Page 5 of One Good Puck
Logan holds up a hand and lets out another nervous laugh. “Hey, man. I didn’t mean to put a move on your lady. If I had known she was spoken for, I wouldn’t have asked her out.”
I bite my tongue, even more annoyed. I hate that politely expressing my disinterest wasn’t enough for Logan to quit pushing our work meeting into a date. He’s only backing off because he thinks I belong to another man.
“I heard her tell you she wasn’t interested. Was that not reason enough to leave her alone? Because I also heard you brush her off,” Gavin asks.
I look at him, stunned. I’m taken aback by what he’s said—how it aligns perfectly with how I feel.
He’s always been kind and respectful to me the few times we’ve interacted. But I didn’t know he was this…passionate about respecting women’s boundaries. And it makes me like him even more.
Logan stammers. “I-I, uh…”
“You should probably leave,” Gavin says.
Logan clears his throat and nods. He slides out of the booth and barely looks at me.
“Sorry, Abby,” he mumbles before scurryingoff.
It’s just Gavin and me sitting on the same side of the booth together, side by side.
The warmth from his body skims mine. I swallow, feeling hot all of a sudden.
I twist my head to look at him. “Thanks for that,” I say in a quiet voice.
The corners of his mouth curve up in another small smile. “No problem.”
A second later, he slides away from me and moves to the seat across from me.
I’m surprised at how quickly he moves. How aware he seems to be of my personal space.
The few times I’ve been around him, he’s always been like this. Never standing too close to me. Never touching me more than a handshake.
He always goes the extra mile to make sure that he doesn’t make me feel uncomfortable with his presence. He’s a pretty big guy after all. At least six-foot-two, maybe even six-foot-three. He’s not as muscular as the players he coaches, but he’s lean and fit. It’s crystal clear just how in shape he is.
Even in the suit he’s wearing, I can spot the sculpted shape of his shoulders, biceps, and quads. So tall and broad. And refreshingly aware of his size, unlike some men.
Gavin’s a respectful guy. It’s a shame there aren’t more men like him.
His smile shifts to a focused expression as he looks at me. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
He lifts an eyebrow, like he’s not quite sure if he believes me.
“I’m really okay,” I say.
He nods even though I can tell he doesn’t believe me. “Has that guy been bothering you for a while?”
“Kind of.” I sigh. “I’ve known him for most of the last school year. He asked me out a couple of times, and I always told him no. I thought he finally got the hint when he asked if we could meet up to plan the book fair, but then I realized pretty quickly that was just an excuse to get me to have a drink with him.”
“Sorry you had to deal with him.”
“It’s okay. I’m just really glad you came along.”
He flashes that not-quite-smile again, and I take in the gentle set of crow’s feet flanking his eyes. I don’t know how old Gavin is. Late forties, maybe?
He runs a hand through his thick, short hair. It’s dark blonde with a bit of gray. He could be older and just look young for his age.
I’ve always thought older guys were hot. And Gavin is the hottest older guy I’ve ever met. I try not to stare at him for too long and look down at my empty glass.
