Page 4 of Fumbling for Perfection

“If I guess it, will you tell me?”

“No.”

“That’s not fair. Millicent? Ester? Ursula? Gertrude?”

“Stop.” I can’t help my laughter. “Why do you know so many repulsive names? No offense to anyone who’s been doomed with them, of course.”

“Exactly. No offense to them, and you shouldn’t be ashamed of your name.”

“Says the man who won’t tell me his boring last name.”

He opens his mouth as if to argue and closes it again. He leans in closer, and his words whisper across my cheek. “Your name could be as heinous as Satan sitting on a mountain of shit, and you’d still make it sound like the most sexual, erotic sound coming off my tongue.”

Shivers shoot down my spine and my arms, and once again, my nipples are on full attention. Walker’s gaze dips to the protruding buds poking the blue satin of my dress before returning to my face.

“Tell me more about you, Riley.”

His deep, sexy words are still rumbling through my ears as I tell my body to chill the heck out. “Um, not much to tell. I own a sports performance facility in Boston. We offer free skills sessions and physical therapy for kids who don’t have insurance or need financial support. We have a gym and physical therapists on staff. I’m finishing up my certification to be a nutrition coach.”

“That’s a lot to tell. Are you a physical therapist as well?”

Shame still manages to work its way into my veins, even though deep down I know I have nothing to be ashamed of. “I went to school for exercise science, but I...” There’s no need to give Walker my entire sob story. “I taught Pilates, dance, and yoga when I was in school and a couple of years ago got interested in all things nutrition. The science of food really interests me. I believe it’s an important part of recovery as well.”

“Exercise and nutrition are two of my three favorite things as well.”

My eyes can’t help their direction, studying all the muscles visible even through his sweatshirt. “What’s your third?”

He rubs his chin and pierces me with his stormy eyes. “Let’s just say, anything and everything to do with the human body. Mostly, the giving and receiving of pleasure.”

Pure, raw lust lodges itself in my throat. I reach for my empty water bottle and pick at the label as I try to come up with a response.

“What do you like to do in your spare time?” he asks like he didn’t just say the sexiest thing ever.

I release the bottle and rub my hands up and down my thighs. I’m not usually nervous around men. Granted, I’ve never been in such proximity to a man like Walker. He oozes sex and confidence.

“I’ve been swamped with my gym so there hasn’t been any free time since forever.”

“But if you did have a moment or two, how would you spend them?”

In my dream world, I’d go to a tropical island, sit in the sand with a fruity frozen drink in one hand and a book in the other. Since that’s never going to happen, I go with the more realistic. “I like to work out, read, go for hikes. You?”

“Same.”

I roll my eyes. “You can’t keep copying what I say. Tell me something fun about you.”

“There’s not a lot of time for fun in my schedule.”

“And when there is?”

He contemplates for a moment before he says, “Last year I went skydiving.”

“Really? I’ve never even thought about taking the plunge. Is that something you always wanted to do?”

The flirting smile drops, and he shakes his head. “Metaphorically.”

I scrunch my nose. “Meaning?”

“That’s a story for another day.”

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