“This seat taken?” My eyes stayed on hers as I nodded toward the empty barstool.
“It is now.”
Grinning, I slid onto the stool and said, “Long time, no see. How are you?”
She blinked. Guess she expected a come-on, but I needed more than her sitting in my favorite bar for that—at least to start.
“I’m fine. Better than the last time you saw me.” Her eyes toured my face and then dropped lower and back up so fast that if I hadn’t been zeroed in on her, I might have missed her checking me out.
Good to know we shared an interest.
“How’s that?”
Glancing around beside and behind her, she said, “No one is being a pest.”
“I didn’t give ’em time.” I signaled the bartender. “A beer, please.” I returned my attention to my lady. “The second I saw you sitting here, I bailed on my friends to join you. Glad you don’t mind.”
She cleared her throat. “You played a great game today.” Lifting her drink, which looked like the same thing she’d been drinking the night we met, she bumped it to my beer. “You didn’t mention you were a superstar.”
My neck heated at her compliment, and I downed half my beer to cool off. “Just doing my part to help us win games is all. ’Han and Finn were the studs today.” Lifting a brow, I asked, “You were at the game, huh? I didn’t see you in your usual spot.”
It was her turn for heightened skin color. I had to admit, I liked that rosy glow on her cheeks. I liked knowing I’d put it there.
“You were probably looking for the Three Musketeers, but I was on my own today.” She sipped from her glass. “My friends are still out of town for Thanksgiving.”
Leaning in close, I dropped my voice. “I was only looking for you.”
The tiny shiver of her shoulders told me my gambit had worked. “It was freezing out there today. I dressed for the weather.” She took another sip of her drink, set it down, and ran a finger around the rim of the glass. “I have a question.”
“Shoot.”
“How do you guys play in frigid weather in nothing but your short-sleeve uniform shirts? Just watching you with bare skin while the frozen winds swirl around the stadium makes me cold.” The exaggerated shiver accompanying her words was purely for effect.
I leaned a little closer. “Now that you mention it, I’m starting to feel some effects from the game today.” Waggling my brows, I added, “I bet if we thought about it, we could find a way to help me warm right up.”
“I wondered how long it’d take you to drop a line on me.” Her throaty laughter did a pretty good job of warming me all by itself.
Smiling, I swigged back some beer. “Is it working?”
Piper smiled back. “It’s a start.”
Keeping it casual, I turned on the stool, allowing my knee and thigh to guard hers from someone coming along and nudging her or something. Careful not to actually touch her, I staked my claim all the same. “Did you come back early from break so you could watch the game?”
Sadness clouded her eyes before she lowered her lids. “I stayed here for Thanksgiving.”
I pulled my head back, frowning. “Like, on purpose?”
Her eyes tracked her fingertip touring the rim of her glass. “My family isn’t big on the holidays.”
“That’s a bummer. If I’d known you were in town and all alone, I would have helped you celebrate.” Taking a chance, I dropped a hand to her knee. Jeans covered the skin I knew from experience was spun silk beneath my fingertips, but I enjoyed the heat and resilience of muscle beneath my touch.
Her pretty eyes glittered. “Hmm. We’re still on break, aren’t we?”
“Yes.” I dragged the word out.
Tilting her head, she tapped a finger to her luscious mouth, drawing my attention to her pillow-soft lips. “What do you think of celebrating tonight?”
“What did you have in mind?” My voice dropped as blood rushed south in anticipation of what she’d say next.
