“Did you have fun?”
“Define fun?” he says with a chuckle. “It was…interesting.” His gaze gleams. “That was a hell of a lot of dates in one night.”
“So many awkward moments,” I add.
“A lot of different personalities, that’s for sure.”
I take a sip of my beer and meet his gaze with a smile. “So, how’d you get into racing?”
His right brow raises. “I’m a guy. I like to go fast. I live to drive fast. Add those together and I’ve got one hell of a career.”
“Do you spend a lot of time away?” I ask.
“Yeah.” The single word comes out in a hesitant sigh. “During off season, I spend time shooting the shit with friends, taking care of things my parents may need help with, and stopping by the shop to see what those guys are up to. During race season, I’m traveling. Depending on the schedule, I’ll either fly home for a few days or fly out where the race is.”
“I bet you get to see a lot of incredible things and places.”
He nods with a smile. “There are definitely perks to the job.”
Our food is placed in front of us and the sight of the burger drops my mouth open.
Declan chuckles. “I promise no judgement.”
Mouthgasm. The. Best. Burger. Ever.
Declan devoured his. I only got halfway before I couldn’t go any further. I tapped out and got a to-go box. As we step out of the restaurant and onto the sidewalk, Declan glances down to me.
“Are you having a good enough time to continue our date or…?” His question dangles out there.
“What else would you like to do?” I ask with a smile.
“Feel comfortable enough to ride with me?”
Narrowing my eyes, I purse my lips. “Will you drive with sense or will I be screaming the entire way with my eyes closed?”
He lets out a hefty laugh. “Only on the track. Come on.”
I’m surprised when he takes my food and places it in his truck and then tips his chin for me to follow him on the sidewalk.
“You’ve been the one asking all the questions. I haven’t asked much about you. Tell me everything. I want to know it all.”
“How far back are we talking?” I jest. “I can’t remember what my first words were.” I bite my lip flirtatiously.
He hums, twisting his lips to the side. “Who is the Brooklyn now?”
“I don’t live an exciting life like you. Close, but not quite.” I giggle. “I’m a pharmacy technician and my only awesome hobbies include reading and girls’ dinner every Wednesday.
He claps his hands together. “Your life trumps mine by a long shot.”
Playfully, I roll my eyes. “You’re such a horrible liar.”
“Okay, so you lack in the adrenaline section, but you’re not rushed by obligations. That’s relaxing.”
“You’re trying to tell me you think boring is relaxing? You’re in for a treat with me then.”
When he looks down, his light brown eyes glimmer with mischief. “I’ll agree with the treat.”
It causes a shiver to race down my spine. His words are sincere, braided with a sexy hidden innuendo.
He clutches my hand and tugs me around a corner and up a flight of stairs before opening the door for me. Golf clubs everywhere.
“You’re kidding, right?”
Declan’s lips are pulled up, his eyes glinting with zest. “Nope.
“I don’t know a thing about golf.”
“Good.” He drops his voice bringing his mouth to my ear. “I’ll teach you.”
His whisper warms my body up. I fight not to grab his face and kiss him to see if this chemistry is real between us and not some fake infatuation.
“No judgment?” I ask.
He winks and then orders a bucket of balls.
Of course he swings like a pro, hitting the stupid little ball off the stupid little tee. I’ve missed so many damn times that it’s embarrassing as hell. And every time I look to Declan, he’s leaned against the metal pole watching me and grinning like a Cheshire cat.
I set up again, swing and miss before groaning to the sky and blithely glare at him. He’s biting back a laugh, his teeth sunk into his bottom lip. I point my club at him. “You said no judgement.”
He loses his battle and bursts out laughing, holding his hands up with his club dangling in the right. “That’s before I knew how bad you were. Wow.”
Him buckling breaks me as well and I crack up. Declan places a tee down, sets a ball on top of it, and moves behind me, wrapping his arms around me and putting his hands on top of mine to grip the club. His breath is against my ear as he explains exactly how to hold the club.
His chest is pressed hard against my back, the muscles flexing as he moves our arms side to side, showing me the proper way to swing. His pelvis is against my ass, and it causes a flush to creep up my body. As he talks, I close my eyes listening to his voice but not hearing a damn thing he’s saying. He smells good. He feels good.
“Try it,” he says, stepping away and leaving me to stand…alone.
Shit.
He knows. He totally knows. It’s written on that sexy smirk of his. But I swallow and grab the club with determination. I swing and the club connects with the ball, shooting it out in front of me about twenty feet.
“Yes!” I shout throwing my arms up and spinning to him. “I hit it! I hit that little bastard!”
He raises his hand for me to high five and I slap the shit out of it.
We stay for another hour—him nailing everything he swings at and me putting in a good effort. It was a fifty-fifty shot each time, but we had a good time cracking up.
As we head back to our vehicles, he reaches for my hand and laces his fingers with mine. I like Declan, and am a little drawn to him, but I’m still trying to figure out if there’s an emotional connection. Sure, I find him handsome, but is there more to us?
“Do you have anymore dates?” he asks.
I tighten my lips and shake my head. “No.”
This causes a grin to spread across his lips. “That’s good for the ego. I’d like to have another date if you’re up for it. Maybe we can go putt-putting since you seem to have that distance down.”
Laughing, I bump him with my shoulder. “No judgment, my ass.”
He barks a laugh. “Your ass looked incredible out there.” He winks. “What do you say? Can I take you out again Friday?”
“Sure,” I smile with a nod. “I’d like that. But Fridays are my late nights at work and I don’t get off until nine-thirty.”
“Do you think you’ll be too tired afterward, or will you be up for it?
Him worrying about me flutters something deep in my stomach. “I’ll be up for it.”
He gets my food out of his truck and walks with me to my car, opening the door for me. He pulls my chin to his face, leaning close. My breath catches. His eyes flick between mine and he grins. “God, you’re so fucking pretty.”
My cheeks heat up.
His lips are so close to mine. Just a little closer and they’d be on me. Reading my mind, he places a brief and chaste kiss to my lips.
It’s…it’s…anticlimactic.