Days, even.
“Get all that?” he asked.
“Oh, sure.”
He gave her a skeptical look and tapped her second beer. “You’re not going to get pissed on me, are you?”
All right, she watched enough BBC to know that pissed meant drunk. “Nope. I can handle my alcohol, thank you. It’d take five or six of these to get me good and wasted.” She shrugged. “Besides, it’s not like we’re driving. We can take the subway anywhere. It runs past all the major hotels.”
Loch took another sip of his beer. “It run past your place, too?”
“It’s a block or two away, but not a rough walk. Why?”
He shrugged. “You gonna invite me up later?”
“If I did, would you go?”
He nodded. “In a heartbeat.”
Her pulse raced at the thought, but it was Taylor’s turn to be skeptical. “Why? It’s like I said before—we both know I’m not your type.”
Loch grinned at her, and she melted all over again. “That’s precisely why I like you. You’re different than what I expect, but that’s not a bad thing.” He gestured at the pub. “And while I’m in America, I’m determined to expand my boundaries.”
“Expand your boundaries? You make doing me sound like a science project.”
He laughed and toyed with his glass. “Not at all. Doing you would be an adventure.”
“That’s better.” She sat up a little straighter. Adventures were fun, not like science projects. Then she sighed, because adventures made her think about the time she was spending here instead of being online. Her phone had been buzzing all night with incoming texts, and she had no doubt in her mind that Sigmund was probably frantic. It was . . . kind of nice to ignore him, though. She knew she was being bad, but for one glorious night, she didn’t give a hoot. Taylor took another swig of her beer—a light, fruity ale that went down smooth and was a favorite treat she didn’t often indulge in. “I should be going soon anyhow.”
“Because of your game?”
She nodded. “My guild’s probably ready to kill me for bailing out on them.”
He leaned forward. “I’m still fuzzy on the whole guild thing. You want to explain it to me?”
Taylor’s skepticism meter dinged again, but Loch’s expression was serious. He didn’t look as if he was making fun of her. “Boy, you really don’t spend much time on computers, do you?”
“I’m more of an outdoors guy. Hunting and all that.”
“Hunting. Barf.”
“Computers. Barf.”
She laughed. “All right, point to you, sir.”
He took another drink and patted the table. “Out with it, then. Tell me about guilds and why yours is so important.”
“Well.” Taylor considered it, leaning forward as she did. Her hands went around her beer again and she started to peel the label from the bottle. Talking about guild stuff with non-gamers always got her weird looks. No one ever understood the appeal. She glanced over at the TV again, where the soccer game was still on. “I guess it’s a lot like a team sport. We all choose to be on a team together, and instead of fighting against other teams—though you can do that—usually you fight against the computer.” When he nodded understanding, she went on. “Each guild has people that do very specific things. Kind of like positions in soccer. You have your DPS, which is your damage dealers, you have your tanks, and you have your clerics. You need a good balance of all three to run a successful raid.”
“And a raid is . . .”
“It’s like a match against the computer. You go to the big dungeon and put in an all-out assault against the computer’s monsters.” He still wasn’t giving her the you’re crazy look, so she continued. “I’m the guild leader and so me not being there is a lot like sending my team out onto the field with no coach.”
“Ahhh.” He rapped his knuckles on the table and then pointed at her. “So you not being there cocks it up for everyone else.”
“Exactly! God, I could kiss you right now for getting it. Everyone else thinks I’m nuts.”
“I’m the captain of my polo team at home, so I understand.” He leaned in again. “Though I’ll still take that kiss if you’re game.”
He was flirting hard and heavy, wasn’t he? Loch was probably a flirt to all women, and he was treating her no different than he would anyone else. Still, it was fun, and she felt like they’d connected on some level. It wasn’t her to flirt back, but tonight she was cutting loose a bit. When would she ever get another chance to kiss a hot European guy? So she leaned forward and met him across the booth.
Their lips barely brushed, but she felt a flood of heat move all the way through her body. Her nipples tightened in response and every inch of her body seemed to be hyperaware of his presence. She leaned back and he gave her another one of those lazy, sexy grins.
“I should dare you a few more things, shouldn’t I, Taylor?”
“I’ll only do it if I want to,” she retorted, but she was smiling. With him she felt . . . carefree. Light. Happy.
The food arrived, breaking the moment, and for the next while Taylor talked about her guild and the mechanics of raiding and how the makeup of the group was as important as the items the characters wore. Loch seemed interested, drawing sports comparisons from time to time, and shared stories of his polo team with her, and even a few hunting tales.