“That’s cute. Don’t worry, I’ll take it easy on you.” She sips from my beer. “It’s good to see you, though.” Her eyes roam my body, mainly fixating on my chest. “Looks like those protein bars have been paying off.”

For some stupid reason, I glance at my chest and then back up at her. “Uh, yeah. That and the strength and conditioning team for the Bobbies.”

“Well, good on them. And you’ve been enjoying Chicago?”

“Yeah, as much as I’ve been able to enjoy it. Baseball has taken up a lot of my time, so I haven’t really experienced the city as much as I’ve wanted. But what I have experienced, I’ve liked.”

She leans her elbow on the table, those bright, brilliant eyes nearly cutting through me. How could I forget how fucking beautiful she is? “Has anyone ever told you, you need to loosen up?”

“Several people,” I answer as I steal my beer for a sip, but then hand it back to her when I’m done.

“Maybe that’s what you try to do tonight.” She draws a circle over the back of my hand with her finger, and I willingly allow myself to revel in the way it makes me feel—turned on and wanting so much more. “Think you can have some fun with me?”

Uh, yeah . . . I think I can.

“Welcome to trivia night,” the host says into the mic, which quiets the bar. “We have ten teams tonight, all vying for the coveted fifty-dollar gift card to the Cold Stone Creamery across the street.”

The bar cheers as Myla says, “Fifty dollars’ worth of creamy creations . . .” She rubs her hands together. “You better be on your A game, Bisley. This girl wants some treats.”

“No need to worry about me,” I say as I glance toward Banner and Nichole, who seem to be heavy in conversation, and when I say conversation, I mean intimately touching each other. I hope they remember the four-person rule.

“What are your strengths in trivia?” Myla asks as she sips from our shared glass.

“Sports and history. What about you?”

In the most serious tone I’ve ever heard her use, she says, “Everything, Ryot. Everything would have been the best answer.”

I chuckle. “Sorry. I meant everything.”

She offers me a wink. “Good answer.”

The host explains the rules.

Our burgers are dropped off, and I split mine with Myla.

And once we’re set, the game begins.

* * *

“Ryot, I swear to God, if you don’t let me use my answer, I will scream.”

“I don’t think you’re right.”

“Well, guess what, I didn’t ask you, Mr. Fact Checker, because I know you’re wrong. One hundred percent you’re wrong, and if you keep throwing up these half-assed answers, I’m not going to win that gift card to Cold Stone, and I’m going to lose my mind. So, erase your dumb answer and put down mine.”

“You really think the answer is Tiger?”