Page 25 of One Baby Daddy
Eyes shut, a smirk on his face, Hayden slowly shakes his head. “Jesse was a hot mess. She had a drug problem—”
Jabbing my finger into the counter, I can feel myself become far too passionate. “She took caffeine pills! It wasn’t like she was shooting up heroin in the girl’s bathroom at Bayside. It was caffeine pills.”
“That’s where it starts, with caffeine pills, then next thing you know, she’s doing Molly at Coachella.”
“You’re ridiculous.” I fold my arms over my chest.
Snagging a noodle from the strainer, he pops it in his mouth and says, “I’m right. The girl to get was Kelly. Every guy who ever watched the show will agree with me on this. Kelly was theitgirl. Hell, even AC wanted to be with her, but who ended up marrying her in the end? Zack. Despite AC trying to throw his jock, macho-man status in Kelly’s way, she saw past his shifty veneer and went for the by far SUPERIOR guy.” Smiling like a fool and nudging me with his finger, he says, “Come on, you know I’m right.”
“You’re not.” I turn my nose up at him.
“Denial. It’s okay, I’ll let my logic sink in, because it will. Sooner or later, you will realize I’m right. Kelly was the voice of reason inSaved by the Belland there was only one choice for her to make: the right choice, and she made that with Zack Attack.” Hayden pauses for a second and then adds, “Plus, he was one of the first kids ever to have a fucking cellphone . . . soo . . .”
“That ‘phone’ was a monstrosity.”
“That phone was an absolute dream and you know it.”
I fiercely press my lips together. “By the time we were old enough to watch the show, we had cellphones that eclipsed that phone in cool status. So frankly, I can’t take your word for anything.”
With a steady glare in my direction, he slips another noodle into his mouth and says, “I would have traded a Nokia for Zack’s phone any day.”
“Just goes to show”—I snag a noodle as well, slurping it past my lips—“you don’t have very good taste.” Hayden’s eyes are transfixed on my mouth.
He licking his lips seductively and gives me a full once-over, his eyes blazing a wave of fire up my body. “Pretty sure I have great taste.”
A blush creeps over my cheeks from his compliment and heated stare. Unsure of how to answer, I clear my throat and wave my finger over the steaming pots. “So how does this work? Uh, just put the sauce on the pasta?”
Posed, focus still on me, Hayden stares at me for a few beats before chuckling and shaking his head. “Yes, you put the sauce on top of the pasta. It’s as if you haven’t had pasta before.” The way he teases me, it makes me feel that much more comfortable around him, like we’ve known each other longer than a week. “Here, take the wine, and I’ll grab some plates of food.” He hands me two wine glasses and a bottle of red. “We’re going to eat out on the deck.” Winking, he adds, “Meet you out there in a second.”
Shakily, I take the wine and the glasses out the sliding glass door to a beautiful refinished deck that expands the length of the house and overlooks the valley below. The sun is setting over the lush-green oak trees surrounding the property, fireflies start to play in the darkened woods, and the sound of crickets chirping a lullaby fill the air. It’s the perfect northeast summer evening, even if the air has a small bite to it.
To the right, there is a high-density wood dining set with red placemats, napkins, and silverware already laid out with bright yellow flowers in a short vase decorating the middle of the table.
Well, that’s . . . romantic and thoughtful.
Taking a seat, I pop open the wine and pour us both a short glass. I swirl the liquid around, take a small sniff, and then let the wine slip into my mouth, a small taste.
What do the wine gurus have to say about this one?Herbaceous and spicy with a hint of tartness.
Damn good.
I go in for another sip as Hayden walks through the door, holding two plates in one hand a basket of garlic bread in the other. Next to the sliding glass door, he effortlessly flips on a switch, illuminating the deck with large-bulb string lights. The mood immediately switches from playful to romantic, the yellow lighting casting a soft glow over us.
Past the strong and powerful façade of this hockey player is an intimate and romantic man, with a smirk that can kill, and a stare so devastating, I’m not sure if my heart can take any other surprises.
Placing our plates on the table and the basket between us, he sits in his seat and turns toward me, his hand going to a wayward hair of mine, pushing it behind my ear, his hand lingering on my face. “Thanks for coming over tonight. I’ve been looking forward to it ever since our lunch in the cafeteria.”
“Yeah?” I ask like a dweeb, unsure of what to say to this honest and sweet man.
“Yeah.” Pressing his thumb against my cheek, his eyes fixed on mine, I feel the breath from my lungs slowly evaporate as our bodies inch closer.
Eyes move from mine to my mouth and up again.
Lips are licked.
Fingers wrap around my neck, gently pressing me forward.
My breath hitches.
