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Gavin laughed. “I was trying to lighten the mood. Things seem a little tense with your sister.”
I sighed. “She doesn’t want me being friendly with you.”
“Really?”
“Not really. It’s more that she doesn’t want me being flirty with you.”
Gavin gave a low whistle. “Ouch. Do I have douchebag written on my forehead?”
A nervous laugh tittered from my lips. “No, no, it’s nothing about you.” At his cocked brow, I grimaced. “Okay, it’s a little bit about you being a professional hockey player, but mostly it’s about where I am personally.”?
His expression turned serious. “Like with a boyfriend?”
My eyes widened. “Trust me, there’s no boyfriend.” At his visible relief, I added, “There hasn’t been one of those in a while.” When I realized what I said, I clapped my hands over my mouth, which caused Gavin to chuckle.
“Don’t be embarrassed. There hasn’t been anyone for me in a long time either.”
“You’re joking.”
“Why is that so surprising?”
“Well, for starters, you’re…” I motioned from his face to his body. “You’re exceptionally good-looking and well-built.”
“Aw, you’re going to make me blush.”
“I’m serious. Throw in the fact you’re a rich, professional hockey player, and you’re even more exceptional.”
With a mirthless smile, Gavin said, “I might argue about the rich part considering how much my ex got.”
“So you’re divorced?”
While agony swirled in his dark eyes, Gavin’s expression darkened as he reached for his beer. “Yeah,” he grunted around the rim of the stein.
Considering how tense his body language became, I knew not only would I not be getting any more on the subject, but I’d also poked the bear.
When he finally looked at me, I held up my hands. “Sorry. I should’ve realized that was a touchy subject.”
“I’m the one who mentioned it first.”
“But I shouldn’t have questioned you about it.”
“Seriously, it’s–”
Since I tended to ramble when I was nervous, I kept right on blabbing. “Trust me, I get it. I’m divorced myself.” With a nervous laugh, I tittered, “It’s not a sore subject for me. Maybe it’s because it happened so long ago. It’s been three years. I’ve had time to move on.” Frowning, I added, “Well, I guess I really haven’t moved on since I’m not remarried. I’ve had one semi relationship, some dates, and some ill advised hookups. I I just haven’t found the one.”
With a groan, I covered my eyes with my hands. “Oh my God. I can’t believe I just said all that.”
To my surprise, Gavin chuckled. “It’s okay.”
“No. It is certainly not okay.”
He reached across the table to grab my hand. “You’re just being real, and I fucking love it.”
“You do?”
Nodding, he replied, “In my life, people are always so fake. You can’t imagine how refreshing it is to have an absolute stunner sitting in front of you who is not playing games.”
“Oh,” I murmured.
