Page 5 of Never Till Now

“Influencer?” Humor laces his deep voice. “Model?”

“The more you speak, the happier I am for you that you’re at least attractive.” Why so many questions?

“Ouch.” He places a hand on his broad chest then smirks. “How about we get out of here?”

The nerve.

“If burger breath is your kink, then let’s get to it.” I take another bite.

He sucks in his cheeks to hold back a laugh. “That shouldn’t turn me on, but your wittiness is refreshing.”

I toss a fry his way and continue to eat in silence. I acknowledge his workout attire. The man is a beast in muscular width and well over six feet. His black shorts hang loose, and the fitted gray T-shirt doesn’t do any job of hiding his very well-chiseled abs. He looks more like a professional sports figure than a man in the business world.

“Thanks again, Doc, for my thumb fiasco last time.” His dark-brown eyes are hard to pull away from.

“Trauma nurse practitioner, to be exact.”

“Practitioner?” Max leans forward, now interested in our conversation. “You seem young for that.”

“I graduated high school with my AA.” I shrug.

“Wait, what?” my attractive, annoying bar accessory chimes in.

“I received my high school diploma the same month I received my associate’s degree from college. That set me ahead two years.” I don’t normally feel the need to explain myself, but tonight I felt proud of my accomplishment. “I didn’t have much of a life in high school.”

“Clearly,” Max states, raising his eyebrows as the guys share a silent look.

“Your food is on the house tonight.” Charmer nods, holding his drink up as if he’s saluting me.

Max taps the bar and excuses himself.

“In case you aren’t familiar with jobs and finances, my job pays more than enough to afford a burger.” I hold the sarcasm strong in my voice.

“Are all your patients blessed with your sass, too? Or is that just for me?”

“Do you ever keep irrelevant questions to yourself?” I pick up a fry and break eye contact as I deliberately run the tip of my tongue up the fry to taste the seasoning.

I enjoy acting as if I don’t know the effect it’s having on him. I continue to let him think he’s the only one with a game. The man will usually put more effort into his bedroom skills if he feels pride in finally getting your attention.

“You’re right.” Mr. Armani gym guy stands up from his stool and nods. “Dedicating that much time to school is respectable.”

Is he respecting me? Hold up.

“I was just trying to say thank you. Enjoy your night.” His stool pushes behind him and he stands.

He strides out of the bar and into the lobby. Now I’m following after him like a damn fish to a shiny hooked tassel. It’s clear he’s older than me, but his one-night stand bravado is strong. He must sense me trailing because he stops, and I crash into his solid back. His expensive cologne ignites my senses, awakening naughty thoughts of what I want to do to this man. He turns around as his brown eyes bounce from mine to my lips.

“I live a few blocks away if you want to thank me properly.” I cut right to the point because I’m done playing games.

“You wouldn’t tell me your name last time.” His lips twitch to a smile but his eyes flash with caution.

He takes a step forward as I falter backward.

“I still haven’t asked for yours.” I regain composure and take a bold step toward him.

His chest brushes mine as his whisper hits my lips. “I have rules—” he begins as his fingertips feather up my bare arm creating a trail of goose bumps.

Get a grip, Lauren.