Playing Hard to Get(17)

“I have a girlfriend.” He rests his hand on his chest, offended. “You adore her.”

It’s true. I do. I’m just being a jerk.

“I’m sure she’s nothing to him,” Leon continues as we walk down the short hallway that leads to the actual store. I come to a stop at the time clock and enter my info, clocking in for my shift.

“I don’t care who she is to him.” That’s what I’m trying to convince myself at least. Seriously, what does it matter? I don’t even think Knox knows my name. Not that he wants to know it either. I’m just the girl who helped him find a calculator. Who mistakenly sat on his lap. I’m sure this sort of thing happens to him on a daily basis.

Besides, I’m still in “mourning” over my previous relationship. Despite him cheating on me and all the bullshit he put me through. God, that sucked and even after everything he did, I still miss Bryan sometimes.

The breakup was the right move for us—for me. I’m enjoying learning how to be my own person, and not worrying what my boyfriend thinks when I feel like I’m having too much fun without him.

We stop and glance around the mostly empty store, the hairs on my arms sticking straight up when I spot him.

Knox.

He is so freaking tall, it’s easy to find his golden-brown head, and he’s wearing a white T-shirt that clings to his chest and shoulders in an almost…loving way. Showcasing the width of him, defining all of those muscles hidden beneath.

Bryan had a decent body, but I know just from seeing Knox in that T-shirt that the boy is ripped.

Wonder what he looks like na—

“He’s looking at you,” Leon says out of the side of his mouth. “He’s staring right at us while we stare at him.”

We both launch into action, me scooting over to the cashier counter while Leon goes to the display table in the front and starts folding sweatshirts. A task he absolutely hates and usually leaves to me, since the sweatshirts never, ever stay folded.

In fact, I can hear Leon grumbling right now, under his breath, probably cursing the sweatshirts for existing, which makes me giggle.

“What’s so funny?”

Startling at the loud, masculine voice, I glance to my right to see Knox approaching, coming to a stop a few feet away from me. He’s alone. No cute girl in sight.

Oh wait. She’s still in the Apple section, locked in intense conversation with the sales rep as he shows her a laptop. We’re not the ones who sell Apple products—that’s why there’s a couple of sales representatives who work at the store.

The laughter fades, and I shake my head. “Nothing. You wouldn’t get it.”

“Try me.” He stops, his face falling a bit. “Unless you were laughing at me.”

Say what? Why would I laugh at him? Is he self-conscious? I never got that vibe from him, ever. “Definitely wasn’t about you.”

“Oh. All right.” He scratches the side of his head, wincing. “Wait a sec. Did I just make that all about me?”

“Kind of,” I admit.

He shakes his head, clearly annoyed with himself. “I’m a dick.”

Now I do laugh at him. “You’re really not.”

“You don’t think so?” Knox seems surprised.

It’s my turn to shake my head. “No.”

And I mean it. He’s been nothing but nice to me. Well, maybe he was a little indifferent toward me during our first encounter, but he wasn’t out and out rude.

“Okay, good.” He seems relieved, then quickly glances over his shoulder before he returns his attention to me. “My sister is buying a new laptop. Her old one died on her last night, so she dragged me in here.”

The relief that courses through me is stronger than I imagined it would be. Why does it matter that the cute girl he’s with is his sister? “Hate when that happens.”

“When you have to go shopping with your sister? Yeah, it sucks.” He smothers a chuckle with his hand, but I see the grin on his face.

And my body responds to it, lighting right up like a complete traitor.

“I don’t have a sister,” I admit. “Just an older brother.”

“I have two sisters. Blair just started school here. Our sister Ruby is a freshman, but she goes to a different college.” He clamps his lips shut. “Random facts. Sorry.”

“I don’t mind.” I watch as he slowly starts to approach the counter once more, drawing closer. Close enough that I can practically feel the heat emanating from him and I wonder what his chest feels like.

Rock hard like his thighs, I bet.

“Can I ask you a question?” The words leave my mouth before I can second-guess them.

Knox stops at the counter, propping his forearms on top of the battered wooden surface. My gaze drops to his arms, lingering. They’re thick and corded with muscle and dusted with golden brown hair that matches the hair on his head.

“Whatcha wanna know?” he asks, his smooth voice causing my gaze to jerk up to his. What a mistake. His eyes are such a beautiful shade of green, and I get lost in them for a moment.

He must realize he has this effect on females because his smile is slow and confident.

Ugh.

“Why are you suddenly coming in here all the time?”

“Define all the time.”