Page 26 of Can't Always Get What You Want

“By planting the visual of hockey dick into my brain?”

Before he can follow that up with a well-deserved retort, ourserver appears beside the table, balancing a tray loaded with eight sliders and truffle fries.

“Here you go,” she says cheerfully. “You guys need anything else?”

“Boundaries,” I mumble under my breath, reaching for the ketchup.

Gio grins like he didn’t just nuke my appetite with talk of his teammates’ anatomy. “We’re good. Thanks.”

She smiles and walks off, blissfully unaware of the emotional crime scene she narrowly escaped.

I pick up a slider and stare at it like it might give me answers. Maybe if I stare long enough, the bun will part and whisper,break it off before he finds out and murders someone.

Across the table, Gio digs in like nothing just exploded between us. Like he didn’t just casually torch my entire nervous system with a single comment about locker room nudity.

“Sliders are good,” he says with a mouthful, completely content.

“Fantastic. I’ll let them comfort me in my time of crisis.”

He pauses, looking up. “You’re not actually mad, are you?”

I shake my head. “Nope. Just sitting here thinking about how impossible you are. And stubborn. And strict.”

“Protective,” he corrects. “And devastatingly handsome. Don’t forget that part.”

Yeah, yeah yeah….

6

Luca: So be honest—are you still mad at me?

Nova: Who said I was mad at you??

Luca: Oh, my bad. Are you still NOT mad at me?

Nova: **eye roll**

Luca: Soo…that’s not a no.

Nova: Why are you so annoying???

Luca: I was just asking a question. Why didn’t you want to stay and talk to me in the parking lot?

Nova: Because literally NO ONE wants to sit in a parking lot having a conversation. It’s creepy. Someone could have come along and murdered me.

Luca: Wow. You have no faith in me? You don’t think I wouldhave PROTECTED you? I’m insulted.

Nova: I’m just saying…if someone did show up to murder me, I feel like you’d be the type to hesitate.

Luca: Hesitate?! WTF does that mean?

Nova: Like. I feel like you’d try to reason with them first instead of taking action.

Luca: What kind of person do you think I am??

Nova: A talker.

Luca: As if I would try to negotiate with a MURDERER??? Damn Nova, way to emasculate me. Jeez.

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