Page 3 of Her Power Play

“I’m Liam,” he states.

My gaze shifts away from his as I look down at the table, wondering if I should introduce myself, then flick it back to meet his. I decide to go for it. What does it matter anyway? He won’t remember my name in five minutes. It’s not like I’ll ever see him again.

“Ruby,” I murmur.

“So… Ruby,” he begins. “Do you always assault strangers with iced coffee?”

Sucking in a breath, I can feel my face heat. I just know it is bright red with embarrassment. Lifting my hands to my cheeks, I attempt to cool them off, but I doubt it works.

“Can we pretend that didn’t happen?” I chance asking.

He snorts, then tilts his head slightly, his beautiful chocolaty gaze never leaving mine. He’s focused on me, and for a moment, it’s almost as if the entire building around us vanishes into a dark hole.

“Absolutely not,” he says, his voice smooth like dark coffee.

His lips curve up into a smile that consumes his entire face. The smile is beautiful, but then again, so is his face. God. I didn’t know men could be this beautiful in real life, but here he is, killing it—being absolutely gorgeous.

“We have to have a fun story about us to tell our grandkids one day.”

“Us?” I ask.

I’m unsure if I’ve heard him correctly. There’s no way he just said that—but judging by the smirk on his lips and the way his eyes dance, I did. This man isn’t just beautiful. He’s drop-dead gorgeous and a smooth talker. Far too smooth for the likes of me.

“Yeah,” he says, tilting his head to the side. “See, a fun story.”

Far. Too. Smooth.

“I should get to work before the guests arrive.”

He grunts, reaching out, his fingers touching my forearm. And then it happens. Lightning bolts slide throughout my entire body. My breath hitches. I hold it for a heartbeat before letting it out slowly.

I don’t know what to say or what to do, but wow, is he pretty. Then he dips his chin, his gaze never leaving mine, and lifts his hand, extending a finger to touch the tip of my nose. I can’t speak.

If there is a word for this situation, I don’t know what it would be, and I’m not sure that I care either.

All I know is that this has never happened to me before, and I doubt it ever will again, so I’m going to just let it soak in.

FOUR

LIAM

I’ve taken shots to the ribs. Blocked pucks with my face. I’ve played with broken bones and teeth. But none of those things has affected me quite as much as the woman who is setting up cupcakes just a few feet away from me.

It’s ridiculous.

I’m not a teenager.

I’m a veteran Houston Lonestar.

Yet this woman has completely scrambled my brain. She’s not trying to get attention. She’s not throwing herself at me. She’s focused on her job, not dressed to be noticed. Soft brown hair, hazel eyes, curvy in all the right places.

She’s cute, but she’s also more than that. She’s the kind of woman you want to wake up next to on a Sunday morning, sleepily kiss before you slide inside her, and never want to let go.

Danger. Liam Fichtner. Danger.

“Fich,” Bouch calls from behind me. “You gonna come back here to me?” he asks.

I ignore him for another moment, just as the team event coordinator appears. I hear her cry out that the cupcakes look amazing. Ruby is moving around the table, concentrating on whatever she’s doing with the cakes, but I can’t see them because I can only see her.