Page 85 of Rewind It Back

“I’m working.”

Reaching up on her toes, she slides a new bottle behind a partially used one. Her sweater rides up, giving me a full view of her heart-shaped ass before the denim cuts in around the waist.

“That’s fine. Lovely view from this angle.”

She looks over her shoulder and I let her catch me checking her out.

Turning, she comes down from her toes, pulling her sweater to cover her stomach, but all that does is draw my attention to the dip of the neckline where a black lace bralette peeks out.

Yes, I know what a bralette is, thanks to the girls’ nights I’ve been a part of over the years. I’ve learned some crazy shit from those get-togethers.

I lean my elbows on the bar top, pushing myself forward, towards her. “Crazy seeing you here.”

She crosses her arms on the bar, mirroring my position. “What can I get you to drink?”

“Water.”

She lifts a brow.

“I’m not exactly here for the booze.” My eyes drop down to her lips. “What time are you off?”

She tries to hide it, but I catch her attention flicking to my own mouth as I speak, and it takes everything in me not to ask if she changed her mind about that kiss.

She pushes herself off the bar, simultaneously pulling her attention away from my mouth to scan the room.

“I’m not sure yet. Depends on when things start slowing down.” Hallie scoops ice into a cup and tops it with water from the soda gun. “Nice game tonight, thirty-eight,” she says as she sets the glass on a coaster in front of me before nodding to the TV in the corner playing our local sports network. “You looked good out there.”

That thing happens in my chest again, and suddenly I feel like a kid, knowing she watched me play, hoping I impressed her.

“No jersey?” I ask, nodding towards her colorful sweater.

“Not until you tell me why you changed your number.” She lets that statement hang to see if I take the bait, but I don’t. “And besides, you’ve got plenty of other people wearing your jersey in here.”

I hold eye contact. “Kind of only care about one.”

A laugh bubbles out of her. “When did you become such a smooth flirt?”

“Smooth? That part pretty much only happens with you. The flirting part of that question really hasn’t done much for me over the years.”

She shrugs. “Always worked on me.”

Those lips tilt into a knowing smile and fuck me if I don’t want to lean right over this bar and kiss them. Kiss her.

“All right.” She wipes down the work area around her before tucking the towel into the back pocket of her jeans. “I’ve got to get back to work.”

“Okay. I’ll be here.” I lean back in my chair, bringing my glass to my mouth.

“Wait. You’re just going to sit there while I work?”

I nod.

“Why?” She seems genuinely confused with those brows pinched together and her nose scrunched.

And that makes two of us because only a couple of months ago I thought I’d never see her again, and now I don’t want to let her out of my sight.

I shrug casually as if the answer were obvious. “I already told you, Hal. I missed you.”

Chapter 17

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