Trivial Pursuits (Chicago On Ice Book 2) (4 page)

The air goes out of me as I stare at the picture. Zingers, the snack cake I raved to him about during
TriviaPlayOrPass!
last night. He went out and found them because I said I loved them.

And just like that, I know what I need to do.

Landy might be a flirt. He might have a reputation for never being serious. He might break my heart in a way I never dreamed possible.

Might.

But all of this doesn’t mean Landy is Troy.

He’s not,
I realize, my heart springing back to life. Landy is his own person. And I’m different than I was in college. My heart wants to see where this could go, and damn it, I deserve the right to explore it.

Which is what I intend to do.

Right now.

Chapter 6

TriviaPlayOrPass!

DesignerA, you won the bonus round. You select the category for Scott921’s next question. Categories include Romantic Leading Men, Heroes who Wear Glasses, or Famous Athletes on Ice.

With doubt shoved firmly out of my head, my heart happily takes the lead as I head toward Landy’s unit. Tonight is about having fun. Spending the evening with an interesting man, one I want to get to know better.

And as I stop in front of Landy’s door, there’s no time like the present to do it.

I take a moment to compose myself. Then I press the doorbell.

“Coming,” I hear him call out.

My heart flips the second I hear his wonderful voice, the one that sounds like he just woke up or downed a glass of brandy before speaking. Man, that’s sexy as hell.

I hear the lock being turned, and a million butterflies shift in my stomach in anticipation of seeing him.

The door opens, and Landy greets me.

“Livy.” He flashes me a wicked grin as he casually puts his arm up on the doorframe. “So riddle me this. Did the Japanese beer seal the deal for you tonight? Or was it the Zingers?”

I can’t even formulate a sentence. Landy’s in
glasses.
Thin-framed glasses that make him seem wiser. Intellectual in a super-sexy way.

And I didn’t think it was possible, but he’s managed to go from sexy to
unbelievably freaking hot
with those on.

I manage to move past the glasses and quickly drink him in, from the light stubble shading his face to his jet-black locks. He’s casual tonight, with a plaid flannel button-down that is layered over a white T-shirt and paired with dark denim jeans.

But the shirt—oh, the sleeves are rolled up and reveal his sexy tattoo sleeves. I also see a collection of leather and beaded bracelets adorn his left wrist. Then I pick up the delicious scent of his cologne, a sensual mix of leather and vanilla, and the scent lingering on his skin is intoxicating.

My heart races as I study him. Dark and gorgeous and he knows how to dress and he’s in
glasses.

I’m at DEFCON 1.

And if there were a DEFCON 0 on the chart, I’m sure I’d hit it by the end of the evening.

Then I realize Landy’s waiting for me to say something.

“You assume incorrectly on both counts, Landy. You had me at trivia,” I say smartly, impressed I came up with that answer while being so incredibly distracted by oh, the hottest man on the
planet?

Landy’s grin widens. My heart flutters as I realize he likes my answer, and I find myself smiling back at him.

“Come on in,” he says, opening the door and stepping aside so I can enter.

I move past him and step into his condo, which is contemporary and minimal. I enter into a long hallway, one painted in a soft shade of gray. There are chic black horizontal sconces on the wall providing light. I see a long black entry table with layered lamps on it, and a huge white textured canvas hanging behind it.

“This is cool,” I say, looking around.

“Thanks,” Landon says, grinning. “Now that way,” he inclines his head, “leads to the bedrooms. This way,” he says, beginning to walk, “takes us to the kitchen and den.”

I follow him down the hall, and it opens to a sleek kitchen with black cabinets, white granite countertops, and pendant lighting. The living room is amazing, with windows providing a view of the city at night. The modern theme continues here with a low-profile white sectional and a large, dark-brown modernistic wood coffee table. The table has a grouping of Asian-inspired vases and a large white orchid on it. Throw pillows in plum and taupe stripes add a slight pop of color to the room.

I’m fascinated by it. It’s chic and cool.

Just like him.

“So you’re saying all I had to do was say trivia night?” Landy asks. “I didn’t have to throw in the sushi? Good to know, I can always share it with Gigi tomorrow.”

I haven’t even unbuttoned my pea coat, and a wave of anxiety sweeps over me. Shit.
Shit!
Did I read this all wrong? Did Landy mean date night as in trivia date with a
friend?
I swallow. Of course, I made the boundaries clear. Maybe I put myself right into the friendship box with that move.

Or am I his date for
tonight,
and Gigi will get my sushi—and Landy—
tomorrow?

Suddenly I hear a cat meowing.

I turn toward the sound, which is coming from his kitchen. Then I see it. A gorgeous Siamese, slender with intense pale-blue eyes, saunters toward him.

“There’s my girl.” Landy flashes me a mischievous smile. “That’s Gigi.”

Gigi is a cat?

Oh thank God.

I unbutton my coat while Landy moves past me and scoops up Gigi.

Ooooooooh no. Sexy hockey-playing man holding a
cat.
This isn’t fair. I have no chance.

I drape my coat over the back of a kitchen barstool and set my purse on the countertop. I turn to find Landy studying me, which sends a shiver down my spine.

“You look nice,” Landy says.

I smile at him. “You don’t look too bad yourself,” I say, which is kind of like saying the Atlantic has a smidge of water in it.

Vastly understated.

I clear my throat, shifting my attention to Gigi.

“I never thought you’d own a cat,” I say truthfully.

“I’ve always been a cat man,” Landy says.

My breath catches in my throat.
Nothing is sexier to me than a man who loves cats.

“Do you like cats?” Landy asks, interrupting my thoughts.

I nod. “I do. I’ve always had cats growing up. I love lap cats.”

“Yeah, Gigi likes to sit near my head on the back of the sofa,” he says, grinning. “Or she sleeps on my chest when I’m watching TV.”

My heart melts a bit at the idea of flirty, sexy, hockey badass Landy laying on the couch, watching TV, with Gigi on his chest.

I need more DEFCON levels.

“I got her after I was called up from Milwaukee to Chicago two years ago,” Landy continues, putting Gigi down on the floor. She strolls over to me and begins sniffing my suede boots. After a second, she rubs around my legs.

“The Buffaloes were shooting a calendar for an animal adoption group, and I was asked if I minded posing with a kitten,” Landy continues. “I was like sure, whatever you want, you know? So they gave me Gigi—that was her name when I got her—and I
had
to bring her home. I’ve even forgiven her for destroying the side of my sofa with her claws,” he teases.

I laugh. “I bet she was so cute.”

“She was. I’ll show you pictures later if you want.”

“I’d like that,” I say. “Will she get upset if I try to pet her?”

“Nah, she’s good. GiGi loves people.”

I bend down and stroke her fur, and she begins to purr. I grin in response.

“Hi, Gigi,” I say as she moves her head underneath my hand for me to stroke. I glance up at Landy, who is smiling down at me. “She’s a love!”

“She is,” Landy says, sounding like a proud parent. “She’s my girl.”

I stand up, butterflies shifting in my stomach. I love how Landy is with his cat. That’s another part of his personality I didn’t expect.

But another part that I find incredibly attractive.

“Are you hungry?” Landy asks, interrupting my thoughts.

“I’m starving,” I admit. Then I flash him a smile. “I’m glad you ordered a lot of sushi, because I can practically eat my weight in it.”

Landy laughs. “So you like to eat?”

“I love food,” I admit as I stand.

Landy’s blue eyes light up. “Oh, so you’re a woman who loves to eat, DesignerA?”

My heart leaps from the sparkle in his eyes. The teasing, sexy way they are dancing at me right now.

“Perhaps, Scott921,” I flirt back.

Landy slowly folds his arms across his chest. “Okay. So I know you like to eat. But I don’t know how you are about making changes on the fly. Do you?”

Ohhhhhh
“Trouble”
should be screaming in my head.

But I mute it.

“That depends,” I say slowly, “on what you ask me.”

“I want to renegotiate the rules. We don’t ask personal questions between Trivial Pursuit ones,” Landy says.

My heart bursts in disappointment at his words.

Landy is trying to get out of going deeper.

Well, if that’s the case, if this is him thinking he can get me here and then change the rules, he’s wrong. I’m about to reply but Landy speaks first.

“We do it during dinner,” he says, his eyes intense. “Because I want to know you now, Livy. Not later.”

Disappointment immediately turns to elation.

“Yeah?” I ask, surprised by this move.

“Yeah,” Landy says. “So are you in?”

I’m so in,
I think as I study him.

And now I’m going to find out if Landy is just as in, too.

Chapter 7

TriviaPlayOrPass!

What is the name of the ginger that is traditionally served with sushi? DesignerA, play or pass to Scott921?

“I know I said I could eat my weight in sushi,” I say, sinking down across from Landy at his coffee table, “but this is a
lot
of food. How much did you think I was going to eat?”

Landy has a large assortment of fish arranged on a tray—absolutely gorgeous pieces of sushi and sashimi, all exquisitely prepared.

He opens up his packet of chopsticks. “Maybe I actually can eat my weight in sushi.”

Then he winks at me.

Ohhhhhhhhh he’s so cute when he does that.

My heart happily skips inside my chest as Landy immediately puts some cat treats down for Gigi, who has been impatiently meowing for sushi the second he took it out of the refrigerator.

“No sushi for you,” Landy says to GiGi. “That’s bad for you.” Then he smiles at me. “Hopefully tossing her treats will distract her from wanting our food. I was teasing you about sharing it with her earlier.”

I smile to myself. I love that he is such a good cat owner.

“So what do we have?” I ask, eagerly leaning forward to see what Landy selected for this evening.

“This is all from Momotaro, my favorite sushi place in Chicago,” he explains. “I got amberjack, yellowtail, barbecued freshwater eel, and salmon for our sashimi. For the rolls, I went for one with king crab, that’s Kani Jomaki, and Momomaki, which has tuna and octopus.”

“This is to die for,” I say as I take in all the food in front of me.

“Wait until you try it,” Landy says. “I could eat this every day, it’s that good.”

“And plenty of pickled ginger,” I say eagerly. “I
love
that stuff.”

“
TriviaPlayOrPass!
” Landy says suddenly, his eyes sparkling. “DesignerA, what is the traditional name of pickled ginger? Play or pass to superior intellect Scott921.”

I point my chopsticks at him. “Listen here, Scott921 not of superior intellect, we’re not supposed to be asking
TriviaPlayOrPass!
questions. You’re supposed to be asking getting-to-know-me questions.”

Then I select a piece of amberjack and place it on my plate.

Landy picks up his chopsticks and points them right back at me. “
Listen here,
DesignerA, I need to know your sushi knowledge or what’s the point? I’m a sushi fanatic. It’s important. No point in getting to know you if you don’t know proper sushi terminology.”

I laugh loudly. “Wait. So I have to know the term for
pickled ginger
or it’s done?”

Gigi lets out a howl.

“See? Even your cat thinks that’s stupid, Landy,” I say as I eat my sashimi.
Wow.
The amberjack fish practically melts in my mouth the second I taste it. So, so good.

Landy studies me for a moment as I eat. “You know what is surprising about you? Underneath the beautiful blond, underneath your sweet exterior, exists a playful side. I didn’t see that the times we hung out together before with Aubrey and Beckett.”

I finish my sushi before responding. My heart leaps from his words. One, that he thinks I’m beautiful, but two, he sees something more in me now that he didn’t before.

“When did you see that?” I ask, curious.

“
DesignerA
always had it. That’s what I liked about talking to you. Well, that and you didn’t know I was Landon Holder,” he says, selecting a piece of yellowtail.

He likes me for me,
I realize happily.
The inside me, the person he didn’t know existed outside of the app.

“This is still so weird,” I admit, setting my chopsticks down for a moment. “That of all the people in the world to be matched up with in
TriviaPlayOrPass!
it was you.”

Maybe Landy is right. Maybe it is fate.

“I know,” he admits, interrupting my thoughts. “But I liked talking to you. You were funny. Not afraid to dish it out. You’re smart. I got frustrated you were always kicking my ass at the game. I like all of that.”

“Did you ever think about going personal in our conversations?” I ask.

“Did you?” Landy counters.

I shake my head. “No. I was scared. I thought you might be some married man in Nova Scotia. Or a boy in Vancouver spending time on this app to avoid homework. I decided it was best not to know.”

Landy roars with laughter. “Shit.”

“I know,” I say, grinning at him. Then I get serious. “You didn’t go personal with me because of who you are? That I’d change if I found out you were famous?”

“No,” he says. “I was afraid you might be the single cat lady with twenty cats.”

I burst out laughing at the thought, and Landy does, too.

“But you’re evading my question,” he says. “Do you have the name for pickled ginger, or do you pass to me?”

I wrinkle my nose. I hate when I have to pass a question to him.

“Do you do that when we play?” Landy asks.

“Do what?” I ask, confused.

“Wrinkle your nose when you don’t know the answer?”

“Who says I don’t know the answer?” I say stubbornly.

“Oh, you don’t know, and it’s
killing
you to pass to me. That cute little crease here,” he says, leaning across the table and gently touching the bridge of my nose, “says it all.”

Heat rips through me the second his fingertip brushes against my skin. Landy
touched
me. In a sweet, affectionate gesture that says volumes to me about who he is.

Maybe he’s not the player I thought he was.

“Trouble.”

Gah! I shut the mental soundtrack off and refocus on the moment at hand.

“Fine,” I say, daring to admit defeat. “Pass to Scott921.”

“Gari,” Landy says triumphantly, grinning at me.

“You so looked it up before I came over,” I accuse.

“What? I did not,” he says, laughing. “You can’t stand losing, can you?”

“Correction. It’s one question. I’m behind. This game has only begun, Landy Holder.”

“Yes, it has, hasn’t it?” he replies, his eyes burning into mine.

Ooooooooooooh!

A shiver shoots down my spine as he studies me. I’m glad I have
“Trouble”
on mental mute because it would be on replay if my brain had anything to say about it.

“I think that counts as a question,” I say, trying to distract myself from the intensity of his gaze.

“No way. That was trivia,” he counters.

Gigi suddenly pops up on the table.

“No, Gigi,” Landy says, deftly picking her up with one hand and putting her on the floor. Then he looks sheepishly at me. “Sorry. It’s the sushi.”

“I’ve lived with cats my whole life,” I say, pausing over the sashimi and trying to select what to try next. I put some tuna on my plate and consider my next piece. “That doesn’t bother me at all.”

“You’ve got to try the crab roll,” Landy urges. “Freaking killer.”

“Okay,” I say. I lean over to select a piece with my chopsticks and pick it up when Gigi springs back on the table. But this time, she lands on my plate. It immediately flips up, and before I can react, I feel food hit my nose and chin. The sashimi from my chin immediately drops down my blouse.

“Gah!” I cry, leaping up as the sashimi is very cold and slimy and now sticking in the center of my Victoria’s Secret bra.

“Gigi!” Landy yells.

Gigi hisses in response. She scrambles and leaps off the table, running away from the scene of the crime and down the hallway.

“Shit! Oh, shit, I’m so sorry,” Landy says apologetically, jumping up. “I’m really sorry, Livy. I should have locked her up. I’m—”

I stare at him, stopping him in mid-sentence. I know I have fish on my face, there’s sashimi in my bra, and Landy appears horrified.

I calmly put my hand to my face, brushing aside the remains of the crab roll. Then I shoot him a mock glare.

“Nice,” I say coolly, totally playing him. “Very nice start to the evening.”

Landy shakes his head. “Arrgh! This is why I don’t do this. I don’t have dates. I screw things up, I suck at this.”

I blink in surprise. Did cool, confident, flirty one-woman-to-the-next Landy Holder really say that?

But my heart soars from that admission. That means something.

And for once,
“Trouble”
isn’t needed as an internal alarm.

“I can’t believe you,” I say. “I told you trivia only tonight. So you obviously trained Gigi to do that so you’d get me to take my bra off.”

“
What?
” Landy asks, a confused expression passing across his handsome face. “What does that have to do with taking your bra off?”

“Come on, Landy, you got Gigi to hit my plate to make the sashimi land in my bra,” I tease.

“There’s
sashimi
in your bra?” he asks, his eyes wide.

I can’t keep a straight face. I burst out laughing.

“Yes,” I say. “And it’s gross!”

Landy’s eyes shift down for a moment, to my breasts. Then he immediately blinks and jerks his head up, as if he realized what he just did.

Oh, I’m loving this date so much.

“Mr. Holder, you’re going to have to take my word for it that there is tuna in my bra,” I say smartly.

He groans and rubs his hand over his face in embarrassment. “I’m sorry. I keep saying that, but I am. I can’t believe I did that. I apologize.”

“You totally looked.”

“How could I not?” Landy declares. “You have sashimi wedged in there!”

That in itself is a miracle, since I’m an A-cup. I’m thrilled the sashimi didn’t end up on the floor.

And with that thought, I burst out laughing, and Landy does, too.

“Okay. Let me fish this out—no pun intended—and I’m coming back to ask my question,” I say, smiling at him.

Landy smiles at me. “You know most women would be freaking about the sashimi in the bra bit. Or king crab in the hair.”

“What?” I say, reaching up and running my hand over my hair. “I’m talking to you with crab in my hair?”

Landy steps closer to me. Once again the rich scent of his sensual cologne wraps around me.

“I’ll get it,” he says softly. “Is that all right?”

I nod.

Landy reaches up and lifts his hand to my hair. I stop breathing. My heart is racing, and it’s stupid. He’s simply removing crab from my hair. Could anything be any more unromantic or unsexy?

He gently runs his fingers through my locks, and I take back what I just thought.

Sushi in the hair is very sexy.

He sweeps the offending piece of sushi away and gazes down at me.

“It’s gone,” he says softly, his blue eyes burning into mine.

“Thank you,” I say my eyes shifting to his full lips for a moment.

“You’re welcome,” he says.

I swear he can hear my heart beating. I feel sexual tension like I’ve never felt in my life. I know I barely know him, but I feel like I do.

I want him to kiss me.

“Let me get you a T-shirt to wear,” Landy says quietly, interrupting my thoughts.

“What?” I ask, confused.

“I assume you want a shirt that doesn’t smell like sashimi.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “Are you still trying to get my clothes off, Landy?”

“No, I’m not,” he declares, laughing. “But I’ll grab you a shirt so you can change.”

“Thank you,” I say.

While Landy goes to retrieve a shirt, I pick up the plate and the sushi that has landed on the floor. I dump the food into his trash and set the plate in his sink.

“Livy, I didn’t want you to clean up,” Landy says, walking back into the kitchen.

I turn and see he’s holding a long-sleeved navy T-shirt for me to wear. One that says
Buffaloes Hockey #94
in gold on it.

I’m going to wear his shirt.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! I’m going to wear Landy’s shirt!

“Not a big deal,” I say, trying to calm myself.

Landy extends the shirt to me. Inside, butterflies are fluttering like mad, but I can’t let him know that.

So I practice my best adulting skills and take it from him with a calm expression on my face. “Thank you.”

“Restroom is down the hall on your right. Washcloths are under the sink.”

“Okay.” I head down the hall and locate Landy’s guest restroom. I flip on the light and shut the door.

I set his shirt on the sink countertop and study my reflection in the large mirror. My pale skin is flushed from Landy touching me, but there’s no sign of sushi anywhere. I grab some toilet paper and reach down into my bra, pull out the offending piece of sashimi, and flush it down the toilet.

I take off my blouse and hang it on a hook he has on the back of the door. I find his stack of washcloths and take one. I dampen it and clean the center of my bra. Hopefully my bra won’t smell like a sushi bar for the rest of the night now.

I grab his T-shirt and pull it over my head. The fabric is soft and smells of lavender fabric softener. He must have someone do his laundry. No man thinks about fabric softener.

I glance in the mirror, and the shirt is huge on me, despite me rolling up the sleeves a bit. But I can’t help but think of how sexy it is to wear his clothing.

Adulting, Livy.

I clear the thought from my head and check my hair for any stray bits of sushi. Okay, I can affirm the sushi and sashimi are all gone.

Red-hot desire to kiss Landy?

NOT GONE.

I draw a breath of air. He’s said some things to give me hope that this is something more for him. Like the fact that he “doesn’t do this.” Which makes me think I’m an exception to his normal flirt, hook up, be gone pattern.