Page 21 of The Rival (Looking to Score 2)
“Nice tattoo.” I wipe my wet lips with the back of my hand. From what I can tell, it’s a simple black heart. And it’s exactly where I pressed his phone that fateful night, just after we kissed.
“Thanks,” he mutters, letting his shirt fall back down and rubbing his knuckles against the spot.
“What’s it mean?”
“Does it have to mean anything?” His tone is flat and emotionless. I wouldn’t say that he was particularly perky before, but there’s no question that his mood has taken a downward turn.
“They usually do.”
Alex sighs, turning to stare at the trees, his expression blank. “Do you really want to know?”
Clearly, I’ve stepped on a land mine, and I don’t know if I should double down or try to retreat. “I mean, yeah, I’m curious.”
“Once upon a time, I got it for Eden. Used to have her initials in it, but after we broke up, I got it filled in. Now it’s just . . .” He closes his eyes, letting out a heavy sigh.
“A painful reminder?” I take a small step toward him, tilting my head a bit, as if a different angle will somehow unlock the closed expression on his face.
But when Alex meets my eyes, he just looks . . . tired. “Exactly.”
I brush his firm arm with a harmless hook of my right fist. “So, what? Now your heart’s closed for business? No room for anyone else to get in there?”
His eyebrow quirks at the swing, and he chews on a smile like he’s trying not to laugh. “Something like that. We gotta work on your right hook, Aspen.”
“You sure about that? Need to go ice your bruise?”
I wind up for another punch, this time with more intention. But before I can make contact, he twists his body, catching my fist in one hand. This time, his touch lingers.
“Anyway,” he murmurs, gently releasing me. “If you’re serious about me staying, I only brought enough clothes for the weekend. Unless I do laundry every two days, we should go to town so I can buy more.” He pulls at the damp cloth of his shirt, revealing a trail of dark hair that disappears beneath the waistband of his jeans. “It’s a forty-five-minute drive, so maybe tomorrow we could make a day of it? Go shopping, then grab lunch at the brewery in town. They make a mean burger.”
I blink my eyes away from Alex’s masculine physique, focusing back on the conversation at hand. “I’d be down for that.”
My twenty-fifth birthday is in two days. I was anticipating spending it alone, cozying up next to the fire with a good book or a movie marathon. But I could afford to treat myself to something nice, something that will make the occasion special. I have no idea what the shopping scene is like in town, so I guess it’ll be a surprise. But at least I’ll have good company.
“It’s a date then.”
7
* * *
ALEX
I got in a workout this morning and then emailed my sister back. She’d sent another video of Jaxon learning to skate. I’m probably biased, but the kid is super cute. Now I’m showered and dressed for the day, and am waiting for Aspen to finish getting ready too. Then we’re heading into town.
Yesterday was our first full day together, and I’ll be honest, it wasn’t what I was expecting. First, seeing her in her yoga attire—a figure-hugging pair of leggings and sports bra? It was more than a little distracting. I managed to have a somewhat coherent conversation, but then I needed to go haul wood for another hour just to calm myself down. It was either that, or go manhandle my own wood, and I couldn’t exactly sneak away without being obvious.
It’s safe to say, Aspen Ford is not the woman I thought she was. From my brief interactions with her in her capacity as Eden’s assistant, I knew she was organized and intelligent. But I never counted on her being so open, or so easy to be around. And let’s not forget funny. Aspen is cool as fuck. She’s very likable, and very intoxicating.
Maybe it’s the fresh Canadian air, but something about being here has allowed us both to drop our walls incredibly fast. I feel like I can truly be myself around a girl for the first time in a long time. It’s nice. I’m certainly not trying to impress her or be the guy everyone wants me to be. I’m just me.
Well . . . maybe I am trying a little to impress her. Because hell yeah, I flexed when she was watching me work yesterday. And so what if my mushroom-swiss omelets were on fucking point this morning? Come on, what guy in his right mind wouldn’t want to show off for a woman like Aspen a little?
