Even standing slouched as he was, he positively dwarfed the space. There was no denying just how imposing this man was. But something about the way he was holding himself told me he was trying very hard not to be.
I cleared my throat. “Well, Mr. Seven Foot Tall, it’s not very often you meet a guy who looks like you who happens to read romance.”
“Six-six.” His lips twitched—there and gone so quick, I wasn’t sure I hadn’t imagined it—and he glanced down at the book I held. “And, to be fair, I haven’t read that one. But my mom loved it.”
“Your mom, huh?” I couldn’t keep the surprise out of my voice. “You guys have book club?”
“She’s a librarian. And a great cook. Sometimes I don’t have a choice.”
The way he said it, all business, no inflection, brought a smile to my lips. It’d been a long time since a man had been able to disarm me long enough to do that. Even longer since I’d felt regret over not being able to see where this could possibly lead.
Alas, it wasn’t in the cards.
The elevator came to a stop, and he reached out, holding the doors open for me. “Enjoy your book.”
“Enjoy your gala.” I laughed as his scowl only deepened, and I stepped out of the elevator, shooting him a smile over my shoulder. “I bet the food will be good, at least. Eat something delicious for me.”
Then, without a backward glance, I headed toward the bar. I was ready for a drink. And to get lost in a world where a woman like me would’ve spent the night with Mr. Tall, Dark, and Grumpy instead of by herself with only a book boyfriend for company.
Apparently the universehad taken my silent desire as permission that I didn’t want to be alone and dropped the worst of mankind in my path.
I’d been at the bar for fifty minutes, and this random guy had been on my ass for forty-five of them. I hadn’t even gotten a chance to open my book before he’d sidled up to the stool next to mine, shooting me a leering smile and diving straight into a single-sided conversation.
One I’d tried subtly and not so subtly to put an end to.
Normally, I’d just up and leave—I wasn’t in the habit of allowing men my company if I didn’t want to—but this wasn’t a normal situation. It hadn’t taken me long to realize he was the same guy I’d seen in the hallway outside Laurel’s and my room.Because of course he was. My one talent in life was my ability to attract some real losers.
Since my teenage daughter was in our room, alone, I had no intention of leading him back there. Which meant I was stuck.
The bar was about half full, scattered with an eclectic mix of people—a few in jeans, several who’d obviously escaped from the gala…and exactly no one dressed in pseudo pajamas, save for me.
Unfortunately, even that hadn’t stopped Chief Creep from descending.
I’d kept a napkin over my drink the entire time because I didn’t trust that he wouldn’t slip something into it if I even blinked. I was giving him the coldest shoulder known to humankind, but he just would not take the hint. And I was really damn tired of this game.
I’d been down this road before, and I had no intention of returning so soon.
“C’mon, you know you wanna come back to my room.” He gave me a slow perusal, the sweep of his gaze like slime coating my skin. “A pretty girl like you shouldn’t be alone tonight.”
Fuckme. While all his other talk amounted to please,pleasecome home with me, this was the first time he’d laid it out so clearly. I needed to be done with this, and I needed thatnow.
Unfortunately, the bartender was otherwise occupied, and the closest patron was four stools away, so I didn’t have any hope of catching their attention.
I was on my own.
I scanned the bar as Chief Creep leaned closer, his rancid breath sweeping across my skin. My mind was spinning a thousand miles an hour as I darted my gaze around the space, trying to find a way out of this. Preferably one that didn’t end with my body being found on the ten o’clock news. There werea few men in tuxedos clustered together who I assumed to be sportsball players, but I wasn’t about to dive into a group.
And then I spottedhim.
Mr. Tall, Dark, and Grumpy stood at the entrance of the bar, an imposing sight even from across the room. Had he somehow gottenbiggerin the hour since we’d met in the elevator? Or was it just the air he was putting off now?
He surveyed the room, a scowl firmly in place, mouth set in a hard line, brows drawn down. His tuxedo was still impeccable, save for the tie now hanging loosely around his neck, the top couple buttons of his shirt undone. But even those helped in broadcasting a silent,stay the fuck away from me if you know what’s good for you.
The problem was, Ididn’tknow what was good for me.
Even surrounded by other hulking players, he was, without a doubt, the biggest, meanest-looking motherfucker in here. And he was exactly what I needed.
“Who says I’m alone?” I barely spared Chief Creep a glance before grabbing my bag, sliding off my stool, and heading straight for the man I’d been certain I would never see again.
