Chapter 6
Arianna
I swear if this man says how beautiful his new driver is one more time, I might vomit on his lap.
I don’t normally hate golf. I’ve even gone a couple times with my dad and Landon.
But I swear, after listening to Tanner talk about each individual club, always circling back to how amazing his brand-new driver is, I never want to hear about golf again in my life.
While he rambles on about his shiny stick, I bite back the urge to tell him to put me out of my misery and bash my head in with his prideful clubs.
Every plate at the table now sits empty except for a couple of the guys who somehow manage to keep eating while the rest of us resist the urge to remove our spandex or undo buttons on pants.
The conversation at the other end of the table seems to be much more captivating than my side and jealousy pricks at the corners of my mind as I watch Stella and Lilly laugh together.
Whenever Dean or I would try to steer the conversation to more relatable topics, Tanner would manage to bring it right back to fulfill his deep need to talk about golf.
It’s no help that his mother encourages his every thought.
I’m all for supportive parents. My parents are perfect examples of that.
However, it’s quite clear that Liz full-heartedly believes her baby boy could walk on water, and it makes me want to gag.
Beside me, Dean swirls his now empty glass, the ice clinking loudly against the sides as he stares off into space. He looks exactly how I feel. Drained and over this dinner with golf boy.
Pulling my phone out from the pocket in my dress, because yes, every dress should have pockets, I angle my screen away from Tanner and open my text thread with Dean.
Me: Should we be concerned with how much he loves his golf clubs?
Dean sets his glass down and grabs his phone from his pocket. The corners of his lips twitch as he reads it before his fingers fly across the response. My phone vibrates and I eagerly check it.
Dean: Nah, the man clearly knows what makes him “happy”
Dean: Who are we to stand in the way of a man and his joy sticks?
A laugh slips free before I can stop it, and I barely manage to cover it with a cough. Patting my chest with my free hand, I make a show of acting like I choked on something.
“Do you need water?” Tanner asks, already reaching for my glass. I shake my head, waving him off while making sure my phone screen is facing down.
“I’m fine.”
Tanner shrugs. “Anyway, as I was saying. If you’re free tomorrow, I could take you to the golf course with me and show you around. I’ll even make sure to take it easy while you get used to the swing of things.”
He’s barely finished his offer when my phone vibrates with another text update, at the same time that I push back and stand up. “Sorry, I need to take this call.”
I make a show of acting like I’m answering the nonexistent phone call, pretending it’s Vivian calling me with some family drama, and head upstairs.
Only once I’ve made it to the top of the stairs do I drop the charade.
I look around the hallway, spotting the guest bedroom, and decide to hide out for a bit.
Just as I step into the bedroom, I finally open the latest message.
Dean: Absolutely not.
My heart stalls as I read the two words over and over again. The more I read them, the more of a jumble my thoughts become.
We’ve never talked about exclusivity in the entire time we’ve been hooking up. Not that I’ve even given another man the time of day. I know for a fact he hasn’t seen anyone else since the guys on his team all talk about their love lives like they’re on an episode of Gossip Girl.
Questions spin off in my brain, one after the other popping up so quickly, I can barely keep up with myself.
Does he think we’re exclusive? Does Dean actually care or is he just being friendly and could tell I’m not into Tanner?
He’s never said anything when we’re all out and some random guy at the bar hits on me, so why now?
Did he say something now because we’ve been hanging out more and he just wants to be friends?
Friends speak their thoughts, so maybe that’s all he’s doing?
There’s one last thought that circles on repeat between them all, making me bite my lip and trying to ignore the way my heart races at the thought.
Is Dean jealous?
No. I’m simply overthinking things because Tanner has sucked the life from everything else today and there’s nothing better for me to fixate on. There’s no way that Dean is—
“Sounds like a very important call.”
I tense, whirling around, ready to defend myself, only to find Dean leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest and that damn knowing smirk taunting me. At the sight of him, my shoulders relax. I hold up my phone and give him a look of fake concern.
“Super important. Just lost signal. She should be calling me back any second now.”
“Right, wouldn’t want to miss the call back,” he retorts with mock-seriousness.
I open my mouth to keep the banter going, but the sound of laughter trailing up here makes Dean glance over his shoulder.
When he finally turns back to me, any traces of joking have vanished.
He pushes off the doorframe and steps farther into the room, pausing only to grab the door in one hand and close it behind him.
My lungs freeze as the click echoes through the room.
Dean is completely silent as he methodically closes the distance between us.
I don’t dare move a muscle, wanting to see what he plans to do.
He stops in front of me, those deep brown eyes shining as they silently search for an answer to his unspoken question.
Swallowing thickly, I open my mouth to ask what he’s doing, but Dean cuts me off.
“Tell me you’re not considering going out with that tool.” The gravel in his voice makes the blood in my veins pump harder.
Dean is the fun one of the group. Always laughing and teasing.
He’s easy to be around and serious when he needs to be, yes, but never…
this. Never possessive or jealous. And there’s no doubt in my mind about it now.
The answer to my earlier question is right in front of me.
Staring back at me with darkened eyes and a clenched muscular jaw.
His hands flex into fists at his side and I try not to smile at the exhilarating feeling that comes with knowing I’ve brought out this side of him.
Jealousy is a funny thing.
I don’t want Tanner. There’s not even a teeny-tiny part of me that considered saying yes to going out with him in any capacity.
But knowing that the past couple hours have pushed Dean to follow me like this, something neither of us has ever risked, is thrilling.
We’re lingering at the edge, waiting to see who will jump first. As if this whole evening is pushing us to admit that whatever this is between us is more than a causal fuck.
I should back off. Should just tell him no and leave this room. But that little voice in the back of my mind begs me to poke at this new side of him.
So, naturally, I shrug my shoulders and lean back against the bed frame.
“I mean, a day being a golf cart passenger princess doesn’t sound horrible.”
Dean blinks once, then takes a calculated step closer. There’s barely any space between us now, no room to even think about anything but him. My head tilts back so I can hold his gaze and my already racing heart soars to my throat.
“I can tell you’re joking.” He reaches up, his thumb finding the corner of my lips where he gently traces the curve of the smile I’ve been holding back.
His fingers slowly trail along the edge of my jaw. My eyes flutter and it takes all my strength not to let them close.
“Still, knowing you’re joking doesn’t seem to lessen the feeling that’s been growing ever since golf boy walked into the kitchen staring at your ass.”
I huff out a shaky laugh and shake my head. “He wasn’t—”
“Yes, he was.” Dean’s free hand lands on my hip. “I don’t even blame him for looking. Any man would be dumb not to.”
All words leave my brain as his hand slips around my back and he hauls me against him. My hands fly up, landing on his chest for balance. My thighs press together, something he notices immediately due to our proximity.
“You’re enjoying this,” he states and I finally manage to find my words.
“I’m not—”
“You’re a horrible liar, Freckles.” His thumb finds the edge of my mouth again. “No need to lie to me. I’ll even let you in on a little secret.”
I hold my breath as Dean leans in until his lips hover just above mine.
“I’m enjoying this too.” Instead of kissing me like I expected, he places a barely there peck to the spot his thumb just was before trailing his lips to the shell of my ear. “But I think we’re both going to enjoy the outcome even more than the buildup.”
He kisses the edge of my jaw and down my neck as his fingers find the hem of my dress. My hands move on their own, sliding up to tangle into the hair at the nape of his neck.
“I wasn’t trying to make you…” My whispered words trail off, both from the fact that his hand beneath my dress has found the edges of my underwear and because I don’t want to assume he’s jealous.
He said he’s had a feeling, but he never specified what that was.
Dean chuckles into my neck before pulling back to look me in the eyes.
“You can say you were, baby. I’ll even admit it for you.
I’m jealous that someone else is here begging for your attention.
” He shoves my underwear to the side, fingers immediately discovering just how much he’s affecting me.
Dean groans, his lashes fluttering in pleasure as he runs his fingers along my entrance. “Tell me this is all for me.”
I nod, unable to form words as he presses a single digit slowly inside me.
“Words, Freckles. I need to hear you say that this”—he pulls out, only to add a second finger in on a powerful thrust—“is all for me. And only me.”