Page 29 of Like A Daydream
Danielle’s face flushes and she turns away, leaving him feeling like he finally has the upper hand.
“I’ll have your coffee right out,” she says. He nods even though she can’t see, making no move to leave the counter. “You can sit, if you want.”
“I like the view right here,” he says, grinning and watching her every move. “Those legs.”
“Don’t get used to it,” she says, “they aren’t coming anywhere near where you want them. Now, or ever.”
“You say that,” he teases as she turns around.
“I mean it.” She slides a plate with his pastries on it, and turns to make his coffee. He backs down, not wanting to give her a reason to bolt. Or have him arrested. “So, you’re friends with Jet?”
“He’s my best friend,” Andrew replies, offering the information freely. “We played in the AHL together, and got signed to the NHL team in Raleigh the same year.”
She hands him his coffee.
“Ten eighty,” she says.
He hands his card to her and watches her swipe it. She hands it back without saying anything, and moves to step around the counter and away from him.
“That’s it?” he asks, confused about what’s happening. “No follow-up questions or autograph requests? No angry comments about me losing the Stanley Cup?”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she says, rolling her eyes, condescension dripping in every word. “You must be under the impression that I care about who you are.”
“I—”
“I didn’t care when you knocked over a stack of books a week ago,” she says, “and I definitely don’t care now. You’re a paying customer who, for your information, is absolutelynotmy type. Even if you were, I’m not interested.”
“You seemed pretty interested a minute ago,” Andrew says, raising a brow and taking a sip of his coffee, “when I talked about making women scream.”
“I’m. Not. Interested.” Danielle grinds out.
“I know two people here,” Andrew says, shrugging, “I was just trying to make friends.”
“Oh, is that what you call it?” Danielle asks.
“You can be my friend, Andy!” Harper chimes in from behind him. He grins.
“I know three people, now,” he says. “I know I’m only in town for a couple of months, but it would be nice to know more.”
She steps around him, squaring her shoulders, and disappears in the back of the store. The joke is on her, because now he knows her hair smells like rose petals, and that she’s going to be a challenge.
Andrew has never been able to resist a challenge.
Danielle
What the hell just happened?
Danielle
She thought making her lack of interest clear would stop Andrew from showing up at her place of work for the rest of his time in Lake Placid.
Apparently, she was wrong.
Because, standing outside the bookshop at eight fifty-five on the dot the next morning, dog sitting beside him on his leash, is a six-foot-three hockey player with a ‘can’t take no for an answer’ smile on his face.
She’ll give it to him, at least it’s not a “won’ttake no for an answer”. Those are two very separate things. She thinks if she keeps telling him no, he’ll take the hint, which is better than a lot of people who’ve come knocking on her door for a scrap of attention.
Small towns tend to have… limited options after a certain age, and she was one of the few single women left.
