Played By Riggs

12

I was in big trouble. Not the sort of trouble my Mother would panic over and leave 36 voicemails, her tone of a pitch that even dogs and cats winced upon, but the sort of trouble that my Mother wouldn't even class as trouble, but magic, the sort that would still take her pitch to high extents, but not of a degree to make dogs and cats wince, but make their tails wag and their barks soar with excitement.

And the worst part was, she probably knew. My Mother probably knew what I was going through, where I was and who I was with, and she was probably thanking the heavens.

I, on the other hand, was begging the heavens for at least a bit of air that wasn't clogged up with sexual tension.

"I've been spending a lot of time on site, and the builders need the designs for the basement. Considering the pool we picked is built in, they need all the measurements and... why are you staring at me like that?"

He raised a brow, but didn't move his eyes from my face. "I'm just listening. Go on."

I shifted in my seat. Yeah, he was listening, but he was also staring at me like he wanted me for dessert.

No complaints...

"Well, as I was saying, they want the measurements of the pool, Jacuzzi and all that. Did you tell Daniel that we are definitely going to use his products?"

"I intended to tell him on the day, but I was a little distracted."

There was no way to stop the blush that painted my cheeks.

He grinned at me. "Daniel knows we're going to use his products," James confirmed, placing his fork and knife onto his empty plate and sitting back in his chair. "But enough about work. I didn't invite you to dinner so we could talk about measurements."

"What do you want to talk about then?"

"You."

"Me?"

"Yes. You, Kels. I want to know more about you."

"There's not much to know-"

"Don't give me that line," James sat forward in his seat, determination shone blindingly in his eyes. "I could easily search you online. It would take me 10 seconds to walk in the local store and pick up a magazine with you on the front over, find out your secrets and whatever else it is they know about you."

"Fake secrets," I emphasised. "The information that they plaster in those magazines is fake, James. I thought you knew that."

"Of course I know that," he said. "But I also know that a small percentage of it, is real. Here's the thing, I don't want to read the real stuff from a magazine. I want to hear it from you."

"Real stuff," I repeated, watching him stare at me. "Be more specific, James. You want to know my favourite colour?"

"Yes."

"This is pathetic."

He clenched his jaw at my laughter. "Is it, Kels? Is me wanting to know more about you, pathetic?"

"No. What's pathetic, is that we both know what's going to happen tonight. You don't need to butter me up, James. I understand and respect the fact you're a romantic, but you also have to respect the fact that I'm not."

"I do respect that."

"Then why do you keep trying to change me?"

"Change you?" He jumped up from his seat and rushed towards me. "Shit, Kels, I don't want to change you."