One Baby Daddy (Dating by Numbers #3)(16)

“Adalyn, you okay?”

Startled from my little fantasy, I straighten in my chair, hands still posed at the bag of food. Hayden takes a seat across from me, placing the drinks on the table.

“Uh, sorry. I was thinking about something.” When I look at him, those dark eyes shadowed by his baseball hat, I’m sure my cheeks flame with a wave of crimson.

I was picturing him naked, pulsing in and out of me, and now I have no idea how to stop that image from playing over and over in my mind.

“You sure? You’re all red.”

How humiliating.

“Yup, good.” I clear my throat and reach into the bag, pulling out two wrapped sandwiches. “Thank you for bringing me lunch. You’re really scoring some points with me. Cake and Spiedies. Seems you know the way to my heart.”

“Just want to spend more time getting to know you, so I’ll take any stolen moment I can get.”

I twist my lips to the side, studying him. “Racer was right, you’re dangerous. I really should stay away from you.”

“Racer doesn’t know his head from his ass. Don’t listen to him.” Hayden unwraps his sandwich and takes a man-size bite, smiling at me as he chews. I bite into my sandwich as well, but I don’t take nearly as much of the sandwich as Hayden does. Pretty sure I’d choke if that happened.

Swallowing and taking a sip of water, Hayden asks, “So . . . Logan, you two have some history?”

“Could you tell?”

“It was obvious from the tension in the elevator, which was fun by the way.”

I softly chuckle. “Sorry about that.”

Before he takes another bite of his Spiedie, he says, “Tell me about him.”

“Do you really want to talk about another man on our little lunch date?”

He chews a few beats before answering, “If he was a part of your life, I want to hear about it because it involves you. Spill your guts. What’s the dirt with you two?”

Sighing, I glance in the direction that Logan went and turn my attention back to Hayden. “We went through the nursing program together at Binghamton University. It was Logan, Emma—Tucker’s fiancée—and me. We relied on each other, were practically dependent upon one another during those four years because nursing school is no joke.”

“I believe it.” It’s so sexy that he truly appreciates my job, like he believes whole-heartedly it’s one of the toughest out there, because at times, it feels like it is.

“We were all really close, we still are, but after we graduated, we might have tested the waters with our friendship, and I hooked up with him.” I glance up to see Hayden’s eyes sharpen, his jaw become tight. Yeah, I didn’t think he wanted to hear that.

Looking at his sandwich, he says, “Well, that explains the tension.”

“Only a part of the tension.” I put my sandwich down and start playing with the cap of my water bottle. No girl wants to talk about her insecurities with a handsome, interested man, but I have a feeling Hayden isn’t going to let this go.

“There’s more?”

I slowly nod, feeling massively insecure. “The next morning, we woke up and the first thing he said to me was”—I bite the inside of my cheek and take a deep breath—“that was a mistake.”

Hayden’s hands grip the table, his forearms dangerously flexing. “He said that to you?”

“Unfortunately.”

“What a prick.” Hayden glances toward the gift shop, but of course by now, Logan is long gone. Thankfully. From the look in Hayden’s eyes, I fear what would happen to him.

“It’s over now. We’re friends, and we keep it that way.”

Still tense, Hayden sits back in his seat. “Still, friends don’t treat friends like that. It was shitty of him to say something so harsh and immature.”

“You don’t have to make it sound any worse than it was. Believe me, he isn’t your competition.” I smile shyly while Hayden interestingly raises his eyebrow, a slow, devilish smile replacing the former scowl.

“Not competition, huh? Is there anyone else I need to worry about?”

I pick at the wrapper to my Spiedie and slowly shake my head. “None.”

Leaning forward now, he takes my hand in his large, calloused palm. Those blue eyes peeking out from under the brim of his hat. Seductive, and yet mysterious. I know practically nothing about this man, but even with that, there is this crazy pull I feel when he’s near, like I was meant to meet him.

“What are you doing Friday night?”

Turning my hand in his, he weaves our fingers, his palm so warm. “I work until seven, but I don’t believe I’m doing anything after that. Why?” I smile, looking through my eyelashes, feeling so freaking shy with the way his thumb is running along the back of my hand. “Did you have something in mind?”

He nods slowly, eyes never leaving mine. “How about I text you with the details later?”

“Do you have to text me later because you don’t technically have any plans of what to do?”

The corner of his lips tilt up, his straight white teeth peeking past his lips. “Way to call a guy out.”

“Just keeping you on your toes. Can’t make you believe I’m an easy catch.”