For fuck’s sake.What was wrong with me?
Fortunately, she accepted the coverup with a tiny smile as she slid onto the stool beside me. Up close, details I couldn’t make out across the crowd were thrown into sharp relief—the dark pink daisy clipped into her hair, the black dress with a swishy skirt boasting a dinosaur in a jeweled pink collar, a tiny floral tattoo peeking out from the neckline along her collarbone. I forced my gaze upward to the big, loose curls in her hair, the dark lashes framing her eyes, and lastly, that wide, lush mouth, as rose-tinted as the flower in her hair.
Goddess indeed. There was something ethereal about her, a certain air of self-possession, like she knew exactly who she was and would remain unapologetically true to herself, no matter what.
It was sexy as fuck.
When the bartender appeared in front of us, the woman smiled brightly at him and asked, “Could I get a glass of champagne?”
“Celebrating something?” I asked as he turned to pour it for her.
“Just a lifelong dream finally coming to fruition. Will you let me buy you a drink so you can toast with me?” She swiveled her stool toward me as she voiced the question.
I opened my mouth to politely decline, then wondered why I would ever consider refusing this beautiful woman. My weekend might be going to shit, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t enjoy a tiny portion of it.
“Sure.”
Her lips curved upward, but it was the delight in her unusual eyes, a swirling mix of browns and golds reminding me of constellations, that captured my attention. In fact, I was so distracted I almost didn’t see that she had offered me her hand. When I finally noticed it, her fingers curled slightly before straightening again as I wrapped mine around them.
“I’m Eden,” she murmured.
Eden.Paradise.
I barely stopped myself from repeating it back to her just so I could savor the sound of the word on my tongue.
“This is usually the part where you’d tell me your name.”
I was still holding her hand in mine, still staring at her like a buffoon. Despite my silence, she didn’t laugh or make fun of me, just waited with that tiny smile on her lips. A hot flush crept up my neck.
“Milo. My name is Milo.”
“Nice to meet you, Milo,” Eden said as the bartender set a fresh drink in front of me. She lifted her glass and I raised mine in return. “Cheers.”
“To dreams coming true.”
Our glasses touched with a barely audible clink, then I watched her close her eyes and sip her champagne before I took a drink from my glass.
Her smile fell a little when she set her flute down. “You looked unhappy when I walked up. I’m sorry to rub your nose in my good mood.”
“No, no, I’m fine. Just a small hiccup in my plans. Nothing a little celebration won’t soothe,” I assured her.
“If you’re sure…”
“I’m sure, really. Is this your first Comic Con?” I asked, afraid I’d put my foot in my mouth to say something likeyou’re exquisiteorspend the night with me.
She nodded slowly. “Yes, it is. I didn’t realize how big these events are, but I enjoyed wandering through the vendors.”
“Find anything good?”
“I bought this flower clip,” she said, touching the daisy in her hair. “I couldn’t resist, since it matched my dress.”
“It suits you.”
Her eyes went wide. “It does? Why?”
Afraid I was going to blow it entirely, I let out a breath and said, “It’s beautiful and delicate, but bold. Sweet, but it draws the eye and captures your attention.”
Those rosy lips parted in surprise. “I’m not bold.”
