Page 26 of Mr. Flirt

“No, way.” Lucy smiled. “That’s awesome.”

“It is.” I nodded, watching her take another bite of halibut.

“It sounds like Winter has found her forever.”

I patted my mouth with the cloth napkin and smiled. “So you think forever can exist?”

Lucy smiled. “I don’t know, but my heart wants to believe even though my mind is smarter than that.”

Chapter Ten

Just for the Sport of it

Lucy

Lord, help me. Shep’s piercing blue eyes saw right through me.

He could see that I was genuinely happy for his sister, but deep down inside my cold, dead heart, I didn’t believe it would last forever.

I glanced at my empty dessert plate and sighed.

Was I doomed to be anti-love for my entire life?

Wait. Was I anti-love?

No, I didn’t think I was anti-love. Just maybe…

Hmm.

“I didn’t mean to drop a bombshell on you,” Shep said softly.

My eyes flew to his when I realized I hadn’t heard a thing he’d said for the last few minutes. I was lost in my own thoughts while eating a raspberry torte and staring at the lake.

I felt my cheeks flush and twisted my lips into a pout. “Don’t hate me.”

Shep cocked his head. “Why would I hate you?”

“Because I didn’t hear what you just said.”

Laughing, he took a sip of wine. “That’s probably a good thing.”

“Well, now I have to know what you said.”

“Why’s that?” His brows perked up, but his eyes stayed locked on mine.

The heat pummeling through me was intense. Just the way he looked at me made my decision-making skills go sideways.

“Because you regret what you said.”

Shep chuckled. “I don’t regret what I said. I seldom regret anything.”

Surprise washed over me. “Oh, yeah? Spoken like a true flirt.”

“A flirt?” His smile only widened as his eyes fell to my lips, lingering on my mouth for a beat too long.

I knew that smoldering look would melt panties across Seattle, and I refused to be a part of that whole scene.

“Your name really is Shep, right?” I teased. “It’s not Perry like when we first met, or Charles or something?”

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