Something flickered across her face—too quick for me to catch—but I saw it. I pretended not to.
“We had one when I was a kid,” I continued, keeping my voice casual. “Mattie. She was overweight and always managed to steal my mom’s dinner rolls, but she was the best.”
Her lips curled at the affection in my voice. “A dog sounds wonderful. I’ve never had one and my life has been too inconsistent to try…but yeah, it’d be nice, I think.”
“You’ll make it work one day,” I said, watching the tips of her ears turn pink. “That’s what you do. You go after what you want and work hard for it. It’s admirable.”
She swallowed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear like she wasn’t used to taking compliments.
I let it slide. “Alright, back to you,” I said. “What got you into heavy metal?”
A laugh escaped her, like she wasn’t expecting the question. “A stupid boy in high school. He had these scratched-up CDs and played them way too loud in his shitty car.”
She twirled her straw between her fingers, her expression shifting slightly.
“And I loved it. It was obnoxious and loud, and for a couple of minutes, it drowned out everything happening at home.” Her voice dipped, just barely. “The hoarse voices, the banging bass, the way it made my ears ring—it calmed me.”
I watched her closely, taking in the flicker of something raw in her eyes.
“Our likes don’t have to make sense,” I murmured. “There’s a One Direction song that gets me every damn time.”
Her mouth fell open slightly. “You?
I smirked. “Me.”
She let out a real, unguarded giggle, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Okay, I dare you to make your walk-up song one of them.”
“Michelle, honey,” I scoffed, amused and charmed at her dare. “Please. That’s the easiest dare imaginable. Done and done. But, you have to come watch some of the games though. That’s the deal.”
She grinned, almost like she couldn’t believe it’d be that easy, but I’d literally do everything she asked.
“I’ll come to one game.” She pursed her lips with a glint to her eyes. “Maybe.”
A blip of hope ballooned in my chest at her making future plans to see me. That had to be good news but I couldn’t spook her. I pushed her loose strand of hair behind her ear, smiling at how good her skin felt on mine.
She cleared her throat, a light blush dusting her neck. ”You said you could eat the same meal every day,” she said. “What’s the meal?”
Changed the subject, I see. Noted.
“Steak and eggs. Hands down.”
She hummed, pretending to consider it. “Milkshakes. I could have them every day for the rest of my life. That’d be my answer. They are sweet and fill you up and milk is healthy, yeah?”
I leaned in again, letting the air shift between us.
“We could order a couple from room service.” My voice dropped, and she noticed.
Her breath hitched and I moved closer.
“Enjoy them in my room.”
“Naked?” she whispered, her gaze moving toward my mouth.
“Obviously. I have a no-clothes rule.”
“Surprising no one,” she said, but her smile stayed. The kind of smile that knocked the wind out of me.
“That sounds perfect,” she murmured.
