Chapter 3
THREE
RUBY
I stare at him, skating away with the boxes of cupcakes. Then my body jerks and I reach down to pick up the now-empty coffee cup and toss it in the trash can beside the entrance to the ice.
Inhaling a deep breath, I hold it for a moment before I let it out slowly. I smile at the sight of the red fabric that is laid out as a walkway. At least I won’t have to try to figure out how to get to the table across the actual ice.
I take one hesitant step onto the fabric and wait for my foot to slide out from underneath me, but it doesn’t happen.
Feeling confident, I take another step forward, and then another.
Slowly, because I’m trying to stick with goal three, considering I’ve already made a fool of myself with one of the hottest men I’ve ever laid eyes on.
I just need to meet at least one of my goals before I go home and cry in the shower.
And he is that too. Hot as shit.
And I’ve really embarrassed myself.
I make it to the table without incident just as he’s placing the cupcakes down. He turns to me, his dark eyes finding mine, and then his lips twitch into a smirk. I watch as he sinks his teeth into the middle of his bottom lip, his eyes still focused on mine.
Hot.
“I’m Liam,” he states.
My gaze shifts away from his as I look down at the table, wondering if I should introduce myself, then flick it back to meet his. I decide to go for it. What does it matter anyway? He won’t remember my name in five minutes. It’s not like I’ll ever see him again.
“Ruby,” I murmur.
“So… Ruby,” he begins. “Do you always assault strangers with iced coffee?”
Sucking in a breath, I can feel my face heat. I just know it is bright red with embarrassment. Lifting my hands to my cheeks, I attempt to cool them off, but I doubt it works.
“Can we pretend that didn’t happen?” I chance asking.
He snorts, then tilts his head slightly, his beautiful chocolaty gaze never leaving mine. He’s focused on me, and for a moment, it’s almost as if the entire building around us vanishes into a dark hole.
“Absolutely not,” he says, his voice smooth like dark coffee.
His lips curve up into a smile that consumes his entire face. The smile is beautiful, but then again, so is his face. God. I didn’t know men could be this beautiful in real life, but here he is, killing it—being absolutely gorgeous.
“We have to have a fun story about us to tell our grandkids one day.”
“Us?” I ask.
I’m unsure if I’ve heard him correctly. There’s no way he just said that—but judging by the smirk on his lips and the way his eyes dance, I did. This man isn’t just beautiful. He’s drop-dead gorgeous and a smooth talker. Far too smooth for the likes of me.
“Yeah,” he says, tilting his head to the side. “See, a fun story.”
Far. Too. Smooth.
“I should get to work before the guests arrive.”
He grunts, reaching out, his fingers touching my forearm. And then it happens. Lightning bolts slide throughout my entire body. My breath hitches. I hold it for a heartbeat before letting it out slowly.
I don’t know what to say or what to do, but wow, is he pretty. Then he dips his chin, his gaze never leaving mine, and lifts his hand, extending a finger to touch the tip of my nose. I can’t speak.
If there is a word for this situation, I don’t know what it would be, and I’m not sure that I care either.
All I know is that this has never happened to me before, and I doubt it ever will again, so I’m going to just let it soak in.