoo that covered his left shoulder and trailed up the side of his throat.

Hating that Chris was about to get into a fight on her behalf, Karin quickly rose to her feet. But before her cousin could throw a punch, Sean stepped forward and got right in his brother’s face. “What the fuck is wrong with you, man?”

Staring into his brother’s outraged face, Paul somehow managed to force down the nauseating shame that was curling through his insides until it was finally so deep, he couldn’t feel it.

Christ, he was so drunk he could no longer recall why this whole charade had ever seemed like a good idea, but there was no going back now. He’d started this shit, and now he was going to finish it. Then maybe he’d finally be able to stop thinking about Karin Riley every fucking second of every day, and get the hell on with his life.

“Sean. Chris,” he murmured, unable to keep from slurring their names.

“You’re completely wasted,” his brother muttered with disgust, while their friend Chris just looked like he wanted to beat the shit out of him. The guy was super-protective of his cousin, not that Paul blamed him. Karin Riley might be a strong, independent, successful woman, but there was also a sense of vulnerability about her that kicked a man’s protective instincts into high gear.

But the guy proved he was a better man than him, because instead of breaking his nose, he simply grabbed Paul’s arm and jerked him away from Stacy. Or was it Kasey? Before he could decide, Chris gave him a shove and said, “Time for you to go, asshole.”

Struggling to stay on his feet without Stacy/Kasey there to prop him up, he glared at his friend. Make that his most likely former friend. “What the hell, Riley? You’re kicking me out of a bonfire? Last I checked, this beach is public property.”

“Christ, Paul,” Sean growled. “Just shut