‘Too hot, that explains it.’
His lips twitched and as amusement flickered in his eyes she squirmed on her seat. He doesn’t know you’ve been watching, not for sure. He’s only guessing. ‘So, anyway, as enjoyable as this is, sitting in front of a plate of pastries, why did you want to meet?’
He took a swig of his coffee before placing it back on the table and meeting her eyes. ‘You know why. I asked you out the first night you came to the bar, but you turned me down.’
Her heart began to race. This is what happens when you play with fire. ‘I said I knew where to find you, if I needed a guide.’
‘True.’ He leant forward, searching her face. ‘But we both know that meant thanks, but no thanks.’
There wasn’t much point lying about it, not when he was being so upfront. ‘It did.’
‘Am I allowed to know why?’ He glanced down at himself, then back at her. ‘Are you into skinnier guys? Men who know their way around a computer rather than a bar? Or maybe it was the ropey sense of humour that put you off?’
‘I like you and your ropey humour just fine.’ She made sure to look him straight in the eye. ‘But I don’t want to have sex with you.’
It wasn’t the first time he’d been turned down, but it was the first time it had been done quite so … Luke wanted to say brutally, because that’s how it felt, yet she’d also said she liked him. And she was smiling, which definitely took the edge off her words.
‘Okay.’ He jammed a hand through his hair and tried to find his balance. ‘I wasn’t just talking about sex. I thought I could show you around, take in a meal, maybe the cinema.’ He felt his pulse quicken as he gazed into her big blue eyes. ‘But yes, I’d hoped sex was part of that package.’
She paused, brushing at flakes of pastry that had fallen onto her T-shirt. This one he noticed said I write code so I know stuff. ‘The first part, I’d like,’ she said finally. ‘It’s the last part I’m not up for. And I know that’s not something you usually hear, what with you looking like you do.’
He seized on the comment like a starving man being offered a plate of chips. ‘You think I’m attractive?’
Her mouth curved. ‘I’m not blind.’
‘But you still don’t want to have sex with me.’
‘I don’t want to join that list, no.’
‘List?’
‘Come on, at the bar I’m surrounded by women you’ve slept with.’
He was starting to regret this whole conversation. ‘Not true.’
She quirked a brow. ‘Helen, I bet she’s an ex.’
‘Exactly, an ex. It was a long time ago.’ How had he gone from flirting with her about watching him lift weights – and yeah, she’d definitely watched – to dissecting his love life?
‘But you admit you’ve slept with her. And, who was the other woman she mentioned, Linda?’
‘Lizzie, and that was brief. She’s happily married with two kids now.’
‘Chloe?’
‘No.’
‘She seems keen.’
He wasn’t enjoying this, not one little bit. ‘She is. Doesn’t mean I’ve slept with her.’
‘Sandy?’
‘Christ, no, absolutely not.’ He was getting both flustered and frustrated now. Part of him wanted to say forget it, he’d received the message and wouldn’t trouble her again. But damn it, when was the last time a woman had challenged him? Even if right now he wasn’t enjoying it. ‘I’ve known Sandy since school. We used to go round in a four, her and Jim and me and … hell, it doesn’t matter.’ He exhaled an exasperated breath. ‘Sandy’s been married to Jim almost forever. I’ve never dated her. God, just the thought of it.’ A shudder ran through him. ‘It would be like dating my sister.’
Mia’s eyes flickered with amusement. ‘Fine, it seems I can cross her off the list.’
‘This frigging list is beginning to piss me off.’
Her teeth settled over her bottom lip as she clearly tried not to laugh. ‘I can see that.’
‘But you’re enjoying this too much to stop, huh?’
A smile crept across her face, and if she wasn’t needling him so much, he’d have enjoyed watching it light up her features. ‘Afraid so. What about Tanya?’
Crap, he’d known they were heading in that direction. ‘Yes, okay. We’ve…’ he trailed off, unsure how to describe it without it sounding coarse.
‘Hooked up? Tangled in the bedsheets? Fucked?’
He flinched at the last one. ‘We’ve enjoyed each other from time to time.’
To his surprise she reached across the table and patted his hand. ‘That was rude. Sorry.’ As she drew her hand away, she sighed. ‘This sounds like I’m judging you, and I’m not, honestly.’ She gave him a wry smile. ‘I mean, you’re single, good-looking, quite funny and you own a bar. It’s not hard to see why you’re so popular.’
‘Quite funny?’
She giggled, and it was the first time he’d heard the sound. He wished it didn’t affect him, didn’t make the breath catch in his throat. ‘I don’t want you getting big headed.’
‘All these obvious charms, and yet you’re immune to them?’
‘I didn’t say that. It’s just that moving here, being away from my family and friends … it’s been tougher than I thought. Having sex with a hot guy isn’t high on my priority list.’ Her gaze drifted away from his and out of the window. ‘I’ve spent the last few years bouncing from bad relationship to bad relationship. I want time on my own, time to be content being single.’ When her eyes found his again, they were wide and vulnerable. ‘What I really need right now, is a friend.’
A friend. His mind circled the idea. ‘Is that a friend with benefits or—’
‘God, you’re terrible. A friend.’
She was smiling again, and there was no way his face could resist smiling back. Aside from Sandy, he’d not been friends with a woman since … the memory brought a wave of sadness. Yeah, it had been a long time.
Maybe this was for the best. The bar was going to drain his energy and his focus for the foreseeable future. Sure, sex would be great – hell, it was a fanfuckingtastic stress buster – but it was clearly not on the table with Mia. The chance to see her now and again though, have a laugh with her, be challenged by her, sounded like something he wanted more of.
He held out his hand for her to shake. ‘Friends.’ When her fingers clasped around his, he ignored the tingle of awareness that shot up his arm. No sex. ‘This friendship thing, it includes looking out for each other, yes?’
‘Yes.’ She withdrew her hand and eyed him warily. ‘God, you’re not going to ask me to fix your IT issues now are you? Because I get that all the time.’
‘Not as such.’ He tried his most charming smile. ‘I was thinking more along the lines of I’ll show you round your new environs, the best places to eat, the ones to avoid, the parks, the shops that are off the beaten track, the museums, sports venues—’