Page 21 of Touchdowns and Temptations

“No!” Alex laughs. “Cara and I were just talking.”

And suddenly Noah grins, as if he's struggling to keep his face straight. I feel my tension melt away and am relieved that he's not mad at us. Or should I have been happy that he was? That would be a much better starting point, wouldn't it? Then I'd be rid of him in no time. That's what I want, isn't it? To make Noah angry and to alienate him so that he doesn't want to go out with me anymore.

“I can see that,” he says. “Hey!”

“Hey,” I reply and Alex looks back and forth between us with a grin. “I'm off,” he whispers. “Nice to meet you, pretty lady.”

“Get lost,” Noah grumbles and Alex slaps his twin on the shoulder. “Oh and Cara?”

“Yeah?”

“Think of the pain.” He winks at me and disappears. Noah looks after him and throws his head back.

“Please don't tell me he tried to lull you with our magical twin connection?”

“Uh,” I mutter. “Maybe.”

I grin at him and he grins back. Noah licks his lips and comes over to me. I'm glad I still have my desk between us and can keep my distance. I look at Noah and think he looks nervous. And he's actually smaller than Alex. Definitely. They're more different than I thought.

“I wanted to talk to you again and apologize for my brother,” he says.

“You don't have to apologize for him,” I tell him. “He was nice.”

“Nice?” Noah turns as if to check on Alex again. “Alex was nice?”

“Yeah,” I say. “And funny.”

“And funny?” Noah asks, still skeptical. “Was he flirting with you?”

I'm surprised at the question. He should know Alex well enough to know if he was flirting with me, right?

“Would it bother you?”

“Yes!” Surprised by his clear answer, I gasp. “Of course, it bothers me if my brother flirts - and in the worst case, successfully - with the woman I want to go out with.”

“He wasn't flirting,” I reassure him. “He was standing up for you.”

“Then I must make it clear that I did not instigate this action!”

“No?” I ask with a grin. “He was very ... persistent.”

“Persistent?”

“Yes!”

“What do you mean, persistent?” he asks. “Did he say anything that would get me in more trouble?”

“No,” I wave him off. “He was very charming and said you wanted to go out with me. At first, I thought you were pretending to be him. After that misunderstanding was cleared up, he tried to explain to me the magical connection between twins.”

“And?” he asks, looking at me with a sigh. There's a glimmer of hope in his eyes, which I immediately snuff out. “Have my chances of getting a date gone down even further?”

I groan in annoyance and throw my head back. “Noah,” I sigh. “My mind is made up.”

“Why?” he asks. “When we saw each other in the bar and ... and you dropped your fork. Cara there... there was something between us. Give me a chance.”

I'm tempted to say he looks desperate, but I don't dare. The man doesn't look desperate, does he? He can have any woman in Boston. He doesn't have to tell me that there was something between us. He should find another woman to do something with.

“No,” I say again. “Would you like something else?”

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