Page 45 of Must Be Love - Irresistible Bachelors

“You look cute when you bowl.”

“At least I have that going for me,” I flirt back.

“So, you never went bowling as a kid?”

I shake my head. “My parents weren’t exactly hands-on. They tried to control everything we did, but they didn’t want any part of our daily lives. That’s why Dana and I went to private schools. We were also on every team possible. Our parents didn’t want to have to parent us.”

“Wow, that’s tough. It was always the opposite in my house. My mom over-parented us.”

“What do you mean?”

“After my dad died, my mom was involved in everything. She was on the PTA, volunteered for every field trip, and even tried to get a job at our school so she could be there all day. It didn’t stop when we graduated, either. She calls me a million times a day.”

“Ah, so that’s why you didn’t answer during our first appointment.”

“Exactly. It probably seemed rude, but I can only take so much of her helicopter parenting. Especially now that I’m thirty-five.”

I take my next shot. As I walk up, I continue to chat with AJ.

“There has to be a happy medium – parents who care about what their kids are doing but who don’t drive their kids crazy.”

“I’m sure they exist, somewhere,” AJ agrees.

I manage to hit down five pins in one shot. That’s the most I’ve gotten so far!

“Good shot!” AJ exclaims, giving me a high five. “And while talking, too!”

“What can I say? I’m a multitasker. You don’t get anywhere in marketing without knowing how to juggle twenty things at once.”

“I believe it,” he says, taking his shot. “This is the good thing about my private alley, too. You can’t really talk like this in a regular bowling alley. There’s too much noise from the other bowlers. And when there’s only two of you, someone is always bowling. I don’t recommend going on a first date to an actual bowling alley.”

Relief courses through my body. AJ didn’t bring me here to keep me hidden. He wanted us to be able to do something he loves and get to know each other at the same time.

“Well, then I’m glad you brought me here instead.”

“Me, too.”

We smile at each other, even though it’s my turn to bowl. AJ leans forward and kisses me, just a peck, before ushering me down the lane.

It’s such a sweet moment that it makes me want more. I decide to change the subject back to parenting; otherwise, we might get carried away.

“I want to be the perfect parent,” I confess.

“I don’t think that’s possible. I don’t want to burst your bubble or anything…”

I laugh. “I know that. I just mean, I want to be that happy medium. I want my kids to know that I care about them, without being overbearing. That’s why I want to be a stay-at-home mom.”

AJ’s reaction is pure shock. That’s usually how people look when I admit my aspirations.

“Really?”

I nod. “I’ve always dreamed of being a stay-at-home mom. That’s my career goal.”

“Wow. I’m surprised. I thought all women in New York wanted to climb the corporate ladder.”

My face sours. “Absolutely not. I like my job in marketing fine, but it’s only a means to an end. As soon as I can, I want to leave the corporate world to raise my family. Is that wrong to say?”

“That’s admirable,” AJ says, stepping closer to me. “I think you’re going to make an excellent mommy.”

His low, growling voice sends a chill down my spine. My cheeks are flushed. AJ puts his hand on my arm, gently caressing my skin with his fingers. My body feels so hot, I might need to sit down or else I might pass out.

The attraction between us is clear. AJ’s neighbors can probably feel the tension radiating from us.

I step forward and kiss him just as gently as he kissed me before, but then I pull away.

“We have a game to finish,” I whisper flirtatiously.

I make sure to sway my hips a little extra as I take my turn. The ball goes straight into the gutter. So much for making a good impression on AJ! He probably thinks I’m a loser since I can’t bowl even half as good as him.

“I can show you some techniques,” AJ offers after he throws his next ball. “If you want.”

“Teach me how to bowl?”

“Yeah. I should’ve offered earlier, but I was enjoying the view too much.”

I blush. AJ’s compliments about my body are strange and unexpected. I’m not used to people calling me attractive. My last two boyfriends wouldn’t have been so open about ogling me. I doubt they ever ogled me at all.

“I’d love some pointers,” I admit.

“Okay. Come on.”

AJ leads me to the ball return and grabs my ball. He lines himself up with the arrows on the wood floor.

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