Her Playboy Crush - Nicola Marsh Page 0,2

he only knew. But Polly could never let on how he made her feel. She’d had enough mortification in her life when it came to guys to let the uber-confident Ryder Beale figure out her pathetic crush and how many times she’d imagined riding him until he made her scream.

‘I’m not blushing; I’ve just been working too hard being Archie’s slave.’

She fanned her face regardless because her cheeks were flaming. Like that would help. She needed a dunk in an ice bath to cool off.

‘Don’t let him push you around.’ His mouth quirked into a sexy smile as he reached out and tugged the ends of her shoulder-length hair. ‘This is new.’

Damn, she wished he’d stop touching her—or at least make it count.

‘I lost the pigtails about ten years ago, and you’ve seen me since then,’ she said, hating how her breathlessness at his proximity made her voice squeaky.

‘You didn’t have this layered look last time I saw you,’ he said. ‘I like it.’ He wound a few strands around his fingers until they reached her hairline. ‘I like it a lot.’

What the hell was he doing? He never touched her, ever, and she’d wondered whether to be grateful or insulted. She’d seen the way he’d been with other girls all those years ago, playful and flirtatious, charming the pants off them—probably literally. She’d been jealous and yearning, hiding her envy behind cutting quips. But he’d never flirted with her; instead he’d tease her the same way Archie did. She’d hated being treated like his younger sister too.

So what had changed now? Had he grown tired of his playthings around the world and wanted a new challenge?

Because that’s the only reason he’d be toying with her like this. He knew she was off limits and disinterested—she’d faked it well in the past—so was this some kind of warped game to him, to see how far he could push the geeky younger sister of his best friend?

His fingers wound her hair tighter slowly, gentle tugs that had her biting back a groan at the sensuality of it. When his fingertips grazed her scalp, Polly’s knees buckled a little so she reacted how she always did when Ryder disarmed her.

‘Back off, bozo, or I’ll make you.’

He laughed and leaned closer, his breath fanning her cheek and setting off all kinds of reactions, most of them between her legs. She throbbed with wanting him.

‘It could be fun for you to try,’ he murmured in her ear, his lips grazing her skin and sending a delicious shudder through her body.

When his teeth nipped her lobe, she froze. He was actually doing this, seducing her, and she had no idea how to react. It had to be a game to him. He’d never shown the slightest sign of wanting to get physical with her before.

‘So what’s it to be, Pol? Want to take me down?’

He blew on her ear and this time she couldn’t prevent a low moan escaping her lips. She didn’t want to take him down. She wanted to go down on him, and have him return the favour.

But this was crazy. Until she figured out what game he was playing, she had to put a stop to this teasing.

‘You’re full of it,’ she said, stepping back. She couldn’t think, let alone formulate coherent sentences, when he was that close and he knew it.

How many times had she pushed him away over the years? Too many to count. Toying with her amused him; he liked to see how much he could rattle her. By her predictable reaction, the answer was a lot.

But this heightened awareness was new. He exuded a sexual magnetism that drew many women to him, according to the online tabloids, and it irked that it worked on her too. She shouldn’t be this attracted to him. Her crush should’ve waned. If anything, the way her skin tingled and heat flushed her from the inside out, her lust for him had only intensified.

Not good. She needed a distraction, fast.

‘Archie says you’re here to plan his thirtieth.’ She strolled to the corner where her brother had stacked his DIY paraphernalia, putting some much-needed distance between them.

‘Want to help me? It’s been a long time since I’ve hung out with Arch and you’d know what he’s into these days better than me.’

That was all she needed—to spend one-on-one time with him. Especially after the weird flirty thing he’d been doing a few moments ago that still had her body buzzing.

She should ask him