Her words echoed through my brain.
It didn’t matter what I wanted. Not when she’d already drawn a line. I wasn’t the kind of asshole who crossed lines with women. I’d been raised better than that—by a mother who’d taught me how to listen and a daughter who reminded me every day why it mattered.
But goddamn, it was getting harder every time I looked at her.
Harder to pretend like I didn’t still feel her under my skin. Harder to remind myself that though we were both adults, we also had different priorities. I had no business falling for someone who made sarcastic comments about my protein powder and had glitter on her cheek half the time.
And yet, here I was.
Rooted in place like a fucking idiot, spending six bucks on a coffee I wasn’t even going to drink, all for a chance to see her.
“By the way, we finally picked a name.”
Her brow furrowed. “For what?”
“The sourdough starter.”
Her expression shifted instantly, and damn if that didn’t make me feel like I’d just hit a walk-off.
“Did you really?” she asked, the faintest trace of a smile tugging at her mouth.
I sighed. “Doughy McIntyre.”
That earned me a blink, then a slow grin. “You didnot.”
“Carolina insisted, though I’m pretty sure somebody else gave her the idea.”
She tucked a strand of hair behind one ear. “You’re welcome.”
“New Kids on the Block has become her new background music while baking, and needless to say, her mother is thrilled.”
Dani laughed—soft at first, then full-on, the kind that made the rest of the coffee shop employees glance over. She covered her mouth, still giggling. “That’s honestly incredible.”
I smirked into my cup. “I’m honestly surprised you know who that is.”
“Excuse you,” she said, feigning outrage. “Just because you remember when MTV actually played music videos doesn’t mean I don’t have good taste in ‘80s boy bands.”
“Good taste is debatable,” I grumbled. “But you make a compelling case.”
She rolled her eyes but didn’t fight me.
For a second, it felt almost normal between us again, like the weirdness of the last few months had been scrubbed clean by a punny bread name and boy band reference. Like maybe we could go back to the easy banter and stolen glances that had made this whole thing so impossible to walk away from in the first place.
But the second passed, and reality came back just as fast.
Dani glanced at her phone, then gave a little sigh. “I should get back. We still have a lot to finish up before game time.”
I nodded.
“Besides, you’ve got a game to win.”
“Damn straight.”
She smiled again, smaller this time. Softer. “Give ‘em hell, coach,” she said around a wink. And fuck, that was all it took to have my cock hardening in my warm-ups.
“Always,” I rasped, voice rough.
Her breath hitched just slightly, but I didn’t miss it. The way her lips parted, the way her eyes darted briefly down before she caught herself. A flush bloomed high on her cheeks, and she turned so fast it was like she was afraid of what might happen if she stayed a second longer.
