Page 11

He frowns. “Are you mocking me?”
“Not in the least.”
“I used to do boxing training back in the day.”
“Ooh.”
“I’m a Southpaw and my left hook always caught my opponents out.”
Our gazes lock, and for a moment I’m captivated by his blue eyes. His lips slowly curve up. Oh my God, I think he really does find me attractive. That makes me feel as if the sun has come out from behind a cloud.
“I’ve never had a man fight someone to defend my honor,” I tease.
He picks up his knife and fork. “You only have to say the word.” He cuts into one of the poached eggs and begins to eat.
I have a spoonful of porridge, feeling flustered. I’m already doubting myself. Maybe he just said it because he considers me a friend—I can imagine Joel saying the same thing. It’s what Fraser does with Elora—he looks after her and protects her.
“Do you think of me like a sister?” I ask, needing to know.
He stops cutting into a piece of bacon and gives me an amused look. “No, Hallie, my affection for you is not of a sibling nature.” It’s such a Fraser thing to say that it makes me giggle, and he laughs. “That’s better.”
I stir my porridge slowly, thinking about how being with him always makes my heart lift. “I know I was upset the othernight,” I say, “but it was more over what Ian said than because we’d broken up. I’m not devastated, just a little anxious at the thought of entering the dating game again. I’m sure everyone feels like that after a breakup.”
He nods. “It sucks, for sure. So… are you going to sign up for Tinder?” He gives me a mischievous look.
Horror sweeps over me. “God, no. I can’t think of anything worse. A perpetual succession of blind dates, eesh!” Curious now, I ask, “Do you go on there?’
“No, for the same reason. I believe it’s best to start as friends, anyway. To have things in common. And it’s almost impossible to glean compatibility from a one-line bio.”
I love the way he uses words like ‘glean’.
“I like that you think a couple should have things in common,” I say. “That was one major problem I had with Ian. He found archaeology boring, and I had no interest in his passion for motor racing.”
“I knew he was an idiot,” he says, then smiles again. “I love your giggle.”
Trying not to blush, I have a spoonful of porridge as I pluck up the courage to ask another question. Oh, what the hell. “So… you don’t go on Tinder for… you know… s-e-x?”
He snorts. “Definitely not. Sex with strangers is not my cup of tea.” My giggle earns me another amused smile.
“Cup of tea,” I tease.
He tips his head to the side. “You enjoy mocking me, don’t you?”
“No! Not at all! Okay, maybe a little.”
He just smiles and watches me add the rest of the brown sugar and cream. “Sweet tooth,” he murmurs.
“Just a bit. Hence the extra few pounds.” I stir the porridge, then sigh. “I know what you mean about Tinder. It’s not my cup of tea either. But maybe I should step out of my comfort zonea little. Perhaps if I had sex with a dozen strangers, I might improve my technique.” His expression turns startled, and I laugh. “I am joking. Kinda.”
“Hallie, you are not bad in bed,” he says firmly.
“With all due respect, you don’t know that.”
“I most certainly do. With the right partner, you would be dynamite.” He speaks with complete conviction.
My mouth opens, but no words come out.
His gaze lowers to my lips. “You just need t-to…” He stops and tries again. “If you were m-m-…”