Tall, Dark and Tempting (Tall, Dark and Sexy 3)

“I can’t believe you talked me into doing this,” Eric said as he slid into the chair beside Dylan’s. “Just as full disclosure, I fucking suck at trivia games.”

“You can just sit there and look pretty,” Dylan said, motioning for the bartender to bring Eric a beer, too. “I don’t need your brain, just your presence. I can’t play without a partner, and since Serena is bringing someone else, I had to settle for you because you were the only person available tonight.”

“Wow, that kind of hurts my feelings,” Eric joked as he took a drink of the beer that had just been delivered. “I take it you and Serena haven’t kissed and made up yet after what happened in Vegas?”

“No,” he snapped irritably, watching as a few more customers walked into the pub and stopped at the sign-up table. “I haven’t seen her in three fucking weeks. She hasn’t returned my calls and has pretty much made me persona non grata.”

“That’s what you get for messing around with your best friend. You had to have known it wouldn’t end well.” Eric shook his head, as if Dylan was an idiot for sticking his dick where it didn’t belong, and Dylan couldn’t disagree. “Those kinds of things never end well, unless the one-night stand rules are established right up front. If not, women start expecting certain things . . . like hearts and flowers and a whole lot of attention.”

“Is that how it is between you and Chelsea?” Dylan asked curiously. The two had hit it off well in Vegas, and he had no idea if they’d dated since.

“Actually, no.” Eric shrugged casually, seemingly fine with that status quo. “Chelsea and I went into that night with the understanding that it was a one-time hookup, so no awkward morning after for us. Didn’t you do the same with Serena?”

Dylan shook his head, unable to imagine suggesting a one-night stand with Serena. “She’s not a friends-with-benefits kind of woman.”

Eric smirked at him. “Yet you enjoyed some pretty major benefits with your best friend.”

Dylan opened his mouth to tell Eric to fuck off, even if it was the truth, then promptly snapped it shut again when he saw Serena walk into the bar, looking so stunningly beautiful his heart hammered in his chest and his stomach swirled as if a dozen butterflies had taken flight inside. What the hell was up with that?

His gaze drank her up as though he’d been dying of thirst, taking in all that soft blonde hair he loved, her pretty face and bright eyes, and the demure dress that was a far cry from the racy one she’d worn in Vegas, but was so her. This was his girl, his best friend, and for a moment everything was right in his world.

Then he saw her holding hands with the guy she was with, and smiling at her date in the same way she used to smile at him, and that sensation in his belly immediately soured. They stopped at the table to sign up for the game, then Serena glanced around the bar area until she found him sitting at the bar with Eric.

She said something to her date, he nodded, and then they started walking in his direction. Dylan searched Serena’s features as they approached, desperate to see that brilliant sparkle in her eyes when she looked at him or that sweet smile that always made him feel like he was her knight in shining armor, but by the time the two of them reached the bar, all Dylan saw was a woman who was distant and guarded, her expression cool and unreadable.

“Hey, guys,” she said, her polite tone grating on Dylan’s nerves. “I just wanted to come over and say hi before the

game started and introduce you to my date.” She proceeded to acquaint Eric with the guy named Grant, they shook hands, then she turned to Dylan. “And this is Dylan, a childhood friend of mine,” she said, delegating him to nothing more than someone she’d grown up with, instead of the guy who knew her deepest secrets and fears because he’d always been there for her.

“It’s nice to meet you both,” Grant said, adjusting the black-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose.

Eric studied Grant intently. “Do I know you from somewhere? You look really familiar.”

“Have you ever been to the Espresso Cup?” Grant asked. When Eric nodded, he continued. “That’s probably where you’ve seen me. I work as a barista there, usually the morning shift during the week.”

A barista? Really? Dylan decided his nickname was going to be Coffee Bean Guy, and tried to hide the smirk threatening to appear, but Serena knew him too well and caught that smug curve to his mouth.

She looped her arm through Grant’s in full support and smiled up at him. “He’s also finishing up his dissertation for his master’s degree in psychology, and works at a nonprofit mental health clinic on the weekends.”

Okay, yeah, that was an impressive resume, Dylan had to admit, which meant Grant most likely had quite the repertoire stored up for trivia. “Did Serena tell you that she and I have been the reigning trivia champions for the past three months?”

Grant shook his head, not bothered by the fact that Dylan had just insinuated that he and Serena were closer than she’d indicated during their introduction. “No, she didn’t mention that. Probably because she didn’t want me to feel pressured to win tonight’s game.”

Serena narrowed her gaze at Dylan, obviously seeing right through his ruse. “I didn’t tell him because it doesn’t matter,” she said succinctly. “Tonight is a clean slate, so it’s anybody’s game.”

“Oooh, burn,” Eric muttered beside Dylan.

Grant settled his hand over the one Serena had on his arm, the gesture familiar and intimate. “Considering the two of you are opponents tonight with different partners, it should make for an interesting game.”

“Yes, it should,” Dylan agreed. “May the best man win.”

Serena rolled her eyes, as if to say, Really? You’re going to make this a competition because you think you’re the better man?

Why, yes, yes he was.

The person in charge of the evening’s event made the announcement for everyone to sit at their designated table so the game could start, which put Dylan across the room from Serena and Coffee Bean Guy. The rules were set. The game consisted of a total of fifty questions. The first team to buzz in with the correct answer won a point, and the points were then tallied at the end of the game to determine the winning team.

While the emcee gathered the questions for the first round, Eric glanced at Dylan, an amused smile on his lips. “So, just pointing out that you might have been a bit on the aggressive side with that last ‘may the best man win’ challenge you issued to Grant.”