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“Ya think?”
His mouth slipped into a smirk and his voice came out more tender than before. “I was suggesting you deserved some time off, not accusing you of not knowing how to have fun.”
Well. That was sort of nice. But...
“You weren’t exactly trotting out the compliments.” She took a drink of her iced tea. A big enough gulp that she nearly choked when he continued.
“You want compliments? The truth is I have never been able to understand why you don’t bring a date. Look at you.” He did then, raking his eyes over her in a slow perusal that made her wiggle in her chair. “You’re damn gorgeous. And smart. Funny. Unique.”
“So unique you assumed I was Hannah when you saw me?” she clipped.
“Can I add smart-ass to the list?” He gave her a full-on grin, his eyes twinkling, and she suddenly regretted crossing his name out with permanent marker. Similarly, she couldn’t erase her memories of what he’d said last night.
“In my defense,” he continued, “I had second thoughts the moment I addressed you as Hannah. What was I supposed to do? Call you a liar? Or worse, compliment you on your smoking hot dress and ask you to dance?”
Oh, that would have been lovely.
“And then,” he said, his voice low and seductive, “when I gave in to the urge to run my fingers over those creamy, exposed shoulders...”
Hallie leaned closer, hooked on his every word. He’d thought her dress was smoking hot? And he’d wanted to dance with her? To touch her?
“Would you have come to my funeral?” he murmured.
She blinked. “What?”
“If you had actually been Hannah, Will would have murdered me.”
“You’re saying it’s my fault,” she grumbled, feeling regret tenfold.
“Partially. I’m sorry if I offended you. I recognize when someone needs a break, and you, Hallie, have earned one.” He took a deep breath before he continued, “I was raised in a family whose motto is work hard and work harder. I’ve resisted that with everything I am. Everyone has a breaking point, you know.”
“And you think I’m at a breaking point?”
“Not yet.” His smile was soft, his eyes locked on hers.
She was still in shock. She assumed he could take her or leave her and that she was alone in admiring him from afar. Now he was smirking and smiling and saying sexy things to her. It was too much to process over a tuna poke bowl.
“Forgive me?” He offered his hand and she regarded it dubiously. She didn’t recall ever shaking Gavin’s hand. Even when they’d first met. Overwhelmed by the need to touch him, she agreed without a second thought and slid her hand into his.
“There’s nothing to forgive.” She was going to add a thank-you for the compliments and a return apology for faking her identity, but the words frittered into the sizzling air between them.
His hand was larger than hers, his skin slightly tanned. He had long fingers and attractive knuckles. His grip was firm, yet gentle. And warm. So warm. His smile held, his eyelids sinking to half-mast.
“Hallie Banks. Golden eyes, dimples, able to lift one eyebrow without trying. Mistaking you for your sister isn’t something you’ll be able to accuse me of again.”
She was so smitten by his presence, his unwavering eye contact and the feel of his skin against hers, she didn’t let go right away when he tried to take his hand back. Her uttered apology was a mere whisper, lost under his husky laugh.
“Glad we cleared that up. I’ll let you eat.” He patted the table twice and stood. Her insides jumped, urging her to walk with him to the door, but in the end she stayed rooted to her seat, unable to rise to the occasion.
Yet again.
Hallie met Presley at Rise and Grind every week. Sometimes they enjoyed scones on Sunday or sipped tea on Tuesday. Today was Flat White Friday.
The appointment had been on her calendar for a week, but since Hallie hadn’t shaken off the run-in with Gavin at her apartment, she’d been tempted to cancel. Reason being, she knew she’d want to tell Presley everything, and since Pres was engaged to Gavin’s brother Cash, Hallie probably shouldn’t.
Presley smoothed her red hair behind her ear, her engagement ring glinting in the sunshine streaming in through the windows of the café. Cash had proposed onstage to his lovely bride-to-be over the summer. Presley had moved from Florida to Tennessee right away. Since then, she and Hallie had spent a lot of time together and had become close friends in a relatively short period of time.
Coffee cup halfway to her lips, Presley asked, “So what’s new with you?” and Hallie nixed the idea of keeping quiet about Gavin. She expelled the entire story, sharing the details of what happened at The Cheshire Sunday night and Elite Records on Monday morning, and finished off with how he had barged into her house that afternoon. She left out the part where he’d flattered her half to death.
