you’ve never done one on a professional level before.”
I blush from his words, and he grins in response.
“Well, that was bold,” I admit, laughing.
“Bold is good,” Niko says, taking another sip of his wine.
“And so is the wine,” I say.
Niko leans further across the table. “I feel like I’m shouting at you to be heard in this place.”
I laugh. “I know, we kind of are.”
“There’s an independent coffee place down the street. Do you wanna head over there for a coffee?”
“But you just bought the wine,” I say, hating the idea of him throwing his money away like that.
Niko studies me from across the table. “I’d rather talk to you than drink wine. If you’re good with that, I mean.”
He wants to talk. Just like I’ve described in my dream first date, he wants to get a cup of coffee and get to know me.
“I’m more than good with that,” I say happily.
Niko slips into his suit jacket, and I slide into my camel-colored pea coat. He escorts me out of the club, through the nearly empty arena, and outside into the brisk November air.
“So has anyone from Total Access Total Sports contacted you?” Niko asks as we walk toward the coffee shop in the plaza next to the arena.
“No,” I say, biting my lip.
“ ΓΑΜΩΤΟ ! ”
“ What? ” I say, laughing.
Niko grins. “Sorry. Sometimes when I’m mad I slip into Greek. That was damn it.”
“Is someone going to?” I ask, hardly daring to hope.
Niko nods. “They were really impressed with your open. I know they could use freelance help. Wyatt was supposed to call you today.”
I stop walking. My heart stops. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah,” Niko says, gazing down at me. “But they will now because Tony Esposito saw your open on the truck and thought it was fantastic. I made sure to tell him you did it.”
“Thank you for doing that,” I say. “You didn’t have to.”
“Of course I did. I’d be an idiot not to, for my own reasons.”
His own reasons . Could that possibly be more than work-related ones?
Niko’s eyes hold steady on mine as we stand on the sidewalk. Then he clears his throat, and the moment is over.
“It’s cold. Let’s get you inside before you freeze,” he says.
I’m anything but cold right now, but nod as though I am. As we walk to the café, I feel nothing but elated. Not only do I feel like I might have a chance with Niko here, but with Total Access Total Sports, too.
Niko opens the door to the coffee shop, and I step inside. The place is really cute, with rustic hardwood floors, cozy seating arrangements, and dim lighting. I’m greeted by the wonderful scent of freshly brewed coffee the second I pass through the door, which I love.
But the scent of coffee is nothing compared to Niko’s cologne that I’m inhaling right now as he moves behind me.
Oh, that cedar and spice scent is so sexy. Just like the man who’s wearing it.
“Gingerbread latte?” Niko asks, interrupting my thoughts.
I refocus on coffee, which takes almost superpower ability at this point.
“Yes, please.”
Niko steps up to the counter and places an order for one black coffee and my gingerbread latte. We move to the end of the counter and pick up our drinks when they’re ready. Then we find two armchairs in a corner of the café, perfect for an intimate conversation.
“This is better,” I say, wrapping my hands around the huge ceramic latte cup.
“Are your hands cold?” Niko asks.
I nod. “I always have cold hands.”
Niko places his cup on the little table between our chairs. “Give me one.”
“ What? ” I say, laughing.
Niko grins. “Come on, Lexi, trust me. Give me one of your hands.”
I bite my lip. I shouldn’t trust him. I don’t really know him yet. There’s still plenty of time for me to misread this whole thing, for him to want an editor and nothing more. And if that’s the case, I’m getting in over my head by letting him touch me.
But I do trust him.
I have no reason to,
I blush from his words, and he grins in response.
“Well, that was bold,” I admit, laughing.
“Bold is good,” Niko says, taking another sip of his wine.
“And so is the wine,” I say.
Niko leans further across the table. “I feel like I’m shouting at you to be heard in this place.”
I laugh. “I know, we kind of are.”
“There’s an independent coffee place down the street. Do you wanna head over there for a coffee?”
“But you just bought the wine,” I say, hating the idea of him throwing his money away like that.
Niko studies me from across the table. “I’d rather talk to you than drink wine. If you’re good with that, I mean.”
He wants to talk. Just like I’ve described in my dream first date, he wants to get a cup of coffee and get to know me.
“I’m more than good with that,” I say happily.
Niko slips into his suit jacket, and I slide into my camel-colored pea coat. He escorts me out of the club, through the nearly empty arena, and outside into the brisk November air.
“So has anyone from Total Access Total Sports contacted you?” Niko asks as we walk toward the coffee shop in the plaza next to the arena.
“No,” I say, biting my lip.
“ ΓΑΜΩΤΟ ! ”
“ What? ” I say, laughing.
Niko grins. “Sorry. Sometimes when I’m mad I slip into Greek. That was damn it.”
“Is someone going to?” I ask, hardly daring to hope.
Niko nods. “They were really impressed with your open. I know they could use freelance help. Wyatt was supposed to call you today.”
I stop walking. My heart stops. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah,” Niko says, gazing down at me. “But they will now because Tony Esposito saw your open on the truck and thought it was fantastic. I made sure to tell him you did it.”
“Thank you for doing that,” I say. “You didn’t have to.”
“Of course I did. I’d be an idiot not to, for my own reasons.”
His own reasons . Could that possibly be more than work-related ones?
Niko’s eyes hold steady on mine as we stand on the sidewalk. Then he clears his throat, and the moment is over.
“It’s cold. Let’s get you inside before you freeze,” he says.
I’m anything but cold right now, but nod as though I am. As we walk to the café, I feel nothing but elated. Not only do I feel like I might have a chance with Niko here, but with Total Access Total Sports, too.
Niko opens the door to the coffee shop, and I step inside. The place is really cute, with rustic hardwood floors, cozy seating arrangements, and dim lighting. I’m greeted by the wonderful scent of freshly brewed coffee the second I pass through the door, which I love.
But the scent of coffee is nothing compared to Niko’s cologne that I’m inhaling right now as he moves behind me.
Oh, that cedar and spice scent is so sexy. Just like the man who’s wearing it.
“Gingerbread latte?” Niko asks, interrupting my thoughts.
I refocus on coffee, which takes almost superpower ability at this point.
“Yes, please.”
Niko steps up to the counter and places an order for one black coffee and my gingerbread latte. We move to the end of the counter and pick up our drinks when they’re ready. Then we find two armchairs in a corner of the café, perfect for an intimate conversation.
“This is better,” I say, wrapping my hands around the huge ceramic latte cup.
“Are your hands cold?” Niko asks.
I nod. “I always have cold hands.”
Niko places his cup on the little table between our chairs. “Give me one.”
“ What? ” I say, laughing.
Niko grins. “Come on, Lexi, trust me. Give me one of your hands.”
I bite my lip. I shouldn’t trust him. I don’t really know him yet. There’s still plenty of time for me to misread this whole thing, for him to want an editor and nothing more. And if that’s the case, I’m getting in over my head by letting him touch me.
But I do trust him.
I have no reason to,
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