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“Take a guess.”
As the silence extended, the snow on his leather jacket dripped onto my hardwood floor. I huffed out a sigh and put my glasses back on. “Well, enough chitchat. Let’s get on with this, shall we?”
He let out a strangled sound crossed between a laugh and a growl. “That’s what you call chitchat? How old are you?”
I blinked at his rapid-fire questions. “Twenty-four in a few weeks. Why?”
“Fuck.” He shut his eyes. “Sure that first number isn’t a 3?”
“Uh, no, I’ve seen my birth certificate.” I looked him up and down thoroughly in the name of science. “You’re not secretly like fifty, are you?”
“No. Thirty-six in February.”
“Egads.” I gasped and his eyes flew open as I pressed a hand to my chest. “Why, you’re practically my father’s age.”
“Stop it. I am not.” He cocked his head. “Am I?”
“Ha. Hardly. My dad was over forty when I came along. Middle-age oops baby and he felt compelled to marry the mother—for like fifteen minutes.”
“Oh. Ouch.Themother? Not your mother?”
“Too personal for a non-date.” I held up a finger and Lucky took that opportunity to lurch out of his dad’s chest cat sack to take a swipe at it.
“Lucky, mind your manners,” Clint chided while I beamed.
“Now I know you’re the one.”
“I am?”
“Not you, your cat.” I held out my fingers for Lucky to nuzzle and he bit them—hard. I would’ve laughed if I hadn’t winced.
Hmm, did I have any Neosporin left? I went through that stuff like coffee.
When Clint didn’t reply, I added, “I was about to say never mind, but we can proceed with the introduction.”
“Why would you say never mind tome? You’re the one who practically lives in a college dorm room.”
“Is that supposed to be an insult? I always wanted a beanbag chair.” I’d have to put it on my Amazon wishlist, assuming they were still available.
I was always behind the times.
“I’m just saying. You’re even in a bathrobe.”
“So?” He didn’t realize my robe was my version of a security blanket. It also sent a distinct message that I refused to play games and try too hard.
Also, it was close to shapeless so not needlessly provocative. And it was comfortable.
I made the rules here, dammit.
“Those heels don’t match the rest of the picture.” His gaze drifted down my body in a way that should’ve felt sexual but instead seemed curious. “You’re not short.”
“Nope.”
“Yet you wear heels in your bathrobe. You’re a puzzle, cat lady.” He angled his head as I scratched my nose then put my glasses back in place. “Going along with the college theme, do you have moldy pizza still in the box laying around somewhere too?”
My stomach took that moment to growl, so I went to the couch and lifted the box I’d stashed between the overstuffed pillows. “Snack of champions.”
“Teddy Grahams?”
