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He arched a dark eyebrow, his expression vulnerable. “I thought we were starting over.”
And just like that, she fell under his spell.
“I work at a school. Not much of a paycheck to brag about, but I love kids.” Was it her imagination, or had he winced? Good grief. She wasn’t asking the guy to father her children.
He gestured around the room. “And this is where you go after work?”
“Mexican food is my weakness. Tammy and I come here every once in a while.”
“My good fortune you chose today.”
Really? “Your friend did come over first.”
“Jared can’t pass up a pretty face. He must be losing his touch. He left the prettiest one for me.”
Pretty. Beautiful. A man used flattery when he wanted something. In her younger years, she’d wanted to be pretty, but her sister had crushed those fanciful thoughts. She’d constantly told Cassie she was unattractive. True, her skin was creamy smooth, but her blonde hair was too pale, her nose too round, her eyes were more green than blue. Vulnerable and shy, she’d been convinced that guys only wanted one thing.
“Hey. There’s nothing wrong with these eyes.” He tapped a finger at his temple. “And I like what I see.”
What a flatterer. Yet, the way he said it, she wanted to believe him. Just because he had mouthwatering good looks didn’t mean he had a motive. Besides, his mesmerizing eyes were already melting her inhibitions. She couldn’t remember ever being so relaxed with a man.
“When you were a little boy, did you want to be a fireman?”
A shadow crossed his face so quickly she wondered if she could have imagined it.
“My dad was a fireman. Today we use the term firefighter. That’s all I ever wanted to be. Guess it’s in the blood.”
“How about brothers or sisters?” she asked, then took a sip of her beer. Having the bottle in her hand grounded her.
“None” he said with a shake of his head. “How about you?”
“A sister.” A jealous, overbearing sister who had dominated her youth and still attempted to run her life. Feeling her body tense, Cassie shook off her thoughts and picked at the label on her bottle.
Beep. Beep. Twang.
Mike jerked to attention. He glanced down at his belt.
Someone yelled from across the room. “Mike.”
He banged the glass bottle on the wood table and scooted from the booth. “My ride’s leaving.” He stepped to her and bent close.
The breath caught in her lungs for fear he was going to kiss her. She couldn’t move. Taking her hand, he brushed his lips over the skin at her wrist.
“Till we meet again, pretty lady.”
And then he was gone.
Chapter 3
Mike gritted his teeth against the burn and pushed, straining his muscles to their limit. Nothing gained without hard work. Results were all that mattered. His father had drilled that lesson into him long ago.
He sucked air in his nostrils and blew out his mouth, pushing his body harder. Thirty years later and he still believed his father’s words to be true. It had been just the two of them for so long.
That’s what kept him awake. Thinking things that were unobtainable. Dreams that had no likelihood of ever becoming a reality. Still, knowing they were impossible didn’t stop him from thinking about Cassie’s smile or the way she tilted her head when she listened. Or the way her eyes assessed his every word while she tried to hide her own secrets. She kept her thoughts private, but he’d seen a glimpse of the woman underneath. Enough to kindle his interest.
“Man, I thought I’d be the first one here.” Cooper dropped his towel and stood beside the weight bench.
Mike’s chest heaved.
