He burst out with the laugh he could no longer hold back. “Oh, is that all?”
“Is that all? You mean this is also normal?”
“God yeah. Some even mail me the key with the letter.” An exaggeration, but it was too fun to resist. He took a satisfying chomp of the crispy apple. “So what does this one want to do to me? I might be interested,” he teased.
Lily shot him daggers. “Ew. Just ew.” After a beat, she said, “You should steer clear of fans like this.” She shook the letter under his nose.
“You really think so?” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I dunno. She is making it easy for me—”
“Because she’s easy,” she snapped. “And probably diseased.”
He coughed to mask a laugh. “Yeah, but this one’s leaving a trail of big, fat crumbs that a blind man could follow, and it has been a while.” He caught her eyes with his. “Since T.J.’s wedding, to be exact.”
Surprise and disbelief played in her sparkly blues. “No way,” she tossed back, her voice sounding a bit wobbly, as if she wasn’t sure.
“No? You been spying on me?”
A bright blush washed over her cheeks, and he was pretty sure her cute ass was squirming in the chair. He loved it. As his mind leapt to how he might get his hands between said cute ass and the seat, she stammered out, “N-no, but you are a hockey player—”
The good feels evaporated. “And you’re a singer, and we all know about rock stars, don’t we?” He bounced his eyebrows on his forehead. “How long’s it been for you?” Shit. I don’t want to know.
She barked out a laugh. “Why, an hour ago, of course! With my reverse harem of firefighters.”
“What’s a reverse harem? Oh! Didn’t know that was a thing. You’re kidding, right, about a reverse harem? And why firefighters?” He exaggerated a scoff.
She gave him a dramatic eye-roll. “Yes, Professor, I’m kidding. Why firefighters? Because they do it with heat.”
“Ha! Cute.”
“As for your comment, I’m not sure if I should be flattered or completely insulted. On the one hand, I think you’re calling me a rock star. On the other hand, I also think you’re calling me a slut.”
“You’re kinda dodging my question.” The question I don’t really want answered unless it’s a good answer. So why the hell do I keep asking?
“Which question?”
He rolled his hand in a hurry-along motion. “How long?”
“Is that any of your business?”
“No, it’s not.”
Her eyes slid to the side, and she blew out an exasperated-sounding breath. Yeah, he was a complete idiot. “The wedding,” she conceded quietly, and a small riot broke out in his stomach. He almost punched his fist in the air and shouted out a “Yes!”
“Speaking of dodging, Professor, I’d like an explanation for your slut comment.”
“Ah. I didn’t actually call you a slut, nor do I think you resemble anything remotely slut-like. I was just making a point about presumptions. Being a hockey player doesn’t make me a player. And just because I get lots of stupid letters and I slept with you that night doesn’t mean I fall into bed with every woman who asks. Actually, come to think of it,” he took another bite, “you didn’t really ask. You just kind of, you know, seduced me.”
“Seduced you?” she squawked.
“I seem to recall someone asking someone else not to leave.”
The look on her face was unreadable. Part-sheepishness, but she also seemed to be holding something back. Her eyes traveled to the ceiling, then landed back on him. “And being the gentleman you are, you had no choice but to let me seduce you, am I right?”
He gave her a wicked grin and shook his head. “I don’t recall being a gentleman that night.”
She paused mid-protest, her mouth hanging open. Her face and throat were covered with bright pink blotches that reminded him of what her skin had looked like right after sex. Yeah, he should stop, but it was so much fun to rile her up. And she was hotter than hell when she was riled up. Which was riling him up. Shit. He stuffed what was left of the apple in his mouth, grabbed a box of letters, and sat with it in his lap.
“These are letters from the kids?” He was going for casual, but his voice betrayed him when it cracked an octave higher. He eyed his half-eaten apple before returning his gaze to her. “So. How are you going to respond on my behalf to this vixen who wants to assault me with her tongue?”
Lily’s eyes widened, if that were possible, and an unintelligible croaking noise rolled from her throat. She straightened her shoulders, striking a dignified pose. “You didn’t read the letter, so how do you know what she wrote?”
“Because they all write the same thing,” he sighed. “Does this one describe what kind of outfit she’ll wear?” He gave her another eyebrow waggle and took a bite of his apple.
Lily barked out a laugh, then proceeded to hiccup. “Okay. I see what you’re doing here. I’ll just answer for you and tell her, ‘Meet me at Bar Louie Friday at five o’clock.’ Better yet, in the parking lot? No point in spending money on cocktails if you don’t have to.”
He shook his head and laughed. “Put that one in a file in case she decides to stalk my ass, which she probably won’t, but otherwise forget it.”
“Sorry you can’t indulge your fantasies, Professor?” Sporting a smug look, she folded her arms across her chest, the little minx.
“Oh, don’t you worry about me. I indulge my fantasies just fine. Usually, I’m in the shower, and I’m picturing this beautiful blond, and she’s got these gorgeous blue eyes, and this nice—”
Lily put up a hand. “I don’t want to hear about your Kathryn Tappen fantasies.”
“They’re not about her. Didn’t I mention
