Page 4 of Puck Me Secretly

He still held my hand, so I tugged against his grip. He took his time releasing it.

I turned to him and once again his near perfect features shocked my senses. More words, without permission, flowed out of my mouth. “I finished school in New York and now I’m heading back home to Vancouver.”

He waited but didn’t speak.

I tried again. “Are you from Vancouver?”

“No.”

“Are you visiting?”

His blue eyes narrowed at my obtrusiveness. “I’m moving there.”

“Oh.” I glanced down at his left hand. No wedding ring. “By yourself?”

“By myself.” His tone was dry.

I re-tightened my seatbelt. “I have a new job there. Which I’m dreading.”

Silence fell between us. I snuck a glance at him and his steady gaze met mine. He wasn’t speaking, but he was listening.

“I have to intern for my dad’s company. My dad thinks his business is my legacy. He wants me to follow him in his footsteps. Either that or give him several grandsons who can take over the minute they’re old enough but…”

“But what?”

“But it’s not like I’m ready to get married or have kids. So that option is out.”

I stole a glance at him. He was still listening.

“I’ve had boyfriends before, but they were more for fun, you know? It’s not like I would marry any of the Baby Men.”

“Baby Men?”

“That’s what my dad called my boyfriends, because they weren’t like you.”

A quizzical expression crossed his face. “Like me?”

I cursed my lack of filter.

The booze in my veins was making my tongue slippery. I squinted, as I tried to back out of this conversation. “You know.” I waved my hand in his general vicinity. “You’re all sporty and bossy looking. I bet you like sports bars. My dad likes sports bars, but the Baby Men preferred chess bars.”

“You think I’m bossy looking?”

I turned and took in his chiseled features, big hands, and huge shoulders. He was all alpha and definitely bossy. “Trust me. You’re bossy.”

“Why do you think I'm bossy?”

Because you seem like a take charge kind of guy. Especially in the bedroom.

“Are you telling me you’re not bossy?”

He held my gaze until I squirmed. “No.”

“That eye thing you just did. Total bossy move.”

Those beautiful lips curled into a smile that would have set Mother Theresa’s heart on fire.

“What’s a chess bar?”

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