6. Holden

Iwatch Lexi as she compares paint samples against the wall next to the fireplace mantle in the lobby.Last night, I think she was hiding from me, as she went to Summer's for dinner then retreated to her room as soon as she was back. Like any sane person, she avoided breakfast in my house before school, too.

But now I do owe her a few words. I approach her slowly, as she seems completely unaware that I'm behind her. My inkling has me believing that we both experience a sort of electricity around one another that heightens the tension in the air, but it only causes us to have relaxed smiles because we both enjoy it.

"Hey there."

I startle her, and she drops the paint sample sheet. "Oh, hi, I was lost in my thoughts and didn't notice you were here."

We both lean down to save the swatch, and our arms graze in the battle of who will pick it up first. Our eyes connect, and I hiss a breath. "Thoughts about me?" I tease her, and her cheeks heat.

Even though I managed to beat her at collecting the swatch, we remain kneeling, lost in a simple touch and my enjoyment of the gleam in her eyes.

"Wishful thinking, Holden, since my thoughts normally only include how to use mason jars in staging a room or debating in my head what is the best position for nighttime activities." Her breathy rasp is a taunt that I'm here for.

"Mmm, if it is designated to only nighttime, then he is the wrong man for you." We both stand as she stifles a laugh, and I hand her the paint sample. "Anyhow, before my indecent thoughts go any further into the gutter, I should probably keep us on neutral ground."

Lexi looks at me with interest. "Oh yeah? That's a sudden one-eighty," she flatly states.

I love when I smirk, it's good for the facial muscles. "The thing is… I owe you a massive thank-you for helping yesterday with Lori. I know she's, well…" I love this kid, but I need to accept her current state. "Feisty and moody. She probably even slammed the car door for extra effect."

Lexi relaxes in her stance as her enjoyment of my presence doesn't seem to fade. "It's… not a problem, and I hate to be the one to remind you, but it might only go downhill from here until she heads to college. It's the joys of pre-teen and teenage life."

Blowing out an exhausting breath, her words instill fear in me. I really need to step up my plans to prepare for all of it. But I have no plans, I'm just going with the flow. I bring a finger to my chin and rub for a few seconds while I follow Lexi to the couch in the middle of the lobby and then notice that the coffee table is already gone.

"You're really speeding along with everything," I compliment.

"Of course, you need the lobby done ASAP. It's your statement room for making first impressions. Plus, we're packing up so they can sand the floors and walls before they paint. I managed to get some of the furniture to arrive next week, a friend owed me a favor," she explains as she grabs her coat slung over the back of the couch.

I really am impressed with her ability to dive deep into this project. "Sounds great, a lucky friend to have, I guess." I fill my jeans pockets with my hands to keep them occupied and in check, because how I would love to touch her ass right now.

She begins to button her coat. "I guess. I went on a few dates with him a couple of times, and I assume that helped." Lexi isn't even attempting to keep me on edge, she's simply relaying a fact.

My body tenses, and for the life of me, I'm not entirely sure why a wave of possessiveness is like a match when she said that. "Oh? Is this recent?"

Lexi stares at me and then nearly snorts a laugh. "Subtle, are we? And no, not recent. Like, two years ago maybe."

Stepping forward, I want her whole body to feel my presence, which is why my hands come up as I invade her space, and her breath hitches. I even sense a shiver when I reach around to grab the belt of her coat. Slowly, I wrap the fabric around her waist.

"Good. That topic's closed." Our eyes are fixed to one another as I continue to tie the belt. "Any plans for tonight? It's Friday, but it is Lake Spark, so…" My voice drops low, and without regard for Stuart at reception who is our audience, I tie Lexi's belt.

Lexi gulps a breath. "I think I'm going to take it easy, you know a glass of wine or read a book."

I yank on the knot to tighten, and it causes her to press against me and yelp from surprise, and her hands can't help but find a resting spot on my shoulders to ensure she doesn't lose her balance. "There is a hot tub at my house if that's your thing."

Her head tilts slightly, and here we go, I know that sexy-as-fuck look forming on her face, her mouth about to retort with a comment I will appreciate. "You own a spa here at the Dizzy Duck. I think I would rather use the hot tub and pool here."

"Yeah… but tonight is an unusual night at my place."

"Why might that be?" Her voice is hoarse.

"I'm going to order in Chinese food if you like that. You must get hungry for dinner."

She rolls her head and looks defeated yet doesn't let go. "That is true, and I do love sweet-and-sour chicken."

"Great, I'll order."

"As long as Lori and Harry enjoy it then sounds good."

A gruff humorous sound rumbles under my breath, and it causes Lexi's eyes to flood with alarm,clearly waiting for an explanation.

"Except Lori and Harry are away for sleepovers at their friends' houses."

She backtracks at record speed, creating space between usas she steps away. "Come again?" She blinks.

"Again? Geez, let me first make round one happen."

Her eyes roll at my demeanor that must be driving her crazy. "This is not…" Her face falls into her hands and then appears again with her lips in a grin. "What the hell, fine. Dinner, and then our best behavior in the hot tub, and we can talk furniture ideas."

I begin to walk away without even looking back, instead taking satisfaction from my triumph. "Agreeable as always."

* * *

With hesitation,Lexi walks down the hall then slows when she reaches the kitchen. I don't give her much notice as I'm unpacking white boxes from the bag, the smell of Chinese food hitting our senses.

"Here I am." She's still in jeans from the day but has replaced her blouse with an old Hollows University t-shirt.

"Got eggrolls and fortune cookies."

She grabs the packet of chopsticks to prepare. "Then I won't be running away."

I circle around the island to join her on the high stools. Sitting at the dining table would be too formal, and the couch would just be a mess.

"You weren't going to run away anyhow," I confidently inform her.

Lexi's eyes have a glimmer of something that I can't quite describe, but it feels positive for me. "Maybe true. Now pass the eggrolls before I get cranky."

I do as I'm told, and we decide to ditch plates and just eat from the boxes. "Eating Chinese food without plates. I feel like this calls for sitting on the floor, eating behind a coffee table," I state.

A peculiar look floods her face. "That is not what I expected you to say, but I couldn't agree more."

"Want to do it then?"

Her shoulder lifts. "Why not, the rug is the perfect material for sitting on," she notes.

We both grab a few things and head to the living room. I manage to grab the bottle of wine and glasses too since she's carrying the brunt of our dinner.

Once we are settled on the ground, I pour some wine for us, and then an odd silence hits us when our eyes catch, and her face turns soft and shy.

"What are we doing, Holden?" She gets straight to the point.

Honestly, I'm not sure. It's just too fun and exhilarating to have a connection that streams between two people. I know I have kids relying on me, and I shouldn't be distracted, but…

"There was an instant click between us, and you're familiar with my situation. In a way, it's refreshing to have someone who doesn't assume I'm one way purely because they've never met me."

Lexi swirls some food with her chopsticks. "It has been quite a few years since we saw one another, and it's different circumstances, but I do like this time around better."

I take a sip of my red wine before setting the glass back on the table. "I'm an asshole for flirting with you. I'm not sure why you're not running."

"Because a retired hockey player doesn't scare me." This conversation doesn't even faze her as she brings a piece of chicken to her mouth.

"The thing is, it's okay to flirt with someone; it's crossing the parameters of flirting when things can get a little murky," I warn her.

She buries her chortle while she swallows her food. "Is moving your flirtation into your house not beyond the parameters already?"

My head bobs side to side. "Meh. I need the help right now, and you're up for the challenge."

"A few days and then I will go back to the Dizzy Duck. I'm not sure us being around one another is good for either of our blood pressures," she explains while she picks up another piece of chicken.

I shrug. "Your loss."

"Maybe. I do appreciate how you threw my father's demand for the team to stay away from me out the window."

I intervene. "As much as I want to be loyal, I also don't give a fuck. I have other issues to deal with, in case you haven't noticed." I don't frown about it, and instead smile.

"You most definitely swagger around to your own tune. But what I mean is Lori and Harry are around, and that's where your attention lies, as it should. I'm not sure us adding underlying innuendo is the way to go."

Neither is being lonely in the coming weeks when I don't need to be.

I look at her with fondness, as she has strong shoulders with realistic expectations, and more importantly, she cares about how my life revolves around my kids. In the past, the women I might have had a hookup with were always well away from anyone and discreet. Now? Lexi is in close waters… yet still, I'm ignoring the lifesaver that I should probably consider using.

"You are extremely right, except tonight, they are not here," I remind us.

Her face swings in my direction. "I've noticed."

I nudge her shoulder with mine. "Relax, we can eat and have adult conversation. Other than eating with Stone, my ability to have adult discussions at dinner is limited. This is a refreshing change."

"I ran into him this morning when I stopped by to hit the gym. He gave Stuart a hard time about cookies."

I chuckle. "That's always the case."

"It's a little insane the number of athletes, retired or not, that live in this town. I know the Spinners train here, but still. Do you miss playing?"

Nobody has asked me that in a while. "Hmm, let me think," I pretend. "No. Which might sound strange, but I feel like everything was meant for that chapter. I always knew that I would retire young, as most athletes do, so I made those the best years possible. Not to mention that fatherhood hit me earlier than I probably would have planned. But now I have a completely different life. Do I wish Harry would be more into sports? Sure, but he has other interests. Do I get excited when Lori is dancing on ice? Yeah. Because the ice brings good memories."

Lexi steals some of my sesame chicken, and I appreciate that we're comfortable enough around one another to do something like that. "I would never have expected you to end up owning the Dizzy Duck Inn, but it's a great story." She gently swats my arm in excitement. "Actually, I have an idea that I wanted to run by you."

"Shoot."

"I was thinking we could hang some photos of all the athletes and sports stuff from here in Lake Spark. I could get some frames to match the feeling of the Dizzy Duck. Everyone appreciates those little touches."

"I like it, and I'm sure our guests would love it, including the owner of The Spinners when he eats there with his wife. We have a lot of team dinners happening all the time too."

"Perfect." She sounds accomplished with her thought before she picks up her wine.

I grab an eggroll, but I'm eager to keep our conversation going. "Other than design, what has life looked like for you in the last few years?"

"Well, I worked on a few projects. Homes mostly, which I love, because your home is where you return to and it's the base of your life, therefore you should make it cozy and full of personality," she gushes.

"Heart in the home or something like that."

She's completely enthusiastic. "Totally. And after a few projects, I backpacked around Europe and then Costa Rica. I even went up to do a tour of Alaska. Basically, I'm not afraid to get lost somewhere in Austria because I ended up on the wrong train or ending up in unusual situations that find myself eating Chinese food on the floor in Lake Spark." She smiles proudly before popping food into her mouth.

"Don't worry, adventurous and self-assured were the first two things that came to my mind when you walked into my office."

Her grin turns shy as she sets the box down, deciding not to eat. "I guess you're kind of my client. And yes, I have no qualms admitting that I wasn't going to keep quiet about my attraction, it would have been obvious anyway."

"You were not subtle, nor was I." Setting my food on the table, we both have empty hands, and we should probably efficiently use them for other activities. "Again, I feel obliged to point out that I'm the guy that plays games, and I just haven't figured out which one I'm playing with you."

With purpose, Lexi leans across me, ensuring her body presses against mine as she reaches for something. Her eyes sizzle with a sexy glint that is roping me in, only made worse because her mouth is within inches of mine. I take in our mingling breaths and debate if my hand should slide up the side of her body, but I don't get a chance to decide because she begins to drag her body back to sitting next to me.

Lexi holds a fortune cookie up. "My favorite part of the meal." Her voice is a hoarse whisper.

"Meal, sure, but once that goes into your mouth then the meal is over."

Her brows rise to throw caution at me before she cracks open her cookie to read the paper. "Run while you can or accept your fortune."

I lick my lips, completely enamored by her humor that is on par with my own. "Fitting," I say before I nab my own cookie. Breaking it open, I read aloud, "You should touch the woman sitting in front of you." I throw the paper over my shoulder and move in to glide my hand along her cheek, urging her to move closer.

"It didn't say that." She grins.

"You're right. It only said, ‘you will have a good year.' But my version is better and by far more likely to come true."

She presses her lips together but doesn't let go of her smile. I'll cross the line because I'm completely tempted by her. From her fun personality to the way she tucks her hair behind her ear, I'd be angry if I never got the chance to touch her the way I want.

"I've walked into your life when I probably shouldn't," she chides.

"Don't think, Lexi. We're all allowed a little escape," I whisper.

She breaks away and stands abruptly, with her palms smoothing over her clothes. She busies herself with cleaning up the table which disappoints me and confuses me, but I follow her lead.

Walking to the kitchen, she sets the boxes on the counter with her back to me and her hands planted on the edge of the quartz counter. She appears to be in deep thought.

It doesn't feel like I should say anything, so I don't. Which is good, because Lexi spins on her toes, and the speed of her eyes flicking to me transmits the message perfectly.

I'm not sure who makes the move first, but we both take the step to crash our mouths together, her hands quickly finding their way to hang onto my elbows as my hands discover the curve of her hips, because we're in for a long kiss.

Maybe even more.