Melting the Ice(5)
“Then let me take you out to eat.”
“I have an even busier night ahead of me. There’s a lot to do to get this line ready, and not nearly enough hours in the day.”
“Then we’ll order pizza. Or Chinese. I’m hungry.”
Obviously, he wasn’t grabbing a clue that she was trying to get rid of him. “Fine. We’ll have something to eat. Then you need to leave.”
“Sure.”
And she’d count every second until Drew was out the door, because having him in her apartment was disconcerting.
She had no idea why she’d allowed this, when he was the one man she didn’t want to see or spend any time with. Instead, he was sprawled on her living room sofa, his long, lean body looking incongruous on her short, white designer sofa.
Taking a deep breath, she grabbed her phone.
“Chinese or pizza?”
“Either one is fine with me. I’m just hungry.”
She punched in the number of her favorite take-out Chinese place and called in an order. They delivered faster than the pizza place, so she’d get Drew out of her apartment that much sooner.
She went back into the living room to find him outside on her balcony. She poured a refill on her wine and wandered out there. It was cool outside, but not unbearable. He was looking out over Central Park.
“Nice place, Lina.”
Cringing at his use of the nickname, she stepped up beside him. “I love it here.”
“I can see why.”
“Where do you live?”
“I’ve got a place over on the Upper West Side.”
She turned to face him. “I didn’t know you lived here.”
He gave her a smile. “I do play here, remember?”
He did. She just tried her best to forget that. “Of course.”
“I only live here during the season. During the off-season I take off and head back home to Oklahoma.”
“That’s nice. Do your parents still live there?”
“Yeah, but it’s not like I live with them. I’m a big boy now, babe.”
Again with an endearment. “I’m not your babe. I never was.”
He laid his beer on the table and turned around. “Still mad at me about that night, Lina?”
“It’s Carolina. And no, I’m not angry at all. I’ve never given it another thought.”
“I’m sure you haven’t. Because that would mean what happened between us mattered. And we both know it didn’t. Right?”
He’d taken a step forward, getting into her personal space.
“Or did it matter?” he asked, his voice going low and soft as he swept one of her curls behind her ear.
She shuddered, as always, lost in the stormy gray depth of his eyes.
He’d always been able to do this to her, to make her forget her resolve and turn her into the inept college girl she’d been all those years ago.
The doorbell rang, and Drew took a step back. Carolina pivoted and went inside to answer the door. Drew was right behind her, surprising her.