Page 10 of Never Till Now

What the hell is in this city air and my vulnerability? Men have tried to break me down over the years, and yet here I am vomiting out everything—in every way. Maybe I admire the way he stuck to his promise and hasn’t asked for anything beyond my name. Finally, a guy who gets it. So why do I feel like I owe this man the respect to address him properly?

“Okay.” I break our silence as we wait for the crosswalk light to change. “What’s your name?”

His smile lights up his beautiful eyes and the city lights reflect in them. Air escapes my lungs. God, he is handsome.

“Guess,” he challenges. “If you’re right, you can have all the leftovers.”

“You’d let me have them regardless. You’re still a gentleman deep down.”

“Lauren.”

“Fine. Augustus? William?” I follow him across the road as he shakes his head. “Arthur?”

He stops at the corner, cocking one brow up as if I’m insane. “Really? Arthur?”

“I don’t know.” I shrug. “You seem pretty prestigious, and wealthy people tend to have fancy names.”

“No, they don’t.”

“Important royal ones do,” I tease and pull his arm, leading him around the corner to my block.

“It’s Adam,” he states as we arrive at my building.

“Adam.” I find a giggle escaping. “That’s so generic. But thank you, Adam, for helping me out tonight.” I nod and reach for the take-out bag. “Thank you for listening.”

His arm lifts to grab the back of his neck. “If you want someone to show you the best-hidden gems besides a hotel bar, I’m open to being nothing more than a tour guide.”

“I don’t want more than a tour guide.” I smirk.

“I don’t need anything more than a pretty view.” He winks.

“I’m off for the next three days.”

“I’ll swing by around three, after work tomorrow.”

“Good night, Adam.”

“Lauren.”

Chapter 5

Lauren

I jolt awake and know the time is 5:08 without checking the clock. I swallow my consistent nightmare as the sun begins to peek through sheer white curtains. I twist, feeling my lower spine ache from the couch. How tired was I last night to not walk the extra ten feet to my bed? I yawn, yearning to crawl under the heavy duvet and sleep for a few more hours. I decide to break my one rule and slide into bed. Life is too short to lie around. My muscles burn as I move toward the bed. Those ropes did a number on me. I chug the bottle of water on my nightstand and stare at the buildings through my giant windows. They are what enticed me to rent this place. The view of this layered city is artwork itself. Magical.

Hours later, I decide on a sundress. My body ached too much to add different garments. So, a flowy green dress it is. I’m not one for fashion since most of my time is spent in scrubs. I didn’t grow up with a fashionable budget to keep up with trends. Skinny jeans and a flowy tank top are my usual go-to attire. And flat shoes. Heels are not my friend since I already feel like a giraffe.

I head downstairs at three and see Adam waiting. His muscles beneath his black V-neck make my mouth water. My lower region picks up its own heartbeat, tempting me to drag him upstairs and forget about touring anything other than his body. His eyes meet mine. I feel my cheeks flush at the thought as his charming smile appears. Damn boy could read my mind. Am I blushing? What the hell, Lauren. Get a grip.

He offers his arm to loop through his, but I walk past it because we are not a couple. “Where to first, Charmer?”

“Can you stop calling me that since you know my name?”

“I suppose, Adam.”

The streets are loud. Each sound fighting for its turn to speak, like a disturbed echo of white noise. Crowds of people push past us until we walk a few blocks over and approach a packed tour bus. I see a sign up ahead. “Lombard, that sounds familiar.”

“I’m sure you’ve seen this on Full House growing up.” He chuckles.