Page 26 of Rowdy Hearts

Which probably sounded pretty pathetic to this woman. Then again, I really didn’t know anything about her, so…

“What did you go to college for?” she said.

There was that interest again, that tone in her husky voice that felt like her fingers running down my back. And not in aweird way. No, I really wanted her to run her fingers down my naked back while I?—

“Political science with a minor in psychology.”

I knew exactly what she was thinking. Which kinda pissed me off. Yeah, I was a professional athlete, and my parents owned the team. And, yeah, I’d inherited enough money from my grandparents to live comfortably for the rest of my life if I never held another job again.

But I wasn’t some lazy-ass hick with no brains and?—

“I always wanted to study poly-sci,” she said, “but I knew I’d never be able to use the degree, so I went for boring. Business management.”

Okay, not what I’d expected. I stole another glance and found her staring out the window with an expression I could only describe as wistful. Again. Not a Neanderthal. Sometimes an asshole and sometimes the life of the party but never a complete dick. My mom had taught me better.

“So what do you do for a living?”

She didn’t answer right away, a long enough pause that I thought she wasn’t going to. Then she took a deep breath, like she was bracing for impact. Or giving her answer some serious thought.

“I manage a talent agency.”

Now, I might not be the brightest bulb in the shed, but that sounded like a dodge. I was willing to give her some leeway because obviously, she’d had a rough time of it last night.

“Were you at some fancy party last night with your clients?”

Yes, I was digging for info but, honestly, could she blame me? She stumbled into the bar last night and fell into my arms. It was a scene straight out of the movies Rain liked to watch, the sappy ones with happy endings where no one ever took their clothes off.

Another short, sharp breath. “Yes. But I… I had a fight with…someone, and I decided I needed some time away.”

I felt the sudden need to growl. “Did someone hurt you?”

She glanced at me, her gaze narrow, probably because I sounded like I wanted to punch whoever had dared to upset her.

“No. It wasn’t like that.”

Her answer didn’t sound that convincing and my hands tightened around the steering wheel.

“Who—”

“No one hurt me physically.”

This time her answer was much more assured. My hands relaxed, slightly, on the wheel.

“Some asshole break your heart?”

Yep, still fishing, but I couldn’t help myself. It was like pulling fucking teeth. I knew I should let her keep her secrets, knew it wasn’t any of my damn business.

And still…

“No. Nothing like that.”

That still didn’t tell me whether she had a guy in her life or not. Maybe I should just come out and ask. Usually, I couldn’t shut up. And caution wasn’t in my vocabulary. This woman, with her quiet reserve and a princess dress that probably cost more than I earned playing hockey for a season, had the power to make me think about every word that came out of my mouth. When my mom figured that out, she’d want Tressy to stay forever.

I waited for her to go on, biting my tongue and focusing on driving. When the silence dragged on for more than thirty seconds, I heard her release a heavy breath.

“My mom and I have a pretty…contentious relationship. She did something that—” She shook her head. “I just needed some space. So I grabbed Krista and we left. Probably not the smartest thing to do when you’re pissed off and upset. Definitely not the most adult.”

That last was said mostly under her breath. My hands relaxed a little more, and I breathed easier. Family shit. I understood that.Hell, I’d had enough fights with my dad growing up that it was a mystery how I’d made it to the age of thirty.

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