Page 8 of Silver Fox Puck

“That what we’re calling me now?”

I shrug, but my smile is sharp. “Unless you’d rather give me yours.”

His fingers tap against his glass. Thoughtful. Then he leans in slightly, just enough to match my energy.

“Names complicate things.”

I grin. “Good. I like uncomplicated.”

His eyes flicker with something wicked. And just like that, the game is set. The air between us tightens. Not in a suffocating way. Not in a way that makes me want to step back. But in a way that makes every breath feel deliberate.

I have no idea which one of us is going to break first. I lean back slightly, letting my fingers trail along my fresh drink from the bartender.

Not in a hurry. A silent signal that I can play this game just as well as he can.

“Silver Fox,” I repeat, watching him carefully.

His lips twitch. It’s not a smile. But it’s close.

“You like naming things you don’t own?”

A slow thrill rolls through my stomach. It’s a challenge.

Subtle. A careful push to see if I’ll push back. And I do.

“I name things that intrigue me,” I say, softer this time.

“And do I intrigue you?”

I let my gaze flick over him, unhurried. Then, I meet his eyes.

“I haven’t decided yet.”

I expect him to smirk. To push back. To say something cocky.

But he doesn’t.

Then, slowly, he slides his hotel key card across the bar.

My breath catches. Not because I wasn’t expecting this. Because I was. But now? Now it’s real. Now it’s a choice.

“If you come upstairs with me,” he says, calm and sure, “I won’t let you leave until you’re satisfied.”

Oh.

Oh, hell.

The words sink into my skin, warm and heady. I shouldn’t be reacting to this the way I am. I shouldn’t feel this thrill in my chest, this rush of heat through my body. I shouldn’t still be leaning in slightly, my fingers twitching toward that key card, itching to pick it up.

But I am. Because this isn’t some sloppy, drunken proposition from a guy who’s been eyeing me all night.

This is deliberate. Calculated. A measured offer from a man who doesn’t seem like the type to ask for things he isn’t sure he’ll get.

That should be cocky. That should be arrogant.

But from him?

It’s not. It’s just confidence.

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