What if he’s completely repulsive inside and out—how am I supposed to have children with someone I can’t stand to look at?
When I returned home this afternoon from shopping I’d known they were in the house. I’d opted to hide away in my room instead of facing my future head on.
And when I’d gathered up the courage to look out my window to get a glimpse, all I’d seen was a man walk out of the house. Before I could get a good look, I’d knocked over a glass of water sitting on my vanity trying to press my face to the window. By the time I got back to the window, the car was driving away.
“You’re not going to let up, are you?” Rosa snaps.
“I’m just saying if the man wanted to, he would.” Kara sits back in her seat with a satisfied smirk as she brings her glass to her lips.
Rosa gives me a look, desperate for back up. But there is no winning against Kara once she gets on the wholeknow your worthsoapbox.
“I’m going to pee. I’ll be right back.” I slide off my chair. “If the waiter comes around, order those little egg roll things we like.”
I leave them to finish their argument about if having a work meeting constitutes a reason to miss a date, and weave through the lounge toward the restrooms. As I pass a table in the corner of the room, a waft of spiced aftershave hits me.
It’s just a scent, but it sends tingles through me. I glance around, trying to find the source, but whoever is sitting at that table is seated behind the high back of the booth, hidden from my view.
In the next step, I smash into a waiter carrying a tray of drinks. His tray clatters to the ground, glass shatters, and the contents of one of the drinks splashes up my leg. I stumble back a step, the heel of my shoe slips on the puddle, and I start to fall backward.
A set of large hands catch me, hooking under my arms mid-fall.
“I’m so sorry.” The waiter scrambles back up from the floor where he hit the ground.
I’m stunned at first as I’m put back on to my feet.
“No, no. It’s my fault. I wasn’t looking where I was going. Are you all right?” I bend to help with the glass, but the strong hands that caught me gently grab me and bring me back up to my feet.
“I’m fine. I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you.” The waiter’s eyes widen as he looks over my shoulder. “It was an accident.”
“Yes, of course it was.” I turn to see what’s got him on the brink of a panic attack and nearly join him.
A man with a fierce expression stands behind me in a black button-down shirt with the top two buttons undone. Through the opening I can make out black ink sprawling across his chest.
His physique—broad shoulders, obvious muscles bulging beneath his shirt, and strong jaw—does things to my body that haven’t happened in a long time.
I practically drool when my gaze travels up to his face. A dark dusting of a beard covers his jawline. It’s more casual than a beard, like he just hasn’t bothered to shave in a few days. His thick black hair is combed away from his face in the same haphazard way.
The steely way he glares at the waiter seems like a warning. Like this man could easily be someone’s worst nightmare.
Then it strikes me.
The spicy scent that caught my attention in the first place. It’s coming from him.
“Are you all right?” His voice is darker than his hair when he asks the question.
I blink. Am I all right?
Hey, brain, how about you get back online.
“Yes. Thank you, I’m fine.” I take a step back, needing a tiny bit more breathing room between us and again my heel slips, this time on a wedge of lemon.
He grabs me by the elbow.
“You seem hell bent on falling on your ass.” He grins, and the whole room sizzles around me.
He leans slightly to the right and tells the waiter to get everything cleaned up before someone breaks a leg.
“I’m not usually so clumsy.” I make sure to look where I’m stepping before I move out of the way of the mess surrounding us.
