Free Playing the Game (The Renegades) (Volume 3) by Melody Heck Gatto

tender and flavorful.
    “ You have a little dressing on your
cheek.” Tyler motioned to the side of her mouth.
    She swiped it with her napkin but apparently missed
since he shook his head. She attempted again, but he still shook
his head.
    “ Here, let me help.” He took the
napkin and gingerly wiped the corner of her mouth. His touch was
slow and his gaze lingered with hers until the waitress appeared to
check on their meals.
    Every time he was close to her she felt like she was
on fire. All he did was wipe her cheek and she couldn’t help but
wonder what those lips would feel like brushing against her skin.
She needed to shake this off. It wasn’t professional, so whatever
was happening between them wasn’t possible.

CHAPTER 8
     
    He didn’t know why, but he wanted to know more about
Paige. Who was she besides their PR girl? They knew everything
about Melanie and treated her like a sister, but the way he was
acting with Paige was more than that. It confused him. This feeling
was something he wasn’t used to. But that didn’t stop him from
asking personal questions. “Paige, you’re really good with people,
and very sensitive to their problems. Is that natural for you or
something you learned in school?” Tyler picked at his bun, not sure
if that was the right move. She was either going to tell him or she
was going to clam up. If she grew quiet this was going to be a very
uncomfortable lunch.
    “ Natural, I guess. I didn’t have
the easiest life growing up, and I think realizing how other people
saw us…” She shrugged. “Well, I just learned at an early age that
what you see on the surface isn’t always the whole story. People
like to jump to conclusions when they don’t have all of the facts.
Some people are good people no matter what they look like or how
they act.”
    “ That’s interesting.” He stared at
her, trying to figure out what was going on behind those eyes. They
weren’t sparkling any more. They were dark, almost gray.
    “ No it’s not.” She waved him off
and dug into her salad, as if her having a mouthful of food was
going to stop him from asking more questions. He put down his
sandwich so he could put all of his focus on her.
    “ It is. I think there’s more to you
than meets the eye. I’d like to know more about you.” He cleared
his throat. “I mean, the team knows everything about Melanie, so
it’d be nice to know a bit about you as well. After all, it looks
like we’re going to be working together a lot, seeing as how I
can’t seem to stay out of the limelight.” He flashed what he
thought was a flirty smile.
    She sat silent for a moment, looking between her
salad and him. His focus was still all on her. He wasn’t prepared
to back down, so he hoped she’d start talking. The cloudy look in
her eyes faded and the blue started to come back. He was afraid to
move. If she was about to open up to him, he didn’t want any sudden
movements to cause her the clam back up.
    Then she started to speak.
    “ I live with my best friend, and
her Grandmother. Her Grandparents took me in when I was a teen and
raised me, so honestly, she is my Gram, too. See? Nothing too
exciting.” She speared a piece of chicken with her fork and popped
it into her mouth.
    “ Maybe, maybe not. So, if it’s okay
that I ask, why did they take you in? Do you have family?” He was
pushing it; he could see it in her face. Her eyebrows touched and
her forehead wrinkled. Too late to back off now, but maybe he could
give her some information about himself to encourage her to open
up. “I have two older sisters,” he said. “I’m the baby, and they
never let me forget that.”
    That was rewarded with a laugh. Good, at least I’m
making her comfortable again.
    “ That sounds nice. Rylee is like my
sister. She and I have been running together since I can remember.”
She paused and he thought that was all the information she was
going to give him, but he was wrong. “My family is why I am the