Page 54 of Empty Net

I clear my throat, looking away and ignoring the tightening in my jeans.

“Don’t worry. It’s just a Shirley Temple. No booze. I think I need to lay off it for a while.”

I look back over at her. “I wasn’t worried. You’re an adult, Lilah. You get to decide when you’ve had enough.”

That earns me another smile, and I don’t know what I’m saying to get so many of them, but I’m not mad about it, especially since every time she flashes me one, that cobweb of loneliness that’s built up inside my chest loosens.

“So, were the nachos worth missing my goalie stretches that had you falling in love with me?”

She slides her eyes my way at my reference to our conversation on New Year’s Eve. “Honestly? Yes. You look good and all doing your stretches out there, but those overpriced nachos are my favorite thing in the world.”

“Bet I could make you much better ones. In fact, I’m thinking that’s what we do for our date.”

Her eyes spark. “You want to cook for me?”

“I’m not sure making nachos really counts as cooking, but yeah, I want to cook for you.”

She looks surprised by this. “I’ve never had a date cook for me before.”

I’m not sure if that makes me happy or sad, but it’s definitely telling about the kind of men she usually dates.

“Then it’s settled. You come over, I’ll make nachos, and we can tell each other all our dirty secrets.”

She quirks a brow, rolling her straw between her fingers. “How dirty are we talking?”

“And you saidmymind was in the gutter.” I shake my head with a grin. “Whatever we need to know to convince your mother of our undying love.”

Her shoulders deflate, and I know instantly it’s because I brought up her mother.

“Shit. She hasn’t been bothering you more, has she?”

She waves a hand. “It’s nothing I can’t handle. Just a barrage of texts today, playing twenty questions about our relationship—which reminds me, our second date was to the soup kitchen. You’re a very charitable man, Arthur Fox.”

“Iama charitable man. I volunteer there at least once a month.”

“Stop it. You do not.”

Her eyes widen when she realizes I’m not joking.

“Seriously?” she asks, her surprise evident.

I shrug, feeling a bit shy suddenly. “Yeah. I feel like it’s the least I can do to give back.”

“Are you a Disney prince?”

I laugh. “What?”

“No, seriously,” she says, still staring up at me like I’m some sort of god. “Are you a Disney prince? Because that’s total fictional man material right there.”

“I can assure you I’m not a prince.”

“Well, if I ever meet your parents, remind me to praise them for raising such an incredible human because you are unlike any man I’ve ever met, Fox. If only my other boyfriends were half as good as you, I wouldn’t need a fake fiancé. I’d be married already.”

An odd surge of jealousy hits me out of nowhere at the thought of her married to someone else. It’s not like I have any claim over her, but something about hearing her say thatmakesme want to have a claim, and that’s just never happened to me before.

I brush it away, grinning down at her.

“My mother would be pleased to hear that, I’m sure. She always loves being praised for her parenting skills.”

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