He lifts his glass casually and, with his eyes locked in a deep stare on me, takes a sip of water. There’s something enigmatic but also annoying about the Cane men. They have excellent self-control, particularly at curbing their initial reactions to things. They’re generally subtle with their movements, showing great restraint. I’ve seen it in Huxley and now in JP.
“Disappointment, indeed,” he says. “I’m sorry if I’ve ruined your evening.”
“Ugh, don’t do that.”
“Don’t do what?” he asks, remaining stoic.
“Play the bruised ego card. You and I both know there’s nothing about this scenario that hurts your feelings. You’re thriving off the fact that we were matched merely because it’s ruined my evening and hopes for a possible match.”
“I don’t thrive off that,” he says. “I find it somewhat comical, sure, but I do kind of feel bad for you.”
“I don’t need you feeling bad for me. Save your pity for someone else.”
“I don’t pity you. There’s a difference. If I pitied you, then that would mean I have a low opinion of you, and that’s not the case. I just feel bad that you consider your evening ruined by my presence.”
“Why do you have to say it like that? Like you’re the victim.”
“Trust me, babe, I’m never the victim.” He shifts in his chair, and I can tell the easygoing, teasing JP is gone—especially since Helix laid out our backgrounds for each other—and in his place is a guarded man, one I haven’t seen before.
“I was just expecting something else,” I say, folding my hands in my lap. “I was excited to meet someone new.”
Once again, JP studies me, intent, his eyes blazing over me, practically eating me alive as they roam from my eyes to my mouth, to my chest . . .
Finally, he says, “I’m here because of a bet.”
My gaze flashes to his. “What?”
He holds up his hand to calm my simmering rage. “Before you think I intentionally came here to ruin your night, that’s not the case. The fact that we’re here together, sharing a meal, is pure coincidence. But the reason I signed up for this program is because I lost a bet to Breaker.”
“What kind of bet?”
“We were playing one-on-one basketball. Our egos got the best of us and we decided whoever lost had to follow through on whatever the other person chose. It was a tied game. I was ready to force Breaker to go to some baking class I knew he’d absolutely hate, and he apparently had plans for me to do this. I lost, he told me what I had to do, and here I am.”
“So, you’re here because you lost a bet?”
“Yes.”
“What if your date wasn’t me? What would you have done then?”
“Attempted to enjoy the evening. Not sure where your disdainful opinion of me started, but I’m a pretty good guy. Sure, the thought of not following through on the date tonight did cross my mind, but I knew I couldn’t do that. So, my plan was to try to strike up conversation, enjoy a meal, then end the night with a wave. I planned to spend the rest of the evening in my pool, naked on a raft, staring up at the stars.”
My treacherous mind conjures up an image of just that, JP naked on a raft, floating in a pool, his wild tattoos on display.
It’s, uh . . . it’s a pleasant visual.
“But now I’m here with you, suffering through this conversation and begging the kitchen staff to hurry up with my meal so I can go back to my house.” He smirks and asks, “What do you plan on doing after this?”
Asking Lottie where Huxley got that new “toy” so I can ease the tension that has built in my shoulders from this evening.
“Probably folding and ironing laundry while watching a new romcom on Netflix.”
“Let me guess—it’s a flick about two people meeting, falling madly in love, then the guy does something stupid, the girl gets mad, they break up only for him to make a grand gesture to win back her hand, and then it’s sealed with a happily ever after.”
Chin held high, I say, “If you must know, yes, that would be the general idea.”
He snorts. “You really believe life is like that?”
“I’d like to believe there’s some validity to those stories. If anything, they give me hope for the kind of life I could have.”
“They’re far-fetched fiction. Life doesn’t revolve around the movie star falling in love with the lonesome construction worker and giving up everything to live in a quirky town.”