I can’t help myself, and I snicker a lot louder than I was expecting. “Who’s the basic one now?”
“Shut up,” he says, lowering his volume. “But I kind of deserve to get ribbed for that.”
“Okay,” I reply, encouraged and still a little smug. “Basic boy.”
Burying his face in his hands, Luke groans. “I can’t with you, oh my god.” His head shakes with laughter, and I part his hands with the end of my spoon to reveal his face.
Fuck, his flushed cheeks and that helpless little smile make my heart flip.
“There’s no need to be embarrassed about your bland-ass taste buds,” I fire back.
“Jesus, where’s all this coming from? You’re such a menace all of a sudden.”
“It’s because you chirped a professional hockey player. You brought this on yourself.” I tilt my head at Luke as he scoffs, and he opens his mouth before cutting up the fish, choosing not to reply.
“Anyway, thanks for swapping with me,” he says after a few seconds, his tone still light.
We keep eating, and I can’t ignore the warm sensation that’s growing in my stomach. As first dates go, this oneruled, even if we didn’t end up leaving Luke’s house, and it’s hard to hide my disappointment when it winds down.
“I’ll head out,” I say, making sure not to overstay my welcome.
Luke spins around to face me. “You live around High Park, right? Near the AHL rink?”
“Uh huh.”
“Sheesh, that’s far. Do you want to stay over instead?”
Wait. He wants me to stay?
“If you don’t mind,” I manage.
Luke chuckles. “Hmm, no, I’m going to kick out the hot guy so I can sleep alone in my huge bed where there’s more than enough space for both of us.”
His sarcasm is obvious, and so is the fact that he wants me here. There’s no shrug, no reluctance, no “I guess you can crash but don’t keep me up.”
“Sure, I have the day off tomorrow,” I say, barely managing to keep my excitement below the surface.
Luke breaks into yet another smile. “Great! I have to get up at eight for work, but you can sleep as late as you want.”
“Oh, I wasn’t planning on staying over, so I don’t have a change of clothes.”
Luke waves me off. “Don’t worry, I can put your clothes in the wash and lend you something in the meantime.” He pulls out a shirt and some shorts from a bag in his hallway closet. “One of my friends is keeping some stuff here while he’s in grad school, and he won’t mind you borrowing. These should fit.”
Deciding to give Luke some privacy, I change in the hallway bathroom, and when I come out, Luke is already curled up under the covers in his king size bed, beckoning me over.
As soon as I slip under the blanket, the mattress molds perfectly to my body. If that wasn’t enough, Luke slides an arm around me, locking me in place, and when he sighs into my neck, that seals my fate. I never want to leave.
Grinning to myself, I run my fingers through Luke’s hair and give him a gentle scratch. What possesses me to do something so intimate is beyond me, but Luke doesn’t seem to care. He tightens his arm around me, and my face lands in his chest. I’ve slept next to guys post-hookup before, but being held like this? It’s totally new.
I’m usually nervous as hell. I can’t count how many times someone has joked about my heart racing or how stiff I feel, but Luke is silent. When I focus on my pulse beating against the pillow, I realize that it’s steady. Peaceful.Normal.
My god, I’ve been missing out.
“You give really good hugs,” Luke murmurs, and before I have a chance to think of a reply, he’s out like a light.
Coming over, I knew Luke was sexy. I knew he was nice. What I didn’t know is how easily he’d put a stupid smile on my face by letting me fall asleep on him.
3
