I stared at the card, set it on the nightstand, and walked toward the bathroom. It took a couple of minutes for the shower to heat up. Under the strong spray, I relaxed into the heaven of privacy I hadn’t had back with my aunt.
Shutting my eyes, I thought of Prince. Still unable to discern how I’d met a man like him. As I lathered the soap over my body, my core tightened at the recollection of his touch and kisses. Despite the hot water, another kind of heat scorched my skin, making me shiver in delight. A kiss was one thing, but having sex with him sat on a different level entirely. Every cell sparked in anticipation. Who was I kidding by not going? I wanted the man since that encounter at the airport, and if fate intended throwing him my way more than once, then who was I to deny the inevitable?
Drake
ISTARED AT MY WATCHfor the tenth time since entering the bar. The bartender placed a whiskey in front of me without asking. I gave her a small smile, glancing at her badge. “Thank you, Lisa.” The drink did nothing to calm the thrum of desire coursing through my veins at the thought of seeing Sia again. Admittedly, I was disappointed she hadn’t pitched yesterday, but I pushed myself to believe she would today. Still, the minutes ticked by and with it my dwindling confidence.
“She will come.”
It took a moment for Lisa’s words to register. “Am I that obvious?”
“No. But a man who stares at his watch as you’ve done yesterday and today is definitely waiting for someone.” She held the glass she wiped up to the light, inspected it for a second, then set it down on a shelf behind her. “Anyway, she’d be an idiot not to. You’re a good-looking man and judging by the hanging mouths of those women—” She pointed to the opposite side of the bar. Three women, ranging in ages, either waved or wiggled their fingers at me. “Any one of them would be willing to go home with you tonight. I don’t think they’d mind a foursome either.” Lisa grinned.
I uttered a low chuckle. “Thank you for the compliment.”
“A man always knows, though.” She picked up another glass.
I lifted a brow. “Knows?”
“When he meets the right woman.” She turned away to help another customer.
I stared at my drink, her words ringing in my ears.The right woman. Meeting Ella—Sia, I laughed at my error. While I hadn’t expected to see her again, catching sight of her on the curb with a torn skirt, her shoulders slumped in dejection, was indeed a pleasant surprise. Only as I drove away did I kick myself for not taking her number as well and found myself patiently waiting for her to call me. It never came.
When I walked into the bar two nights ago to meet with the Leighton mayor, who’d been a long-time friend, I’d given up hope of hearing from her. The mayor had requested my assistance on a charity project he’d initiated with an orphanage. Yet, nothing could’ve prepared me when I wished him goodbye and stood to find my gaze clashing with a face that had haunted my dreams since our meeting at the airport. I wanted her, and I wasn’t afraid to admit how much to anyone who’d listen.
“Hey. Did you hear me?”
I looked up from my drink to meet Lisa’s wide smile. “Sorry.”
“She’s here.” She gestured with her chin to the door.
I kept my expression neutral but couldn’t stop the hard thump of my heart. As though connected to a live wire, my whole body sparked back to life. I forced myself to slow down my breathing as I struggled to get oxygen into my lungs. It took every ounce of willpower not to swing around like an infatuated teenager. Slowly, with the grace of a man my age, I stood and turned.
The breath caught in my throat for just a moment. My steps measured, I walked toward her. A sensual smile parted her pink lips when her eyes lifted to meet mine. My gaze traveled the length of her body in a slow admiration. God, she was breathtaking. I couldn’t tell whether her dress was blue or green, but against the light from the chandelier that hung above her, it made the hue of her eyes almost turquoise. I'd seen the ponytail and chic bun in our previous encounters. Now, big curls played around the middle of her back and enhanced a heart-shaped face with minimal make-up.
“Hi.” She fidgeted with her dress, and I smiled. “Your coat.” She held it out.
