Page 6 of Hard To Leave

Chapter 2

Jack

I wasn’t even goingto pretend that I didn’t see the gorgeous brunette across the bar. In fact, it seemed as though every set of male eyes noticed her.

I’d been fantasizing about her for the past couple of weeks since I walked out of that diner. I kept thinking about how she handled that sleazy douchebag at the booth in front of me when he propositioned her with a laugh-worthy invitation. She definitely caught my attention, that was for sure. I wanted nothing more than to walk up to that bar and take a seat next to her. Even though I knew she wouldn’t make it easy for me.

She was a tough nut to crack, but I’d seen her soft side with how she handled that little girl with the spilled milk. She was a nurturer with a big heart, and it was obvious that she guarded that heart. Which made her all the more interesting to me.

I never had trouble scoring with women. When it came to hooking up, it was almost too easy. Something told me that Chloe, the cute little waitress that I couldn’t shake from my mind, wasn’t just a hookup. She was a challenge—one I wasn’t sure I was ready for.

The woman sitting across the table from me was hot, but nothing I haven’t tapped before. She was the easy I was used to, but for some reason, I was craving something the exact opposite.

When my cousin Caden arranged this hookup tonight, it seemed like a good idea at the time. He was looking for an easy score, and I was doing him a favor by tagging along with her friend. But now that my eyes have spotted Chloe, I couldn’t seem to tear them away.

It wasn’t just her body that had me drawn to her. It was the way she would blush at my flirting, the way she seemed to react to my advances. I made her nervous in a cute kind of way. And, by the way she looked tonight, she had me nervous in a very bad way.

She was sitting at the bar with a tall, slim girl with shoulder-length blonde hair. The girl was attractive, but the sight of her didn’t have my insides twisting in knots.

I was watching Chloe move those full, perfectly shaped, glossed lips so animatedly, they had dirty thoughts running through my mind. I couldn’t seem to peel my eyes away from her.

Her light, pink top revealed an impeccable amount of cleavage that held my eyes hostage. My gaze finally moved down to a pair of ripped jeans that showed the frame of a real woman. Not one of those skinny, wannabe models who walked around looking like they were on day one thousand of a lemon water cleanse.

“What are you looking at?” my cousin asked from across the table. He had his arm draped along the back of his date Olivia’s shoulders, while I practically ignored my date, Mila.

“Relax, just checking out the sports highlights,” I said, tipping my beer in the opposite direction of where Chloe and her friend were currently taking up space.

Caden swung his gaze over to the TV. He was an accomplished hockey player with the AHL, a developmental league and a bit of a ladies’ man. He was also a competitive jock who was focused on advancing his career. His parents had spent a fortune on his fancy prep school ice time, and I knew from just watching him play a few times that it wouldn’t be long before he moved his way up to the NHL.

I sipped on my beer and debated what to do about Chloe. You see, I was in a very difficult position. I really wanted to go over and talk to her, but seeing that I was on a double date made that a big problem.

Olivia and Mila were two local girls that Caden had met over this past summer at a bonfire on the beach. Olivia was Caden’s go-to hookup when he was in town. I was the designated wingman for Mila, who always made herself available whenever I was passing through.

“Dude.” Caden nudged my leg. “Did you hear a word that I said?” he asked, pulling my eyes away from Chloe.

“Sorry, bro. What was that?”

“I said I have a game at the Garden in a few weeks and then I got a couple days off. You going to make yourself available to meet me in the city?”

“I’ll look through my calendar. Text me the dates; I’m sure I can make something work.”

I noticed a couple of men paying extra attention to Chloe and her friend. I needed to make my move quick.

I stood up from my seat and jerked my head toward the bar. “I’m going to grab another beer. Anyone need anything?”

Caden glanced at my full beer, then looked at me with suspicion. He swirled his body around in his stool to look across the restaurant. “I’m good.”

I nodded my head and looked at my date. I didn’t want to be a total jerk. “I’ll be right back.”

Once I made my way up to the bar, I inched my body closer to my target. She hadn’t noticed me yet, which was probably a good thing. She was going to agree to go out with me one way or another.

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite waitress,” I whispered into the back of her ear, catching her off guard. She stiffened before turning around. She looked beautiful. Actually, beautiful didn’t do her justice. She was breathtaking. There were no adequate words to describe my reaction to her.

The way her eyes lit up when she saw me gave me a small shred off hope. I could work with that. “Well, if it isn’t my best tipper.”

“You look stunning,” I told her, drinking her vision in from head to toe. I was making it obvious what I wanted. I was also testing the waters. I wasn’t sure where I stood with this girl, and being unsure was unfamiliar territory for me.

A blush the same color as her pink top moved across her face. “Thanks.” She smiled. “This is my friend, Carly.” She gestured to the blonde sitting next to her.

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