I force a smile, glancing down at the table instead of at him. I can’t look at him when I’m about to lie to him. “Yeah. I’m good. Um, I just… my mom’s on her way, so me and Sara won’t be able to go to the movies with you guys.”
He scowls. “Already? Didn’t you tell her we were all gonna catch a movie after—?”
“Yeah, but it’s—she got called in for an evening shift, so she won’t be able to pick me up later.”
“My mom can give you a ride home.”
I shake my head, offering up an apologetic smile. “We’re leaving. Sorry.”
Seeing right through my excuse, he looks me dead in the eye and asks, “You’re not having fun, are you?”
I shrug, not knowing what to say. “I like spending time with you…”
“But you don’t like my friends.”
Still avoiding his gaze, I try to explain it without placing all the blame on Valerie. “I just don’t really have much in common with them.”
“You haven’t spent enough time with them to know that.”
“I don’t like seeing you with Valerie,” I admit.
He rears back a bit, clearly stunned to hear that. “What? Why?”
“She likes you,” I say, so uncomfortable I want to crawl out of my skin. “And maybe you like her, too—”
“I don’t,” he says, not letting me finish. “Not like that.”
“Well, it’s hard to tell,” I say, flushing with a mix of pleasure and embarrassment. “You kinda… I don’t know, flirt with her a little.”
“I flirt with her?” he asks, breaking into an amused grin as realization dawns on him. “You’re jealous.”
Oh my God. A blast of burning heat rushes to my cheeks. I wish I could crawl out of my own skin like a snake and slither away into some clever hiding spot where Hunter Maxwell could never find me.
The closest thing I can do is explode up out of my chair, so I do that. My face is on fire as I gather my bags and slide my purse strap up over my shoulder. “I did not say that.”
“Didn’t have to.” He grins at me, his brown eyes dancing with amusement. “You sure you want to bail? Leave me here alone in a dark theater with Valerie? Maybe you should tag along and make sure I behave myself.”
I know he’s only ragging on me, but I scoff at him anyway. “Please. I’d never babysit a guy. My mom taught me better than that. If you like Valerie, there’s no way you like me. If you don’t like me, then—”
He stands just as abruptly as I did, moving so close he’s practically on top of me.
My words halt and my amusement fades. His handsome face is so close to mine, my heart sinks. I can’t think straight when he stands so close to me.
“Then what?” he challenges, looking down at me and holding my gaze.
Stampeding wild animals stomp through my chest as I look back at him. I can see from the glimmer in his eyes, he knows exactly how he’s affecting me.
“Don’t torture me, Hunter.”
“This isn’t what it feels like to be tortured by me, Catnip.”
My heart seizes again at his response and that nickname. He’s toying with me, but he means no harm. I’ve given him enough insight that he knows my weak spots. It might be silly, but when he calls me that, he turns my brain into celery juice.
If this isn’t what torture feels like, I don’t think I could bear it. My heart is already in the palm of his hand, his fingers positioned around it so perfectly, the faintest squeeze is unbearable. I can only imagine the damage he could do if he wanted to break it.
I like him way too much. Part of me thinks maybe Mom was right about spending time with him, but mostly I don’t care. It might be a really bad idea to fall for him, but I’m probably gonna do it anyway.
As if he can sense how close he is to winning the war waging inside me, Hunter reaches out and tucks a lock of hair behind my ear. His touch is so casual, so seemingly harmless, but it lights up every nerve ending above my neck and sends a jolt of awareness down my spine.
Heat suffuses my face—not from embarrassment, but something else altogether. I look down, no longer able to hold his gaze. I know this casual little touch probably isn’t anything to him, but it’s a lot for me. I’ve never had a guy touch my face this way—or at all.
It makes me wonder what it would be like if he kissed me. Would he touch my face and draw me close? Would it be slow and sweet and so tender my heart would explode?
He drops his hand and takes a step back, leaving me here with my head in the clouds.