Page 68 of Playing Flirty

I grumbled as I lost my last life, and the machine flashedGAME OVER.

“What are your life goals?” William asked.

“Oh, you know what, I’m not going to explain. You don’t need to know that part of me.”

Tilting my chin upward, he let his gaze focus for several seconds on each part of my face. He stared into my brown eyes as if they were something to marvel at. His soft gaze dipped to my cheeks, slid down the sharp slope of my nose, and endedon my full lips, where it usually lingered. Eventually, he said, “I plan on knowing all parts of you, and for what it’s worth…” He took a deep breath and glanced back at the game. “I didn’t achieve that score. It’s impossible. I tried, and I got damn near your score but couldn’t beat it. So…” He scrunched his nose.

I pinched his arm, and he chuckled. “You cheated? You said you never cheat!”

“I was going to tell you, but it was so easy to frustrate you.”

I pinched him again. “William. You absolute scoundrel!”

He flinched and then his hand slid up my arm, leaving goose bumps in its wake. “I’ll delete my score. I… I liked that we had our own… thing. Without anyone else.”

My face heated again. William romanced me in my own language.

I pulled him back to the table at the same time my favorite waiter dropped off the cups of coffee I’d ordered and offered William the same large, lovely smile that I was usually on the receiving end of.

“My favorite customer,” Mac said.

“I thought I was your favorite customer,” I said, sharing a competitive glance with William.

“You’re a delight, honey,” Mac said with a gentle touch on my shoulder. “But this one helps me with my IT issues,andhe fixed the arcade machines.”

I narrowed my eyes at William, who only laughed.

“Call me if you need anything else,” he said as he left.

William slid his chair next to mine and peered over my shoulder as I opened my laptop. “So, life goals.”

Reluctantly, I opened my spreadsheet. “You’re going to think I’m ridiculous. Everyone does.”

“I like that you’re ridiculous.”

Tilting the screen so he could see, I handed him my mouse and shut my eyes. I didn’t want to see his reaction. I was already regretting this.

“Okay,” he said, his tone holding a repressed laugh. “This is more ridiculous than I’d thought.”

I snapped the screen closed. “Now you know.”

“Why do you do this?” he asked in the gentlest tone.

His face was so close, and his expression so soft, that it sucked the truth out of me.

“It makes me feel like I have some control over my life. I like having a plan. I thought everyone did this. Don’t you think about your next step?”

He shook his head. “Not really.”

“So, you don’t think of promotions, or what you’d like to achieve?” I took a sip of my coffee.

“Nope, I like my job.” He shrugged, taking a sip from his own mug. “It’s fun, and it’s pretty hard to ruin anything big.”

“Those are really strange requirements for a job. You’re not worried in a few years they’ll replace you with someone younger and cheaper?”

“I’ll cross that bridge when I get there. But I am hoping to have developed another game or two by then anyway.”

The nonchalant way he said it confused me.

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