Page 13 of The Rival (Looking to Score 2)
Something inside me flinches. “I didn’t tell her you would be here. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure if you would come.”
“I said I would.”
I nod. That was true, he did. But I don’t know Alex well enough to know if he’s the kind of guy who keeps his promises. I don’t have the best history with men who actually do what they say they’re going to do. Enter my ex, Dale.
Gathering my courage, I turn to face Alex again. “Why did you invite me here?”
He meets my eyes with an uncertain expression. “You won’t like my answer.”
“Try me.”
He swallows, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “You seemed lonely.”
Ouch.
Smiling, he leans one hip against the counter. “And I guess I could relate. The two of us at Eden’s engagement party . . . I think we were the only people there who looked like we’d taken a puck to the sternum. So, I wanted to help.”
I return his kind smile. “Well, you did. You definitely made the night a little less awkward. And I still can’t believe I get to spend all summer here, so thank you.”
“Trust me, you’re doing Saint a favor.”
At the mention of his teammate’s name, a brief look of uncertainty flashes over Alex’s features. But before I can begin to unpack that, it’s gone, replaced by that easygoing charm that seems to radiate from him.
“And I’ll help you with the bigger items this weekend,” he says, “before I head back to Boston.”
I nod, trying to ignore the disappointment lodged in my stomach at the thought of him only here for the weekend. “So . . . should we tackle something off the to-do list, or did you want to rest after that drive?”
Alex gives me a playful look, one dark eyebrow quirking. “I was thinking tonight we’d just chill. Besides, you look like you’ve done enough work for the both of us today.”
I laugh, mostly at myself. “Oh, you noticed?” I hold out my blackened arms for inspection.
“Couldn’t miss it.” He smirks. “Did you fall into an active volcano or something?”
“Ha-ha. For your information, I cleaned the fireplace.” I pull at my hair tie, suddenly self-conscious of my soot-filled messy bun. I’ve never mastered the perfect Instagram-worthy bun.
He smiles and watches me finger-comb my hair. “You’ve been working nonstop since you arrived, haven’t you?”
“Oh, no. I’ve been spending some time . . .” I sigh when my hair releases a flurry of ash onto the kitchen floor. “Crap.”
Alex chuckles, reaching for the broom. “Don’t worry, I’ve got it. You were saying?”
“This morning I spent a few hours reading on the deck.”
I haven’t been able to read very much since I began working for the Titans, so I’ve missed several new releases in my favorite mystery series. It’s all about a young femme-fatale detective who solves the crimes of old Hollywood socialites. It’s ridiculous and over the top, and I love every word.
“What are you reading?” Alex looks up from the dustpan, his bright eyes knocking the wind right out of me.
I didn’t take him for the reading sort. The exploding cars, bikini babes, and killer-shark action-movie sort, but definitely not the reading sort.
“A mystery novel,” I say quickly, hoping to bypass the part of every conversation where I reveal how much of a freaking nerd I am. “Anyway, I think I’ll go wash all this off before I make an even bigger mess.”
“Take your time. I’ll take care of dinner,” Alex says, dumping the contents of the dustpan in the trash.
“Are you sure?” I ask before catching myself, and he gives me a look I’m learning means did I stutter? “I mean, you just got here. You probably want to take your bag upstairs and get settled.”
“I’m gonna stay in the guesthouse,” he says, leaning against the kitchen counter. “I’ll head over there later.”
“Oh.” I gulp. The guesthouse is last on my to-do list. I assumed he’d be staying in the main house with me. “I haven’t been out there yet, so I haven’t had the chance to make it livable.”
“Don’t worry about it. A little dust never killed anyone.”
I laugh, but it sounds a little too breathy to be natural. Alex graciously ignores or completely misses how much of a weirdo I am.
“Anyway,” he says as he glances outside. “It’s a nice night, so I thought I’d grill out for us. Are you okay with steak?”
I nod, suddenly deliriously hungry. “That sounds perfect.”
“Cool. It’ll take about an hour to get everything ready, so you take your time up there.”
“Aye-aye, captain.” I salute, then turn on my heel and hurry up the stairs before I can process where the hell that choice of words came from. Apparently, I turn into a raging nutcase in the company of a handsome hockey player.
It’s going to be a very long weekend.
5
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