Page 81 of Play Maker

He grunted and took up a position next to my spot on the wall of the fountain. We’d never had a real conversation, so I had no idea what he was doing here popping my solitude bubble.

When I peeked at him from under my lashes, he stared straight ahead at the azaleas, seemingly content to stand there and ruin my afternoon.

“What do you want?” I finally asked.

“You looked upset.” He stated it as a fact, and my shoulders tensed up at the thought anyone had noticed.

Out of habit, I went on the offensive. “So you came out here to gloat?”

His lips tipped up on the end, but he didn’t take the bait. “No. I came out here to make sure you weren’t about to take a header into the fountain.”

I glanced at the shallow green water and shuddered. “Gross. Why would you care?”

“Because I’d probably have to clean the fountain after. This is technically part of Wildcat Coffee, and they hate their employees.”

I hadn’t known my favorite coffee shop owned my favorite piece of land. Like everything else around here, I’d assumed TU owned it.

“Maybe they only hate grumpy employees who’ve never heard of customer service.”

He chuckled, low and slow, and I hated the way the sound shivered up my spine. “I think they’re okay with me not handing out free espresso shots to all the girls who smile at me, Princess.”

The nickname did it. I couldn’t stand assholes who assumed since I was pretty and rich I must be entitled. The stupid sad feelings I hadn’t been able to shake were banished with a flash of temper. “I smile at everyone, jackass.”

“Not the way you smiled at me.” His lazy, confident tone irked me to no end.

Yes, I’d thought he was hot the first time I’d seen him—I wasn’t blind—but he’d been surly and rude. I didn’t reward that kind of behavior with my good graces.

I clawed back the scathing retort he was no doubt expecting, choosing to gift him with my silence instead. Maybe if I ignored him, he’d go away.

His posture shifted as he cast a quick look down at me. “Might as well tell me what’s wrong since I’m not going back inside until you do. No reason to prolong the torture.”

I hated him and his confidence and his unflappable calm, but I my mouth went rogue and blurted out the story of my final appointment of the afternoon. Bob the office manager had laughed in my face when I inquired about a pet deposit for my duck and asked if I meant dick instead. Then he’d offered me a discount if I was nice to him—his words.

Gavin’s jaw tensed as I talked, and when I stopped for breath, it took a second for him to unclench enough to talk. “I hope you reported him.”

“Oh yeah. I walked out and called the owner immediately. Despite apologizing profusely and promising to fire my good buddy Bob, he couldn’t allow a duck as a pet in the complex.” I sighed, feeling slightly better now that someone else had reinforced my reaction.

He shook his head slightly. “If your duck is the problem, why not leave it behind?”

My hands clenched in my lap. So much for feeling better. “I’m not abandoning Henry simply because things got hard. I’ll find a place. Just probably not today.”

He pulled a fuzzy, black, cat ear headband from his back pocket and sat down next to me on the stone lip of the fountain. “I heard you were engaged to that football player. Maybe you could move in with him.”

I snorted. “No. Mac and I were involved for a very short time, and now it’s over.”

His head tilted just enough to meet my gaze. “He didn’t meet the royal standards?”

My stomach did a curious flip at the direct eye contact. Gavin was objectively beautiful. Not in a shiny, perfect way, but in a gravelly, rough, fuck me against a brick wall kind of way. Too bad his personality ruined it.

“I don’t know why you think I’m going to give you details about my personal life.”

“You already did.” He lifted one hand to tick off fingers. “I know you don’t have a place to stay. I know you’re irrationally attached to your duck. I know you have no problem metaphorically throat punching someone. And I know your last relationship ended because of you.”

I winced, unable to hide my reaction fast enough. “None of this is your business.”

He shrugged. “You’re welcome to leave any time.”

My hackles rose at the idea of him scaring me away. This wasmyplace. He could leave. “And you’re welcome to stop being an asshole. Looks like neither of us is going to get what we want.”

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