Page 29 of A Scoring Chance

“Stop freaking out. You look beautiful.” Alise always knows exactly what to say, even when she has no idea what I’m actually doing. Well, unless she has hidden cameras somewhere in my car. I seriously wouldn’t put it past her if I was being honest, but I digress.

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Besides, if I told you he was coming, you’d have left and hidden away at home or worse, gone to your shift at The Pit Stop early.”

“I would have done no such thing.”

“Tell that to someone who doesn’t know you. You freaked out when you saw him at the ice rink last night. Why should I believe that something would’ve been different today?”

“Umm…” I draw out the words, trying to think of a completely valid reason why I need to stay the hell away from Cooper Hendrix.

I glance down at the clock and over toward the entrance to the farm. Cooper hasn’t noticed that I’m here yet. I could easily slip out of the parking lot, and no one would be the wiser, except Alise, but she’d take that small tidbit of information to the grave.

“Stop calculating an escape route and talk to the man. I don’t think he bites.”

“You don’tthinkhe does?”

“How am I supposed to know? That would be like having sex with my brother.” Alise makes a loud gagging sound for good measure.

“Too bad you don’t think that about all of your, I meanhisbrothers.”

That’s a small tidbit of information that I found out over one too many bottles of wine on my twenty-first birthday a couple of years ago. Alise has always remained tightlipped about the manwho stole her heart, but I weaseled it out of her that night. Now if I could just figure out how to get Cooper’s help without telling him my best friend’s closely guarded secret, I’d be in business. She’s meddling in my affairs. It might be time for someone to meddle in hers.

“Touché. But we aren’t talking about me right now, are we? Just let him take you to lunch and whatever else he wants to do.”

There are several things I’d love to let Cooper Hendrix do to me, but alas, I have responsibilities. “I have to work.”

I’m grasping at straws and we both know it. Lunch with the man I’m uncontrollably attracted to should be number one on my list of priorities, especially today. What could go wrong if I played hooky for one day? Besides, today is a very special occasion. Why shouldn’t I spend it doing something fun? That’s an easy answer: Fun is for people without responsibilities. I can’t just call out of work on a whim.

“Nope. Took care of that, too. Patty is going to cover your shift tonight and tomorrow. You owe her big time.”

“First, why do I need tomorrow off? Second, how do I owe her anything? I’m not the one who asked her to cover for me.”

“Again, semantics. Go get your man and call me later.” Alise quickly hangs up before I can say anything else.

I pull in a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. Okay, I can do this. I can have lunch with Cooper. Cooper Hendrix, who’s Darius’s hockey coach and apparently a big fucking deal to a lot of people. I may have googled him last night before bed. I wasn’t scared of whatever this connection was between us before last night, but I am terrified now. Forget worrying about him being out of my league; he’s in an entirely different stratosphere. Nothing good is going to come from catching feelings for Cooper Hendrix.

Okay. All I need to do is make it through lunch at one of my favorite restaurants and not make a fool out of myself. An hourand some change tops. I can do this. I squeak in surprise at the soft knocking on my window. I roll it down quickly.

“Hey, Beauty.” Goose bumps spread across my body at the rough growl of his voice as the breeze flows through my window. I suppress a moan as the smell of thyme, lavender, and something I can’t place fills my lungs. I would love to say that it’s the farm or some fancy car freshener I didn’t know I had, but that is all Cooper. Fuck, he smells good.

Instead of saying hello like a normal human, I raise my hands and wave slightly. OMG, Ramona, get your shit together. The little tiny finger wave is not even remotely cool and calm. I must look like a complete and utter lunatic, but instead of turning around and running back to his truck, he grasps my hand in his. His eyes remain locked on mine as he brushes his lips across the inside of my wrist. The feeling of his lips on my skin shoots right to my core. My muscles tighten as moisture pools between my legs.

“Hey,” I squeak, my legs clamping shut. I need something to relieve some of the tension in my body. Jesus H. Christ, what the hell is happening to my body? Just the feel of this man’s lips on my skin has my entire body ready to combust.

“I hope you don’t mind me coming to visit.” Cooper holds up a brown paper bag. “I have a promise to a horse to keep.”

“I’m sure Bluebell would appreciate it. She loves it when men keep their promises.” My cheeks pink as I shift slightly in my seat.Body, calm the fuck down.There’s no way I’m going to make it through an hour-long car ride and lunch with him this close. His smell, the gravelly sound of his voice, his lips… no, no. I’m not thinking about his lips.

“She’s in the barn in the back. I’d join you, but I have to go.”

“Go?” His entire face falls as he leans away from the car, shoving both his hands into his pants. “I won’t keep you any longer.”

Damn. Cooper looks as if I just stole his favorite toy and kicked his dog at the same time. He must have really been looking forward to giving those apples to Bluebell. Who am I kidding? I know that’s not why Cooper is here. Right now, I have two choices. I can leave him standing right here in the parking lot and head off to my perfectly planned lunch by myself, or I can ask him to come with me.

“Do you want to have lunch with me?” I ask in barely a whisper, not entirely sure if I want him to hear me or not.

“Excuse me?” He leans forward, his forearms resting on the door.

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