Goose bumps formed on my arms as I spotted the brawny hottie sitting on one of the chairs typically occupied by parents looking on as their kids swam. He hadn’t noticed me yet, so I took a moment to admire him from afar while also attempting to calm my nerves. Next to him on a small table were an assortment of drinks. He was wearing shades, but there was no mistaking him. His was a body you didn’t forget. Maybe it was a little ridiculous that I’d had him meet me here. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now it felt kind of odd.
I walked toward him.
Tate stood when he saw me approaching.
His mouth curved into a smile. “Hey...”
“Hi.” I blew out a nervous breath.
“Tate.” He held out his large hand. “Good to officiallymeet you.”
“Doris.” I nodded. “Same.”
He had a firm grip, and my skin prickled as I imagined feeling that hand elsewhere.
“I brought you something to drink.” He gestured to the table.
“Looks like you brought more than one thing.”
“Well, I didn’t know what you liked. So we have a daiquiri, an iced coffee, a hot coffee, and a lemonade.” He shrugged.
That was kind of adorable. “So thoughtful of you. I’ll take the iced coffee. It’s that time of afternoon where I get a headache if I don’t have more caffeine.”
“Same. I think I’ll take the hot.”
I nodded, but this guy didn’t need any more hot. He was pretty much as hot as they came.
He handed me the iced coffee.
“Thanks.” I took a sip.
After a moment of silence, he tilted his head. “What’s yourrealname, Doris?”
Heat rose to my face. “Excuse me?”
“You just introduced yourself asDoris. But your profile name is Delores.”
Shit.I’d been so mesmerized I’d forgotten the damn name I’d chosen.Fuck my life.
I surrendered. “It’s not my real name. But I prefer to keep my real name to myself, if that’s okay.”
His expression turned serious. “I have no problem with that. But it would’ve been nice to know you were using a fake name from the get-go.”
I nodded, actually quite annoyed with myself. “Well, now you know.” I cleared my throat.
He cocked his head. “Out of all the names, why did you pick Delores?”
I feigned confusion. “What’s wrong with it?”
“It sounds like someone’s grandmother.”
I chuckled. “Look, I just didn’t want to give my real name to a stranger. I didn’t spend all that much time thinking about it. For some reason, it was the first name that came to mind.”
“Why is that so scary? It’s just a first name. Not like I could look you up without your last name.”
He took off his shades, and for a moment I got lost in the blue of his eyes that were glowing in the sun. Holy shit, this guy was hot—and a little intimidating.
“I’ve never done this before,” I confessed.
