She scoffs. “You’re so full of yourself.”
I chuckle. “Am I?”
“Yes, but if I’m honest, I’m actually enjoying it instead of being annoyed by it.”
“You were annoyed by my confidence?”
She gives me a look. “Um, yeah. I wanted to be confident like that. And then I wanted your attention, but I never got it.”
“Because you never gave me the time of day.”
“Because I thought I was too good for you. I didn’t want some dude who just wanted to fuck me and leave me,” she says, watching me, waiting for my reaction. “Things changed when I saw how wonderful you were with Evan about his mental health.”
I nod. “Things change. People change.”
“You’re absolutely right.”
“And you still are.”
She scrunches up her face in confusion. “What?”
“You’re still too good for me,” I say, leaning in and pressing my lips to her cheek. “So, say yes.”
I pull back, and her lips slowly move up at the side as I take her hand in mine, threading our fingers together. She glances down at our hands and then back up to me. “I’m not dressed for the beach.”
“We can stop and get you a bikini.”
She snorts. “No, we cannot.”
“We can, but I won’t push that. You got on shorts to match that sexy bra of yours?”
Her eyes sparkle. “I do.”
“Then you’re good.” She goes to argue, but I squeeze her hand. “Can you drive? I rode with Dart.”
“Yeah.”
“All right, let me get my stuff.” I bring her hand up, kissing the back of it before walking away like I just scored one hell of a breakaway goal. I didn’t need a good pass or setup; I had the goal in mind, and I scored.
And I’m nowhere near done with Angie Paxton.
“You honestly drive like a grandma.”
Angie’s eyes widen as she gasps, “I do not! I drive safely!”
I snicker. “Who taught you to drive?”
“My dad.”
“Exactly. Benji is such a cautious driver.”
“Yes, because he doesn’t want to die,” she informs me as we kick off our shoes. “Who taught you to drive?”
“Shelli.”
She scoffs. “I’m surprised you’re still alive. She’s the worst driver I know.”
I laugh loudly, the sound mixing with the crashing of the waves as we reach the beach. “Funny, that’s what my mom says.”
Angie flashes me a bright smile as I spread out a large blanket that I took from the couch. I pull off my hoodie as she lays out the food from Nauti Dogs on the blanket. We ate the fried avocados on the way to my place because she drives so slowly and I couldn’t wait. I sit down, unloading our bag full of every type of hot dog they had as she sits down across from me. She takes a long pull of her Diet Coke, and I open one of the dogs, digging in.
“God, I’m starving.”
She shakes her head. “You’re always hungry.”
I nod. “I’m a growing boy, but I worked out like three times today.”
Her brow perks. “You did? Why? I struggled to work out once.”
“We had morning skate and then morning conditioning, and I knew you came at night, so I made the guys go bench with me since this morning was all legs.”
She flashes me a small grin. “You came because of me?”
“Uh, yeah. When Evan said you didn’t answer him, I needed to find ya.”
“That’s not creepy at all.”
“I didn’t think so,” I say simply as I take another bite. “Why did you have to force yourself to go today? You’ve been going almost every day, haven’t you?”
She picks at the coleslaw and bacon on her barbecue hot dog. “I have. Been pretty damn consistent, actually, but I had a bad day.”
“Why?”
She shrugs. “You don’t want to hear about my bad day.”
“You’re right. I asked because I was trying to be ‘nice,’” I say with one air quote since I’m stuffing my face with my other hand.
She fights back a grin and gives me a stern look. “Do I get to spank you since you used the nice word?”
I pause mid-bite. “God, yes. Do you want me on all fours?”
She chokes with laughter, and man, I love the sound. It’s throaty and even has a little snort. Super joyful. Especially when her eyes light up like they are right now. Even in the dark, with the light from the moon and from the inside of the house shining on her, I can’t get enough. I want to consume her like I am this hot dog. “Stop.”
“Fine. Tell me about your day, or I will literally get on all fours and wiggle my ass at you.”
More laughter around her bite, and I think I might find the way she eats even sexier. She does this cute little thing where she covers her mouth but looks right in my eyes. God forbid there is sauce on her lips, because that tongue comes out, and I’m left fighting for my next thought. “I’m not sure which I’d rather do.”