Page 12 of Blind Date with a #FORMERPLAYER
“I’m pretty sure they scheduled the date early so they could all be there to watch and attempt to eavesdrop on our conversation.”
He chuckles. “So, then you don’t try to get the early bird special with the seniors every time yougo out to dinner?”
A snort escapes and I cover my mouth in embarrassment once again. “Sorry,” I mutter, taking a bite of food.
“It’s cute.”
Glancing at his lopsided grin, I fight not to roll my eyes. His gaze skims over me from head to toe, giving me goosebumps. He gulps hard and clenches his jaw, lifting his liquid gold eyes to mine.
My nipples harden, suddenly reminding me of the thin fabric barely covering my flesh. Setting the food down, I scramble to yank the blanket over me before setting my container back in my lap and taking a bite.
“Cold?”
I nod and change the subject. “So, Levi, what do you do when you’re not playing baseball?”
He shrugs. “During the offseason, I usually help out at camps or do motivational talks. The camps are fun, but that’s not an option right now with my arm and the talks are more of an obligation.”
“I get that, but can’t you do the camps without playing?”
“Sure, but honestly, it’s not easy to hold myself back from jumping in with the kids. Besides, they want to play baseball with us not just have us tell them what to do.”
“I’m sure it’s all a dream come true.”
His gaze drops to his food and he takes a bite, suddenly lost in his head. “Maybe.”
Hoping to bring him back to the present, I change the subject. “Do you like music?”
“Yeah.”
“Movies? TV shows?”
“Of course.”
“You’re really not making this easy. It helps if you add a little bit of context to your answers. Are you sure you’re the guy who’s splashed all over the media as the player? You don’t have much game.”
His head falls back in laughter, the deep sound sending a chill right through me. He glances at me, his eyes sparkling. “Guess I’mused to remaining closed off. I’ve never had to try.” I scoff and he continues, “I told you those women go after me without me doing a damn thing. Every single one of them usually only want something from me.”
“Well, now you know, I’m not that kind of woman, so if you want your apology to stick, at least pretend like you’re not a superficial jackass.”
“Ouch.”
I shrug, nonapologetic. “Look, you don’t have to be here. We went on a date and it didn’t work. It’s fine. It happens all the time. You can tell your aunt and uncle I forgave you, but we don’t have to pretend to be interested.”
“Believe it or not, I’m not pretending. I am captivated by you.” I arch my eyebrows, surprise and doubt coloring my thoughts. “You’re beautiful, Layla. You don’t give a damn who I am and you obviously don’t put up with any bullshit.”
Pushing my shoulders back, I emphasize, “I don’t go out with players either.”
“Looks like we already broke that rule.” He gives me a crooked smile. “Technically, I’m no longer a player.”
“You’ve made that painfully obvious,” I tease, not able to keep a straight face.
He laughs before he brings his gaze back to mine, his eyes sparkling. “So, since you’re not in danger of falling for me, go on another date with me and let me do better.”
My breath catches. Delaying my response, I take a bite of the food in front of me, not tasting it as I chew. After a moment of silence, I swallow, glancing at him, his eyes still glued to me.
Before I realize what I’m saying, words spew from my lips, “I’ll think about it.”
He grins wide, causing my stomach to flip-flop. “That’s all I ask. Would you like some dessert?”
