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  Tate cringed. The dude was an idiot! But all in all, his loss was Tate’s gain.

  “Did you try?” he asked.

  Audrey looked over at him, and nodded, “Yeah.”

  “Did you give him everything you had?”

  “Yeah, and he used me.”

  “Then forget him, he doesn’t deserve you. You deserve someone who will love you, not some jackass that doesn’t know his ass from his head.”

  Audrey covered her mouth as she giggled, “Everyone tells me that.”

  “Then maybe you should listen,” he said with a grin.

  She grinned back before nodding, “Maybe I will.”

  For some reason, he got the vibe she was flirting with him. His heart rate picked up as his dick hardened with the beautiful memories of her naked. She was hurting and he was a dick for thinking of sex, but he couldn’t help it. She was so sexy and gorgeous. At the right angle he could see perfectly down her shirt. He couldn’t help it. For some reason he found himself thinking about her naked and sex when he was around her. He had wanted her since he watched her leave the hotel room. It had been a long week and he was ready for a repeat and more.

  Tate turned up his charm, channeling his inner Lucas before grinning over at her.

  “Maybe a good guy is in your future.”

  “Maybe,” she grinned as she stood up, suddenly, “thanks for the talk.”

  “Anytime.”

  Audrey handed him the empty mug as he stood. He looked down at her; a little closer than needed but he wanted her in his arms again. Nothing was said for a moment as they stared into each other eyes. Her eyes were so dark with pretty little spots of honey. She was beautiful, so beautiful. Audrey pointed behind her, just as her eyes fell to his lips. She looked away quickly and muttered, “I gotta get dressed and go buy a couch and mattress before Aiden gets here.”

  “Yeah, Lucas told me Aiden is staying with you for the week.”

  “Yup,” she nodded, taking a step back from him.

  “He told me to help out but to know that you probably won’t need it.”

  She smiled, “No, Aiden and I are good, but thanks.”

  “Sure,” he said as she reached the door. He didn’t want her to go so he said, “I’m home alone for the week, if you guys want company let me know.”

  Audrey smiled, her eyes brighter than they were earlier, “Will do. Thanks again, Tate.”

  “Anytime.”

  She went inside and he leaned against the brick of the condo, taking in deep breaths. She did something to his heart and he didn’t understand it, but he liked it. He liked her.

  “Hey.”

  Tate came off the wall, a quick smile on his face for Audrey. “Yeah?”

  “What’s your favorite thing to eat? Candy wise?”

  Tate laughed, that was random but it wasn’t a hard question to answer, “Gummy bears.”

  Audrey smiled brightly and nodded, “Are you going to baby Shelli’s birthday party this weekend?”

  Tate nodded. He didn’t want to, but Shea, his captain, said he had too.

  So he was.

  “Yeah.”

  “Good, I’ll see you there.”

  With a wave she left, shutting the door behind her.

  Audrey confused the hell out of him but Tate didn’t care. He wanted her, and he couldn’t wait for the chase. He would give her a week or two but after that, it was game time.

  And he had his mind set to win.

  Chapter 7

  “AA, what happened to your couch again?”

  Audrey knew that Aiden didn’t believe the story she told about why she had a new couch set and bedroom suite but it didn’t keep her from sticking to her story. It had been four days, why would she change it now?

  “I told you, Punkin,” she said. She paused to lick the icing from her fingers, “Those hippogriffs you left here, pooped and peed all over my couch! I had to fight them off and then go get a new set!”

  Aiden’s giggles filled the room causing Audrey to smile.

  “You’re so silly, AA,” Aiden giggled.

  Audrey smiled, “And you love me so much.”

  “To the moon and back!” he exclaimed with his hands in the air. Audrey giggled as she nodded while continuing to put icing in her piping bag. Once she had all the icing inside the bag, she squeezed the right amount on each orange crème flavored cupcake while Aiden leaned on the back of the couch watching her.

  “Are you gonna come on over here and pick out all the orange gummy bears from this bag for me?” she asked, cocking her head to the side, where a large bag of gummy bears sat.

  “Sure!”

  Aiden ran over to the island, hopping up in the chair before opening the bag. Audrey continued to frost the cupcakes while Aiden picked out all the orange ones. He was the best helper in the kitchen, plus she just loved being near him. She had been missing him so much lately.

  Once she was done, she leaned back inspecting her work. She had done well with the bright orange buttercream icing she had made. It matched the cake perfectly, and also the wrapper that Aiden had picked out.

  “All done,” Aiden said before hopping off the chair to throw away the packing.

  Audrey nodded, “Good work, good sir!”

  Aiden laughed while Audrey proceeded to put a gummy bear on the top of each cupcake. When she was done, she popped one in her mouth and grinned over at Aiden. “You sure Mr. Tate likes orange?”

  Aiden nodded quickly, his hair moving with every move. “Yup! He says he hates purple and hates wearing it at the games.”

  Audrey laughed, “I like the purple.”

  Audrey had always been a fan of the Assassins’ jersey. The jerseys were a dark purple. On the front as an emblem was a large masked man who held a hockey stick over his head with the Nashville skyline coming out of his shoulders. The jerseys did it for her; she had two of her own. She thought it made the guys look scrumptious. Something about a manly man in a girly color turned her on. Call her crazy, but it was hot!

  “Me too!” Aiden exclaimed, “Dad, got me my own jersey that says Brooks and 11 on the back, since he is 22.”

  “How cool! What’s mommy? 33?”

  Aiden rolled his eyes, “Duh, AA, she’s number one!”

  Audrey laughed, “Dad said that?”

  “Yup! Mommy will always be his number one, that’s what he always says.”

  That Lucas Brooks! He honestly could make any woman swoon. Audrey shook her head while she placed each cupcake in a cupcake tin. For the past couple days, she had been working on the perfect cupcake to give Tate as a thank you. When she found the Orange Crème ones online, she was quick to make them. They tasted divine, and she hoped Tate would think so too.

  Audrey hadn’t seen Tate since she left him that morning which was probably for the best. When she wasn’t busy with Aiden, she was in her room crying. She was still broken hearted with the way Levi had left. They had split up before but he had never been so cold and taunting about it. It was like she didn’t even know this person. He made her feel like everything they had was worthless and that he was glad to be done with her. But what didn’t make sense was his text about wanting to see her again. Didn’t he know that she couldn’t do this anymore? That she needed to be done with him? No matter what her heart said. She should have taken a picture of the burning pile of his crap and sent it to him. That would have shown him!

  With a shake of her head, as if she was trying to get rid of the thought of him, she placed the cupcakes in the center of the island. She had promised herself that she was done thinking about him, but she hadn’t had much luck with that. She needed to give up guys completely for a while. It would be for the best. She had been so caught up on Levi when God knew she shouldn’t have. She hated feeling like this. Like she was nothing, a stranger who no one would ever love. She knew that there was a man out there for her, but she was pretty sure he had fallen off his horse on the way to her house.

  What she needed was a break.