Man, his hairdresser sure did one heck of a job in squeezing out all the colors of a summer sky and applying the tint to his hair, a light blue with hints of silver and white.
“Just one night.” Tori sighed.
Her friend’s voice dragged Leya out of her gawking like some horny teen.
The pinup glanced around the place, his darker eyebrows tipping into a V. For a second, his stare held hers.
Leya froze, trapped by twin circles of cool silver.
No one in her twenty-four years had managed to render her speechless and so aware at the same time with just a look. Then his attention moved on, surveying the place again…as if assessing the women.
Searching for a night of fun?
Who in their right mind would refuse him?
With the way the women and two of the guys there watched him, yeah, cast around that stare he’d just given her, and he’d have his pick.
Before her thoughts snuck into a no-go territory, reminding her of how long it had been since she’d been with anyone, no matter her recent jibe about hooking up, Leya grabbed Janelle’s tan leather jacket and rose.
At her friend’s continued ogling, she snorted. “Good luck with the pinup, Tor. I’m outta here. Hey, you know he could be gay, right? No one that pretty is straight.”
“Shh.” Tori waved her off. “You’re spoiling my fun. And he ain’tpretty, sister. He’s fucking gorgeous!”
Grinning, Leya grabbed her tote from the floor, got the two novels she wanted from the shelf—she’d text Jan later about which books she’d taken—and hustled off. As she neared the exit, she side-eyed the pinup talking to Janelle.
“Nice coat,” she heard him say in a low, lightly accented voice she couldn’t place. A shiver of awareness trickled down her spine as if he’d stroked her skin.
Then his words registered.Nice coat?
That washercoat! The flirt!
Ugh, what did it matter, anyway? She didn’t have time for men, relationships, or even hooking up.
Shutting him out of her mind, Leya opened the door and stepped onto the busy sidewalk, the wintry night air chasing away any heated thoughts and enfolding her in its icy kiss. A shudder swept through her. Hastily, she pulled on her borrowed jacket, shoved her books into her bag, shouldered her tote, and hurried off, flexing her fingers…
Heck, she wouldn’t mind sinking her tingling digits into all that gorgeous blue hair. She scrunched her face, smiling wryly at her inane thought. After their brief eye-meet, she doubtedshelingered in his mind.
* * *
Dammit. Same coat,differentfemale!
Aerén watched the tall woman with the fancy dark red coat slip behind the counter of the coffeehouse.
The girl he’d seen earlier on the street was smaller and petite in build, like the one seated in the back of the coffeehouse with the messy dark hair and cool disdain in her brown eyes.
“Here ya go.” The barista set the to-go cup on the glass counter. He picked up his coffee, glancing again at the two females at the back of the busy place.
Only one remained.
His senses pinged, an alarm bell going off. His head snapped toward the closing door, and through the glass panel, he saw her pushing some books into her bag. She pulled on her jacket—no, notherjacket—
“Leya, wait!” a redhead yelled from the back table, waving a hand to get her friend’s attention through the shopfront window. She hurried for the door, a to-go coffee in her hand.
Instinct had him moving in a near sprint. He stopped at the entrance seconds before the redhead did. She stumbled to a halt, eyes widening at his interception.
“I think she just left,” he said with a little smile as he opened the door, the urge to get going gripping him by the balls. The icy air did little to cool him. He had to find the departing female, find out if she was the one of the Chosen they desperately sought. That brush to his psyche had strung him up tight and refused to let go.
“Allow me to deliver that for you since I’m leaving anyway, and it is cold…” He nodded at her jacketless form.
