Page 51 of The Sexy Part
“It’s so annoying how good you are.”
“You like the bad boys?”
I lift my chin. “I’m in love with my roommate’s cat. That’s the only bad boy or any male I want close to me for the foreseeable future.”
“Fair enough.”
I frown, studying the bar top. Another glass of that delicious wine magically appears. My wad of crumpled bills lies on the bar untouched. I shove them in a tip jar nearby.
I sip it, relaxing a little. Cooper goes to take care of other customers. I guess I was hogging his attention on a Friday night. I need to chill. He’s warm and friendly with everyone—man, woman, young, old.
I finish my wine, slightly buzzed, and slide off the barstool.
“Let me walk you home,” Cooper says, signaling for a waiter to take over.
“I’m okay.”
He joins me, standing so close I’m tempted to lean in to him and breathe deep. Why is he so close? I step back, and he’s smiling at me. Was I the one who moved into his personal space?
“I’m on break,” he says. “I like to take a walk on break and get some quiet and fresh air.”
“Oh. Okay.”
We walk to the front door, and he holds it open for me.
“I bought tickets ahead of time for the planetarium show on Sunday,” he says. “Wanted to make sure we had our choice of shows before it sold out.”
“Thank you. That was thoughtful.”
We start walking. His fingers brush against mine, sending tingles up my arm. “You’re welcome. I thought we could head into the city early, grab some lunch, and walk around before we get to the planetarium.”
“Sounds fun.”
“I thought so.” He looks to the sky, where the stars seem brighter here. “I admit I know nothing about the constellations.”
“There’s the Big Dipper. That one’s always easy to find.”
He stares at it while walking and stumbles on a sidewalk crack. I grab his arm to steady him. Damn, that is one muscled arm.
He smiles. “Thanks for the quick save.”
“Work out much?”
He laughs. “I stay fit.”
“Your bicep’s like a rock.”
“Thank you.”
He flexes comically. I’m both turned on and entertained. I’ve never met a guy like him before. Gorgeous but not arrogant about it, warm and caring for everyone he meets.
“Ridiculous,” I say.
“Let’s see yours.”
I push up my sleeve and flex my bicep, hoping that something’s showing. There’s a slight curve.
He nods. “Impressive. Almost the size of a lime.”
