Fighting Fate (Granton University #1)(43)

He shrugged and held up his hands. “I know.”

She shook her head and sighed. He helped her with filling the rest of her order, and together they worked in efficient silence until the counter was free of customers.

“Thanks,” she murmured, glancing up at him from her lovely, dark eyes.

He glanced away because sometimes she was just too beautiful to look at. “Mmm hmm.”

“So…” When she didn’t continue, he gave in and cast a peek her way. She was still watching him, looking intent, like she wanted to say something. Her mouth opened. Then closed.

He turned to her fully, giving her his complete attention and that seemed to intimidate her even more. Ticked at himself for scaring her off of what she’d wanted to say, he began to turn away again, and finally she rushed out, “How was your Thanksgiving?”

He had a feeling that’s not what she’d really wanted to say, but he didn’t question it. She was talking to him. Life was good. But no way was he going to tell her how badly his holiday weekend had sucked.

He’d sat in his apartment alone, watching the Macy’s parade on TV and wondering how she was, who she was with, if she was having a good time.

He nodded and murmured, “Mmm,” to tell her it was fine without technically lying. “You?”

She nodded too. “Mmm.”

Logan squinted, studying her hard enough to catch the gleam of amusement in her gaze. Was she…was she teasing him…again? For his non-forthcoming answer?

Obviously catching on to his suspicious gaze, she rolled her eyes and twirled away, leaving him breathless…in too good of a way.

She’d definitely been teasing him.

“So is there any castoff food we can snack on today?” she asked, busying herself by tossing away empty whipped topping cans. “I’m starving.”

He watched her a moment longer before answering. “Uh, yeah. Actually, there is. Gus left a plateful in the break room. I’ll go get it.”

Before she could respond, he escaped down the back hall, hurrying to the break room. The tightness in his chest didn’t come from leery anxiety about having to work with a woman who hated him. Instead it came from a leery anxiety about having to work with a woman who didn’t hate him.

Because he didn’t hate her right back.

And that could be very dangerous.

He’d composed his heart rate to a steady thump by the time he returned. Paige was busy with another customer, her back was to him, so she didn’t see it when he stole a blueberry muffin from the for-sale bin and add it to the castoff plate, reminding himself to pay for it later.

It took everything he had not to grin smugly to himself when the blueberry muffin was the first thing she went for after her customers were taken care of.

“Mmm. Oh God, this is so good.” Her eyes nearly rolled into the back of her head as she moaned, and his nearly rolled to the back of his as the sound she made pinged against every hormone in his body, stirring them all to life with painful awareness. “You know what would go great with this?”

He couldn’t think up a non-naughty answer, so he merely lifted his eyebrows in question.

“An iced caramel latte.” Then she brightened. “I’m buying one. We’re not that busy.”

After she pulled a bill from her pocket, she tossed it to him. “Could you ring me up, please?”

Catching the fluttering five from the air, he nodded. “Sure.” When she began to make her own, he added, “I think I’ll have one too,” and pulled some money from his own pocket.

Her wide smile about undid him. “Cool.”

Once he’d paid for her drink with her cash and the blueberry muffin and his drink with his, he approached her from behind, holding out her change. “Here’s your change. Hey, you didn’t have to make my latte too.”

“It’s okay; I don’t mind.” In the process of opening a new whipped cream can, Paige turned to smile at him as she struggled to pry it off. When she finally picked the lid free, it flew in a fancy arc straight toward Logan, beaning him right between the eyes.

She slapped her hand over her mouth. “Oh my God. I’m so sorry. Are you okay? Let me see.” She grabbed his wrist of the hand he was holding over his face and yanked it down. “Oh, no. It left a mark. Logan, I can’t believe I almost took your eye out.”

He couldn’t believe she looked so concerned about his eye. Or was holding his hand.

His face heated as he shrugged. “It’s okay. Really. I have another one.”

Dropping his wrist, she snorted out a laugh. “Yeah, I guess you do. Hmm.” Her eyes continued to gleam with amusement as she watched him. “I wonder why people do have two eyes. I mean, we only have one nose and one mouth. Why two eyes? Or…why not three or four?”

He blinked, wondering where the heck that thought had come from. Instead of telling her how adorable he found her weird, philosophical pondering, he scratched his temple. “I’ve always wondered the same thing.”

She lit with excitement. “Really?”

Oh, crap. He deflated and came clean. “No. Not really.”

Giving him a sideways smirk, she pushed playfully at this arm. “Are you calling me weird?”

“No.” He unconsciously reached for his sleeve where she’d touched him. “I wouldn’t dare.”