She is so damn cute when she’s blushing.
“It’s just a thank-you for finding Beckham,” he says. “That’s all. I thought I could buy you a drink, take you to dinner.”
“You don’t owe me anything. Goodness, I would hope if it were me in that situation it would be a good outcome.”
“It’s just a thank-you, but I understand. You don’t want anyone to see me with you.”
“No! That’s not it at all. I’m flattered. I don’t want you to go out of your way to think that you have to thank me. That’s all. Really. I don’t need anything for it. Jane would have found him, I’m sure. She was close by.”
“Jane said she wasn’t even close to where Beckham was.”
“We weren’t too far,” Meghan falters.
“Jane said she didn’t even know where you went looking for him and you took it on your own to look somewhere else. My family is very grateful. I’m very grateful. I’m taking you out tonight.”
“You are?”
She gives him a smile that makes his insides turn upside down. What he would do with her. Damn he wants her bad.
Jared has a feeling Meghan might be harder to convince than other women. Although, no other woman has made him this light on his feet and eager to get to know her. He wants to know who Meghan is, physically and emotionally.
“So do you have a boyfriend? Wouldn’t want to get into trouble.”
She giggles, finding him funny for asking. “No. I thought you said it was a thank-you dinner,” she says.
He can’t stop smiling. “It is.” He claps his hands together. “Okay then. It’s official. I’m taking you out.” He holds back from saying the word date in case she doesn’t feel the same. Why wouldn’t she, though? He’s a successful hockey player with a name that rolls off the tongues of people in this city. Maybe she’s playing shy.
“I’m off at five. I can meet you somewhere.”
He can’t stand still. If only he had practice now to skate off the adrenaline.
“Where do you want to meet?” he asks.
“I don’t know. This was your idea.”
I have other ideas.
“How about the Oasis Pub? Six o’clock?” he suggests.
“I’ll be there. Six thirty,” she says.
“I’ll be waiting.”
Jared waits for Megan at a square table at the back of the pub. He is trying to hide himself from the loud, middle-aged men sitting at the bar. They are commenting on the sports highlights and the prediction that the Warriors will have a good season now that they have players like Mason Ward and Eli Cooper. Strong players who can score goals and be tough. It’s a hope that they can play for the cup this season, backed by their fans. The nerves are always hard to control at home games. When Jared plays, he tries to keep his focus on the game and ignore the crowds and the chants that fill the Dome. It’s tough some nights especially when they are losing. Warrior fans get louder just when he thinks the building can’t handle any more yelling and chanting. That’s what he gets for playing hockey in this city. It’s the way things are for Vancouver. Every night he plays, he thinks of his cousin and puts out his hardest effort for Luke. If Luke is looking down at him, Jared hopes his cousin is proud.
Jared takes a gulp of his frothy beer, sits back, and watches toward the entrance for Meghan. He’s anticipating her beauty that leaves him breathless. Her legs are long with calves like apples, small and round. She definitely works out. Her body lean, her lips taut and glossy. Just the thought of kissing her makes his body rise with desire. If he whispered her name and kissed her neck, would it make her body fall into his? Would she be easy enough to take home? How much convincing does she need? He’s not asking for a relationship with her, just one night, or multiple nights, depending on how well it goes. There is something different about Meghan though. A woman eager to do business and who flirts with the idea of having fun. He’s sure that Meghan knows how to unwind, she just needs the opportunity. Maybe tonight will be the night.
“Jared Landry?” a twentysomething guy asks, walking closer with a curious stare.
Jared sits up straighter and moves his glass away from him, ready to extend his hand. “How are you?”
“It is you!” the young guy shrieks. “I don’t believe it.” He smacks his forehead and runs his hand through his hair quickly before offering a handshake. “It’s great to meet you. Wow. I was just having some drinks with some buddies when I saw you. I didn’t think it was you, but then I looked up your picture just to make sure and . . .” He talks with his hands. “Here you are! I wish I had something for you to sign.” He looks around him. “How ’bout a picture instead?” He takes out his cell phone and turns to the waitress walking by. “Excuse me? Can you take our picture?”
The waitress isn’t bothered by Jared’s status. She takes the phone, taps a few times, and hands over his phone. The guy thanks Jared and leaves.
“You don’t look so alone,” Meghan says as she steps up to the table and takes a seat across from him.
“I am.”
“Drink?” the waitress asks Meghan.
“Vodka and cranberry,” she answers.
Jared observes her loose-fitted black shirt and round studs in her ears. Her hair is pulled back into a low ponytail with a couple of long, wavy strands shaping her face. Her skin looks fresh like she just had a shower.
“You changed your clothes,” Jared begins with a sideways grin, liking what he sees.
She stares into his eyes for a moment making his heart beat a little faster. Her lengthy, black lashes bat in dismay.
Damn she looks good. I thought by starting off with a little flirting I’d have the upper hand, but she’s got me pegged. I can see it in her eyes. She can take it. I like this about her. She doesn’t back down.
“I’m not working,” she says, leaning back in her chair so that the waitress can set down her drink in front of her. “Thanks,” she says, and lifts the glass to her mouth.
“It’s working for me,” Jared says with a smirk he can’t quite erase. He licks his lips and takes a drink, trying not to be too proud of his flirting abilities. What does she expect from him tonight? He only hopes she wants something from him. Is she looking for a one-night stand or something more? “So, is your boyfriend okay with you being here tonight, with me?” he teases.
She laughs, putting down her drink. “I told you I don’t have a boyfriend.”
Now she won’t feel guilty and we can both breathe easily tomorrow.
“I remember,” he says. “I find it hard to believe you’re not with someone.”
“Is that what women tell you until you find out they’re taken?”
“I thought for sure you were with someone.”
The waitress comes over asking for their dinner order.
“Do you know what you want?” Jared asks Meghan.
She flips open the menu. “I can’t make a decision.” Her finger scrolls down the page. “Do you know what you want?” she asks, looking up over the menu. He answers yes and places his order. Meghan orders a wrap and hands the waitress the menu.
“What were we talking about?” she asks. Her stare is airy and light, but with an intensity that has him eager for more, and he gazes straight back into her bright eyes.
“That you’re not with anyone,” he says.
“Right. And you?”
He presses his hand on the table. “Not anymore, but I want to hear about you.”
She looks up thinking, batting her coated eyelashes. “I was with someone for five months. We broke up. It was after the cookbook signing.”
“Are you hurt about it?”
“No. Turns out he was a lying bastard who cheated on me. Jerk.” She winks.
“Jerk.”
“Who does that to someone?” she asks.
“Not a guy you want to be with.”
“Cheating. You know what happens when the lies start? They never stop.” She takes a long sip of her drink. “It didn’t start o
ff that way.”
“No?”
“It was nothing too spectacular. He was someone I met at work. We did the same thing. He fell for the intern.”
“Why did you go out with him?”
“He took me for a ride on his motorbike and he bought me my own helmet. Well, I found out it was his ex’s.” Meghan plays with her glass. “He knew how to make me swoon. How about you? Are you seeing someone?”
“No.” Jared shakes his head. A little stunned by the question. “I wouldn’t have asked you out tonight if I were.”
“So you’re not a cheating bastard?” she asks with a laugh.
“Nope. Never.” It was true. Jared was fair. If a girl wasn’t working out, he ended it. Ever since his last girlfriend, he’s hesitant about relationships. She did it to him. Wanted him every second of the day. He couldn’t breathe without telling her where he was and checking in when he arrived at a hotel. She bragged about being together and told people they were engaged. He wasn’t planning on it, she wasn’t someone he pictured as the mother of his children. Not that he’s even considering finding someone who fits the bill, but when dating becomes serious it seems like that’s all women think about.
“Did you love the jerk?” Jared asks. He needs to know how hurt she really is about the breakup. That will make all the difference as to how far they go tonight. If he plays the “poor you” card, she’ll go for him. What he could do with her legs wrapped around him . . .
“No. Not a bit,” she says. “Glad it’s over.” She drains her glass and sets it down. “Sorry, I shouldn’t talk about it.”
“Doesn’t bother me.” He shrugs it off, gripping his glass.
“My friend Brie would give me the third degree if she heard me talk about Stu. She doesn’t think he deserves a mention.”
Jared is speechless; watching her smile makes him happy. He’s forgotten about his life and is interested in hers.
“I’m sorry, sorry.” She waves her hands. “I gotta stop. I want to hear about you.”
He leans back in his chair. “You know about me. You met my sister, my nephew—”
“Will Jane be coming out again?”
“I doubt it. Although she didn’t say.” Knowing his sister, she’d want to stay home and get some rest. “She said you two had a good time, despite Beckham’s disappearance.”
“We found him safe and sound,” she says. “That was a relief.”
“Thanks to you.”
Meghan shrugs. “I’m sure she would have found him. I was in the right place.”
“Jane is very thankful, as is the rest of my family.”
The waitress puts down their dinner plates. “Another drink?” she asks, reaching for the empty.
“No, I’ll take a club soda and lime?” Meghan says, then turns her head to Jared. “You can tell Beckham is close to you.”
“I try to stay connected while I’m away from home.”
“Home being Brampton?” She attempts to take a bite of her wrap.
“Yeah.” He lifts his chin. “Jane told you a lot about me.”
“Actually, you told me where you’re from. At the public signing when we met at the dressing room.”
He makes a face. “I did?”
“Yup.”
“I don’t remember. What else did I tell you?”
There’s a mischievous look in her eyes. “We don’t have all night.”
“I do,” he says. “And you don’t have anyone to go home to. Tell me more.”
“You don’t want to hear about me.”
“Yes, I do. Are you fighting off guys to leave you alone?”
I sure the hell don’t want to leave you alone.
She laughs.
“I take that as a yes.”
“No!” She giggles some more, sucks in her bottom lip.
Jared straightens his back to readjust himself, anything to take away from staring at Meghan. She blows his mind. He can only imagine what she’s like in bed. He wants to show her what she’s missing out on.
The waitress drops off their drinks.
Meghan purses her lips and stares into his eyes. For a moment, Jared’s heart is beating faster. It’s like she is feeding his soul with liquid pleasure and he doesn’t know what to do except seduce her and take her home. What else can he do with an attractive woman who makes him all forgetful and childlike? He hasn’t experienced a woman like Meghan before. It scares him. Scares him so much he wants to burn more adrenaline. With her. In his bed.
“If you want to know,” she says, squeezing lime into the soda and plunking the fruit into the glass. She stabs it with her straw. “My last relationship lasted five months too long.”
“What made you stay?”
“I’m not sure exactly. Convenience maybe?”
He hums. “Convenience is when you go to the store to buy milk and you pick up a bunch of flowers, too, because they’re there.” He shrugs. “Five months is long enough if you’re not with someone you care about.”
“I had no idea you were a relationship expert,” she says, leaning into the table. “So tell me, what’s the deal with you? Have you ever been married?”
He shakes his head. “Nope,” he says, cupping his almost-empty glass. He wants to stick to one or two pints of beer considering he has to drive home. He pushes his plate away.
“How about newly broken up?”
“What do you want to know?”
Meghan shrugs. “Was it serious?”
He laughs nervously. Why is he feeling self-conscious? “I guess so,” he says. “She wanted to get married, but . . .” He pauses, choosing his words carefully. The last thing he wants to do is scare Meghan into thinking he’s not an easy guy to get along with. “I couldn’t see myself with her forever.”
Meghan’s sympathetic grin eases him. He wants to tell her more, but decides against it. She won’t go for him tonight if their conversation is dry and serious.
“Jane bugs me all the time about being single.”
“Oh, yeah?”
He smirks as he lifts his glass to his mouth.
“I like Jane. She’s fun.”
“And bossy,” he says. “She’s two years older.
“She’s allowed to be bossy.”
He finishes his beer. “You have one of those too?”
“Nope. Two brothers. I’m in the middle.”
The waitress comes by. “Another beer?”
“No, thanks.” He points his finger to Meghan. “Do you want one more?”
“No, this is it for me,” she says.
“We’ll take the check,” Jared says. The waitress turns on her toes. “Do you want to get out of here?”
“Where would you take me?”
To my house.
Meghan sucks in her bottom lip.
Damn! She’s doing that again with her mouth. I want those lips on me. . . .
“It depends.” What now? How does he tell her he wants to take her home? Will she agree? Is she easily persuaded?
“Depends on what?”
She’s not making this easy for me.
“Late night, early morning?” he hints.
“Early morning for sure,” she says. “I have that event at the library and have to be there at eight to set up.”
“Right. The event.” He rolls his eyes.
She lowers her head to meet him eye for eye. “You’ll be there?”
Jared swallows. How can he lie to her? Those eyes are trusting and innocent. Even more appealing to want to take her home.
“I’ll try.”
The waitress places the billfold down between them.
Meghan lies back in her chair and crosses her arms, staring at him skeptically. “I’ll take that as a no.”
“No, I’ll try. Promise.”
“What’s going on tomorrow that’s more important?”
“I . . . uh—”
She tilts her head. “Do you not like crowds? Is that it? It’s not a big deal if that’s the reason, but I
should know. . . .”
If only he could lie to her and tell her yes, the crowds kept him away.
“It’s just not my thing.”
“You’re a celebrity in this city, you should make it your thing.” Meghan sucks on her straw.
Nobody has ever spoken to him like this before. “If you come home with me tonight, I’ll show up tomorrow.”
“No, you need to show up because it’s part of your job. You’re part of the Warriors’ image. Besides, I’m not going to make a poor decision.”
He leans into the table. “You’re saying I’m a bad decision?”
“Yes.”
“Is that the kind of guy you take me as?” he asks, taking in her relaxed style.
“I don’t know,” she says, getting out her wallet and slapping down a twenty.
“I got this,” Jared says, getting out his wallet and putting cash inside the billfold. “It’s on me, remember?”
“Don’t want you to think I owe you anything.”
“I wouldn’t think that,” he says, standing up.
She swings her purse over her shoulder. “Is that right?”
“I’m a nice guy.”
“Uh-huh.”
He wants to touch her and kiss her neck and hear her say his name.
She turns on her toes and he follows her out, watching her legs part like scissors to the door.
“Where are you parked?” he asks, stopping on the sidewalk.
She points. “Right there. The red Fiat.”
“I was going to guess you drove one.”
“Why is that?”
“Compact car for city driving.”
“And what do you drive, a Porsche?”
“Did I tell you that?”
“No.” She laughs. “Am I right?”
“You’re playing me,” he says.
“I didn’t know, I swear,” she giggles. “You just strike me as a guy with a Porsche. But let me guess.” She holds up her hand. “It’s not even a 911 or a Boxster, is it?”
“It’s a 918 Spyder.”
“Never heard of one. Must be expensive.”
“Do you want me to take you for a ride?” he asks.
There, I’ve got her now. She’s tempted to feel the need for speed.
She sucks on her bottom lip. “Probably not,” she wavers.
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