I sit back down at the table, my coffee long cold, but, on the other hand, I feel the warmth of her lips on my cheek.
I can still see the way her eyes lit up when I called her beautiful.
I still hear the way she said my name as if it mattered.
And then my phone buzzes.
Marley:Thanks again for breakfast. You made my morning infinitely better. *Music Note Emoji*
I stare at the message, at that little music note emoji, and something shifts in my chest. Something that feels like hope and terror in equal measure.
Me:Mine too, Small Town. Be safe today.
Marley:Will do. Maybe I’ll see you around sometime?
Me:Count on it.
And I mean it.
Because this isn’t over.
This ‘accidental meeting’ wasn’t accidental at all.It’s just the beginning.
I stand, leaving cash on the table for the muffins and the terrible coffee, and I walk out into the Vegas morning with her smile burned into my memory and her number in my phone.
Queenie was right.
Life is too short to wonderwhat if.
And Marley Wren, with her red hair, fractured heart, beautiful curves, generous spirit, music, and quirky glasses, is wortheveryrisk.
Even if it scares the hell out of me.
Especially because it scares the hell out of me.
Because the things worth having are always the things that terrify us most.
And I’ve never wanted anything more than I want to see where this goes.
I pull out my cell and send a quick text to Ghost.
Me:Mission accomplished. Thanks for the intel.
His response is almost immediate.
Ghost:Told you it would work. You owe me a beer.
Me:You’re goddamn right I do.
I climb on my bike, and as I fire up the engine, I’m already planning my next move. The next accidental run-in. The next excuse to see Marley’s smile, hear her laugh, and make her believe, just a little bit more, that she deserves every good thing this world has to offer.
And I’m going to be the one to prove it to her.
One ‘accidental’ meeting at a time.
Chapter Five
NITRO
