“Your smile makes youbeautiful,” I said, not caring that I sounded dorky. My face turned into an inferno, and I shifted my weight back and forth and looked at the ground. “Anyway, before I say something embarrassing, three fun facts about me…uh…I like tea over coffee, I’ve always wanted a tattoo of an apple, but every time I try to get it, I chicken out, and I once won artist of the month in third grade.”
Christopher let out a deep chuckle,stillholding my hand, and said, “The next part of the question.”
“What was that?”
“What do you look for in a partner?”
“Oh.” I studied him for a bit, taking in his long lashes and strong cheekbones. This felt too personal for me, for us, for the moment, and panic clawed its way down my body. I didn’t want to be serious or intense, I wanted a distraction. “Size. Size definitely matters to me.”
His brows drew together for a second before he burst out laughing. “Size of their heart, right?”
“Exactly what I was referring to,” I teased, absolutely loving this new playful side of him that I finally got to witness. “What else could I have meant?”
“Size of their bank account, size of their feet, you know, the usual.”
We smiled at each other for a full minute, my stomach swooping out of control with the heated look from him, and I nudged him with my free hand because hestillheld on to my other one. “Your turn.”
“Hm, okay. Fun facts. I would usually go with I’m a teacher, I have a younger sister, and I’m a diehard Cubs fan, but you seem to know all those.”
“Yeah, I shared original ones, you didn’t.”
“Not so original. I already knew you liked tea because I smell the citrus flavor every time you walk by me. I can’t smell an orange and not think of you.” One side of his mouth quirked up, and the slow way he said it made my chest feel funny.
“Oh.”
“You need to give me a new one if we’re going to be original.”
“Fair,” I said, blowing out a breath because the harder I tried to be fun and flirty, he kept making itmore.“I don’t like dinner dates.”
He froze and lines appeared on his forehead. “Why?”
“Nope. Your turn.” I removed my hand from his and placed mine on my hips. “Don’t avoid it.”
He rubbed the back of his neck as someone bumped into him, and a beautiful brunette put a hand on his forearm and apologized, and he didn’t do more than glance at her for a second. “It’s all right,” he said, moving his intense gaze back on me, and it sent a weird thrill through me.
I arched one brow and pretended to look at my wrist. “Time’s ticking, Callahan.”
“Fun facts about me. I think barbeque is overrated, I won the spelling bee in junior high two years in a row, and I once lost a bet with a buddy and have a tattoo showcasing it.”
“No way! Where is it?”
“Ah, that will have to be for another time.” He stepped closer to me, and I sucked in a breath, smelling his subtle cologne and forgetting all the reasons why I disliked him. “Family is important to me, and I need to be with someone who understands that, who will do anything to help their family out.” His gaze moved from me to Fritz in the corner, and while we both cared for our family, guilt made my stomach cramp at exactly how far I would go to help Fritz.
“I agree,” I said, my voice a little unsteady as I placed a hand on his chest. He was sohardand warm and close. He took a deep breath and his nostrils flared, the look in his eyes mirroring the heat coursing throughout my body.
“Okay, we’re switching partners! Hands up, people. Hands up!” the emcee said, making me jump a foot away from Christopher. His answering smirk unsettled me.
Was he enjoying this game? Was this a joke for him to get me worked up? I wasn’t sure, and I pushed my hair behind my ears and stood up taller. “Best of luck tonight,” I said, winking to try to balance the scales. “I hope youreallyfind a connection.”
“I’ll let you walk away this time, Carter,” he said, not looking put-off by my comment. If anything, he lit up and smiled wider at me. He ran his tongue over his bottom lip, and I trailed the movement for a second before slamming my eyes shut.
Attraction didn’t mean trust, and trust didn’t mean safety. Fritz’s laughter carried over from where he chatted with two different women, and his situation with Samantha was the dose of reality I needed. Love wasn’t for everyone, and I never wanted to be in his position—ever.
I just needed to ignore thiszingwith Christopher. That was all.
Chapter Twelve
My stomach flip-flopped morethan normal walking into work the next morning. I couldn’t stop myself from searching for his broad shoulders and messy brown hair that stood out in our narrow hallways. Carrying my tea and teacher bag, I went into the teacher’s lounge and checked my mailbox like I did every morning. There was nothing in my box, which wasn’t a cause for alarm, but it was unusual, and I shrugged.
