Caspian (Carolina Reapers 8)

That’s not fair some voice in the back of my head chided me. I hadn’t known Caspian in a long time, not since he was the older hot teenager to my bumbling, awkward tween. And could I really blame him for all those times he’d sneered at me with annoyance? I mean, London and I had practically ruined several of his dates—or hook-up sessions—for him, but still. There was no way in hell I was letting a playboy panty-dropper like Caspian tell me what I was or wasn’t going to do.

The breath caught in my lungs as he headed straight for the counter I stood behind.

Damn, he’d grown up.

Sure, he’d always been attractive. Even as a lanky teen he was crush-worthy, and I may have daydreamed about him four or five times a week back then, but now? Good God, what did he eat to look like that? His dark blue jeans hugged his massive, muscular thighs, and his white T-shirt was tight enough to see every single ridge in his abdomen. Ink, both colored and black, teased beneath the fabric of his shirt, and I hated that curiosity curled low in my belly at just what those designs created. His blond hair was a casual mess that somehow made him look even more approachable, but his eyes? Those were a crushing blue and filled with pure cockiness.

“Seriously,” I said before he could open his mouth. “You come to my work to rehash yesterday? That’s a little desperate, even for you.”

Yes, the words were harsh, but I had to force them out before I said something incredibly ridiculous—like taking him up on his offer from yesterday. Sure, re-getting to know Caspian sounded tempting, and he sure as hell wasn’t bad to look at, but it would only spell disaster for all my well-laid plans.

Caspian cocked an eyebrow at me as he leaned his palms on the counter. His forearms were corded with muscle and decorated in more ink, and dammit, I flushed at the way he smirked at me. I wondered just how many times that grin—all promises of sex and sin and fun—had gotten a woman into his bed.

I folded my arms over my chest, suddenly feeling like I needed to protect my heart. Not that I was anywhere close to falling for the playboy hockey star, but because my body was certainly reacting to him in a way that was so not productive for me.

“As adorable as you are when you’re lobbing insults my way, Ryleigh,” he said, and chills burst on my skin at the way he said my name. “I’m here to pick up an air switch base unit for our garbage disposal.”

My lips parted open, a gasp escaping where a sharp retort should’ve been. I clenched my eyes shut for a second, trying and failing miserably to recover. God, I’d assumed he was here about me. How mortifying. Chuck didn’t want me, why the hell would anyone else?

No, shut that line of thinking down.

I snapped my eyes open, chiding the self-deprecating voice in my head, and nodded to him. “Our garbage disposal, huh?” I said, walking to the back of the counter where I kept all the pre-orders stocked. I easily found the name Foster and snagged the box. “You officially moved in with your parents for the off-season?”

Caspian sighed, those eyes tracking every move I made back to him. “No,” he said, his voice deep. “I’m here for London’s wedding, and then I’ll head back to Charleston.”

“Do you love it there?” I asked, unable to help my curiosity, and then slid the box over to him.

Caspian shrugged. “I love my team,” he said, and I nodded. “I love being close to the water, too,” he added.

“I’ve heard it’s beautiful,” I said, waving at a few new customers browsing the store. “I’ve always wanted to go.”

Caspian tilted his head at me. “Is that your covert way of looking for an invitation to a Reaper game?”

I laughed, shaking my head. “There is nothing covert about me, Caspian, or have you forgotten?”

“Oh, no,” he said. “I haven’t forgotten. So, you’re telling me you still have that outspoken, no-filter mouth on you?” he asked in mock shock. He knew very well I still had the mouth on me; he’d gotten an earful of it yesterday.

My heart did a little hiccup at the fun back and forth, and the elation was quickly slapped down by sadness. God, how long had it been since I’d enjoyed some innocent banter that I came to life with just a few pieces from Caspian? Ugh, I really needed to get my shit together.

“Will this be all?” I asked, unable to totally keep the smile from my lips. Had to hand it to the hockey star, he still had the ability to be unnervingly charming and funny when he wanted to.