Ignite (Wildwood 1)

“Tell me they’re clear across the room from us,” Delilah said.

“They’re clear across the room from us,” Harper lied. They were really only about halfway across the room—and in their direct line of vision.

Meaning, the moment they set down the newspapers, they’d be caught.

Delilah checked around her newspaper, then sent her a glare. “You lied. They’re not clear across the room.”

“You asked me to tell you that.” Harper paused. “You didn’t ask if it was true.”

“Dude, you’re feisty after you get some. Jeez.” With a sigh, Delilah set the paper down, putting herself on display. “May as well get it over with,” she muttered under her breath.

Now that she’d been hiding behind the newspaper shield, Harper felt kind of stupid lowering it. Would it be obvious that she was hiding from West? If it weren’t for Delilah commanding for her to do so, she would’ve never hid. She would’ve smiled and waved at him and then carried on her conversation with Delilah. Killed him with nonchalance. She knew it would’ve driven him insane.

One bit of advice Delilah had given her that had stuck was pretending she didn’t care. No matter how much it killed her, she needed to keep up the pretense that what she and West had shared was casual. Though really . . . was it much of a pretense? She sort of liked this newfound freedom. The idea that she could have no-strings-attached sex with a hot guy—a hot guy she’d actually crushed on when she was younger—had always been inconceivable.

But why? The only person who was holding her back was . . .

Her.

Deciding to hell with it, she dropped the newspaper and folded it, throwing it at Delilah, who batted it away with an annoyed laugh. Of course, the sound drew the Gallagher men’s attention and their heads both swiveled in their table’s direction.

West smiled, his gaze warm and intimate. As if communicating just with his eyes their shared moments from last night. She smiled back, her gaze skipping right over him and landing on Lane, who was staring at Delilah like he was a starving dog and she was a very juicy, delectable bone.

Harper looked at Delilah, but she wasn’t paying Lane any mind. Too busy resuming her Daily Blotter reading, the idiot woman. Why were her two closest friends lusting over guys who lusted over them too, yet none of them seemed to make a move? It made no sense.

She was the quiet one. The meek one who was never expected to make any sort of move. Yet she’d gone after West like she was the ballsiest one of them all. It was kind of crazy.

Her gaze returned to West, who was rising from his chair, his eyes still on her. Her heart started to beat faster as he made his way to their table, his stride slow and easy, his smile downright hungry.

An answering hunger rose deep within her, her skin tingling as he drew closer. He looked good, wearing a pair of jeans and a gray T-shirt, his hair a little damp like he just got out of the shower.

Hmm. She wondered if he’d be interested in taking a shower with her sometime. That could be hot. She’d never tried shower sex before.

“Morning, ladies.” West stopped directly in front of their table, though he looked only at Harper. “Surprised to see you two here.”

“More like you should be worried,” Delilah said to him. “Harper is spilling all of your secrets to me, West.”

The look of pure, unadulterated panic that swept over his face would’ve made Harper laugh in any other situation, but not this one. Nope, she was pissed at her friend and gave her a good kick under the table to shut her up.

“Ow, shit,” Delilah whispered, glaring at her.

Harper glared right back before sending West a serene smile. “She’s just pulling your leg. I promise.”

He still looked nervous. Edgy. “Well. Good to know.” His chuckle was forced. “I’ll let you two get back to your breakfast. Just wanted to say hi.”

Harper watched him go, longing filling her the farther away he got. She’d been half tempted to invite him to join her. Just so she could sit next to him. Hear him talk. Watch him smile. Listen to him breathe.

Great, now she sounded like a freaking stalker. Frowning, she tore her gaze away from his retreating form.

“He came over here to talk to you,” Delilah whispered.

She turned on her friend, glaring at her once more. “Until you blew it.”

Delilah winced. “Sorry. I couldn’t help it. My big mouth gets me in trouble all the time, I swear.”

“Now he thinks I was telling you his dick size.” Harper watched as he slid back into his chair and spoke to Lane, before they glanced in her direction. The both of them looked away hurriedly when she caught them.

That couldn’t be good.