The Puppy Problem
Page 24
“You know a lot about this,” Philip half asked, half stated.
“I should. I’m cofounder of the East Ward Fair Housing Coalition, or EWFHC. If some franchise had leased this space from Wagner Developments, I guarantee we would be having a very different experience right now.”
Val crossed her arms, expecting him to mansplain to her all the ways she was wrong. She was used to it and she was ready. But he didn’t. He trained those ridiculous blue eyes on her instead, and said, “It’d still be a good one if you were a part of it.”
Val ignored the flush of pleasure at his words. She wanted to explain how worried she was that the owners of her building might give in and sell it. How important her restaurant was to her and her family. How afraid she was of losing everything. But Étienne materialized beside them, putting an end to any chance of saying these things. He bowed dramatically before Val.
“May I borrow this young man for a moment? I have a transportation issue to resolve.”
Philip locked eyes with Val. “You aren’t leaving yet, are you?”
She should, since she’d stayed longer than she’d intended. But Philip had also been fun and easy to speak to and not exactly hard on the eyes. “Actually, yes, but I guess I can wait a few minutes.”
He lifted his hand as if to touch her face, but quickly dropped it, a move that blew all the thoughts out of her mind. “Be right back.” Philip walked off with Étienne, leaving Val to stare dumbly after him. Olivia slid into the chair he vacated, leaning shoulder to shoulder into Val.
“You okay, Darth Cupcake?”
Luckily, the lights were dim enough to hide the full body flush that overheated her. “I’m good.” Then she added lamely, “Nice guy.”
“Nice guy, my left ass cheek. Your eyes are so bright, you look like you smoked a bong.”
Thank God for Olivia. She was like the human version of a bucket of ice. “I don’t smoke, so how would you know what I look like?”
“Not the point. Aleysha!” she called. “Come here. Who is this guy?”
Aleysha leaned in close, toying with the blunt end of Olivia’s bangs. “You mean, where has Étienne been hiding him? I just met him, too.”
Olivia made a noncommittal sound. “Malena told me he’s Étienne’s best friend. Seems like a nice guy and he’s thirsty for Val.”
“He’s not thirsty.” Val shrugged. “He’s just being polite.”
Olivia crossed her arms, glancing at Aleysha but pointing in Val’s direction. “And that is why you needed this, because you can’t tell when a guy is flirting with you anymore.”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m not available right now,” Val objected. Thankfully, Philip returned, interrupting Olivia’s third-degree.
“Where’s Étienne?” Olivia asked.
“He’ll be back. He’s getting some things out of my car.”
Philip stood directly beside Val. She couldn’t help but breathe in his scent—something crisp, like the sea, mixed with the primitive undertone of skin and heat. The aroma wrapped itself like a dense fog around her brain, making it difficult to think.
His face lit up with a knowing smirk.
Great. He’d caught her sniffing him.
Luckily, the strains of a Maluma remix exploded over the speakers. Olivia jumped up from the chair, dragging Aleysha in her wake. This was what she’d come for. She turned to Philip. “Do you want to dance?”
Panic blazed across his face. “I don’t really dance.”
An unexpected wave of disappointment surged through Val, but she’d come to dance and wasn’t going to sit out one of her favorite songs because it wasn’t something he enjoyed. She indicated the dance floor behind her with a jab of her thumb. “I like this song, so...”
He quirked a smile at her that was equal parts impish and relieved. “I’ll enjoy the show.”
She gasped at his audacity. As if she’d come to be watched. “Have it your way.” She turned away to join Olivia and Aleysha. She normally hated being the center of attention, but Philip’s gaze was a velvet caress sliding across her skin, snaking its way into the dark corners of her body. She would never again be at another man’s mercy, but that didn’t mean she didn’t enjoy being the focus of someone’s desire. She gave herself up to the music, but also to the pleasure of his admiration, until she was nothing but sound and motion and heat.
Copyright © 2021 by Sera Taíno
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ISBN-13: 9780369710192
The Puppy Problem
Copyright © 2021 by Katie Meyer
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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