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“How much?”

I still, glance over my shoulder. “Excuse me?”

“How much would it cost me to procure your”—he drags his gaze down my body and back up and he does it in a way that makes my skin prickle, my stomach twist—“services?”

But never let them know they’ve hurt you.

So, I lift my chin and move back toward him, allowing my lips to curve up when I say, “Oh, honey, I’m impressed that you managed to correctly use a word like procure in your question, but even if I was for hire, there is no way you could ever afford me.”

His eyes cloud with fury, but I’m already putting distance between us.

And as certain as I am about Beck having some good in him, I’m now sure that streak of good he, Noble, and Ace have skipped right over Lex in the Ambrose genetic lottery.

Ace is coming up the stairs as I approach him, worry on his gorgeous face. “All good?” he asks when I come close, eyes flicking behind me, probably seeing Lex scowling at me.

“Yeah, honey,” I say, allowing him to take my hand and draw me back toward the game. “Just the usual Ambrose assholery striking again.”

“Want me to kill him for you?” He’s joking.

He’s also not.

And fist fights will only prolong the torture of bowling.

“Nope,” I say. “I always have my right hook.”

His mouth quirks. “Damn right you do. Also…” He jerks his chin toward the lane. “You’re up.”

I groan but dutifully pick up my ball and do the chucking thing, this time knocking down two whole pins.

Go me.

“Who knew you’d be better at football?” Noble mutters as I sink down and Ace gets up for his turn.

“I think I see a delay in your ride to the airport,” I say, tapping my chin. “Something that means you have to stay with your parents a few extra days.”

“I think I can just call an Über,” Noble counters.

“And I think,” Beck says, “considering how she whipped that wedding into shape, I wouldn’t test her, brother.”

“Touché.” Noble winks at me as Beck moves to the pitcher of beer and tops off his glass. “Everything really okay with Lex?”

“Yeah. He’s an asshole, but that’s a given, right?”

“Right,” he agrees. “Still, I don’t love the way he’s been looking at you and Ace.”

“Jealousy you think? Like Oakes?”

Noble sighs. “I mean, maybe? It’s not easy living in Ace’s shadow, finding your own place when he’s had such a big impact. But…”

“What?” I ask when he doesn’t go on.

“It just seems like there’s something deeper there.”

Unfortunately, given what Lex said and how he looked at me…I can’t help but feel like he’s right. I just don’t have time to process that because I’m confronted again by my lack of bowling skills—Ace has gotten another damn strike, and Beck is shifting past us, going up to take his turn.

Only, he doesn’t do that right away.

Instead, he watches Jenny on the next lane over. Jenny…who throws her ball with an effortless sort of grace.