An Illicit Pursuit by Liv Bennett Read Free Book Online

asks and sits on Zach’s
seat.
    I take a long while to register his move, his
question. His musky scent hits my nostrils, making my hands go
loose. “I’m great,” I mutter, looking at the exit where Zach left.
He can show up any second.
    “You haven’t called.” His eyes are
penetrating my face. Feeling my skin turning the deepest tones of
red, I fist the laces of my bag to keep my hands from trembling.
Has he seriously been waiting for my call? Why doesn’t he hook up
with one of the really gorgeous girls, instead of wasting his time
with me?
    “It’s better that way.” I look up at him,
guiltily. He’s every bit as sexy as he looked down on the court,
playing basketball and sweating. I try very hard to keep my jaw
from dropping. Didn’t I ride in the same car with him for an hour
or so? Why is my body acting as if I’m seeing him for the first
time?
    “Says who?” He grins, revealing his perfect
teeth.
    “Says me; who doesn’t want to be a
cheater.”
    “You don’t have to cheat him. We can be
friends.”
    “I don’t know.”
    “Are you afraid you’ll fall in love with
me?”
    I sigh deeply, a smile breaking across my
lips at his bluntness, and I shake my head. “Look, I’m here with my
boyfriend. He’ll be back any second. I don’t want him seeing us
together.”
    “Okay. One more thing, then I’ll leave you
alone. My mother’s birthday is tomorrow. The singer we hired for
the party bailed on us at the last minute. My sister tried to find
a replacement but they’re all booked out.”
    “You want me to sing at your mother’s
birthday party?”
    “Exactly. You’ll get paid for it, and of
course you’ll be there as my guest. It’ll be just my family, not a
big event.”
    I bite my lower lip, trying to decide. If it
weren’t a musical gig, it’d almost be like Adam introducing me to
his parents as his special friend. Zach took two years before I
could have dinner at his place. And, his mother broke the plates
and glass I’d used after dinner in front of my eyes. Not a very
hospitable woman, but I digress.
    Miss California and her friend are glaring at
me from the sidelines. Who would have thought this turn of the
tables?
    “Please, don’t give me the ‘I’ll call you’
crap. I need to know your answer now, so we can decide what to do
about the music.”
    Although I’d received a good payment for my
brief appearance in the movie, enough to keep me afloat for a few
months, I just can’t decline another payment. “Okay, I’m
coming.”
    “But just you, okay? I don’t want your
boyfriend.”
    I nod. It’s not like I take extra
satisfaction in torturing myself by informing Zach about my
potential pursuers. “You need to go now.” I lift my hand to push
him away. The touch on his sweaty skin sends jolts from my finger
through my body. I was holding hands with him just Wednesday; why
am I so sensitive to a tiny skin contact now?
    He looks down at my hand, which is still
touching his bare skin, and smiles before getting up to his feet.
“Tomorrow at noon. I’ll text you the address. I can pick you up and
drive you back at the end if you want.”
    I’m too embarrassed to move; he’s standing
beside me with his crotch at my eye level. “I’ll think about
it.”
    I hear him smirk. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he
says and brushes my cheek with a finger.
    I freeze in my seat, although my eyes flip
around to make sure Zach isn’t around. He is not. I exhale a deep
breath of relieve and watch Adam climb down the stairs with the
grace of a dove. I feel like hugging a pillow and diving into the
waves of romantic dreams, just like I used to do every so often
back in junior high.
    The second half starts, and Zach is still
nowhere to be seen. How does he manage to arrive late even from a
restroom visit? He needs professional help to get rid of this
annoying habit of his. When he finally appears at the exit, he
beckons me out with his hand. He looks distressed, making me feel
guilty