"Ah, man, you're supposed to leave that burdensome shit at the door with your phone." Bill wiped down the glossy wood of the bar and glanced to my right. I followed his line of vision.
I slung back another swallow of Lag and finished it off. A girl I'd seen in here before was making her way toward me. I held on to her eyes as she came forward, knowing precisely why I remembered her in the first place. She looked a lot like another long-legged beauty who tempted my dreams relentlessly. Thick brown hair I wanted in my hands. Pretty eyes that told me I could do a lot more than pull her hair. A lush body just aching for some properly dispensed attention at my hands. Fucking perfect.
"That's the plan, Bill," I answered, without taking my eyes off the girl. "That is my plan."
The feeling of calm I'd earned from my time at Lurid disintegrated as soon as I pulled into the basement parking garage two hours later. Because who pulled in just five seconds behind me? Yep, Winter's silver hybrid slid into her dedicated parking space just four spots away. I killed the engine and mentally willed her to go up without me.
Didn't work.
Because when she got out of her car, she headed to where I was parked, a half-smile on her beautiful face. A messenger bag slung over her shoulder and a backpack in her hand, she looked every inch the young university student she was. Wearing jeans and a jacket, her long brown hair pulled up into a loose knot, she appeared before me completely fresh-faced and innocent.
So beautiful.
Utterly perfect.
Fucking gorgeous.
But facing her right now—in my current state of mind, and from where I'd just come—was a disaster waiting to happen.
Unluckily for me, my sorry ass was out of options. So, I plastered what I hoped was a pleasant expression onto my face as I got out of the Lexus. "Hey you." I locked it and made my way to where she waited. I made a show of checking my watch. "It's almost midnight, young lady."
"Night class. Three hours once a week. It was the only time offered."
I didn't like the idea of her walking alone on campus so late at night. "What's the course?"
"Ethics with Dr. Drummond," she said, giving me another one of her half-smiles.
The irony wasn't lost on me. Did ethics even exist in the workplace anymore? My father certainly didn't have any. I held my hand out for her backpack so I could carry it for her.
"What's so funny?" she asked as she handed it over.
"Hmm?" I looked into her eyes, which were uniquely beautiful all on their own. A deep green and ringed with a gold band. Stunning even at the end of what had to be a very long day. I could only imagine how magnificent her eyes would be looking at me while I was deep inside her, and she was about to come. You can stop the fuck right now with those kinds of thoughts, because it's never happening with her.
"You laughed when I told you my class tonight was ethics."
"I did?"
"Yes, James, you did. What's wrong?" She tilted her head at me and waited.
"Nothing's wrong. Everything is fine. Good. Great." You can shut off the lame-ass babbling too, asshole.
"You're looking at me weird." She licked her lips and dragged her tongue over her teeth. "Do I have something stuck in my teeth? I had a granola bar for dinner during our break."
A granola bar for dinner? I didn't like what she'd had for dinner any more than I approved of her walking alone across a dark campus to get to her car. Next Wednesday night would go down much differently. No, I took the opportunity she'd just handed to me so neatly and used it to my advantage instead. I'm not a complete moron all the time.
"Let me look." I took her chin in my hand and tilted her mouth toward mine. "Don't move." I brought my finger to her mouth and tugged it along her bottom lip. I leaned closer and studied her pouty lips and the bottom row of her even, white teeth. I felt how she trembled slightly in my hold, and I heard her quick intake of breath. I even caught the flowery scent of her perfume all in the span of a precious moment. "There's something…I see a—"
"What?" she asked worriedly, her chin still held in my hand. I didn't think I could let go. I'd made a big mistake touching her. I realized it too late to stop the madness that tumbled from my godforsaken mouth in my next breath.
"All I can see is a very beautiful, lovely girl named Winter, and I think she should marry me."
Her eyes flared a little before she took a sharp breath and pulled out of my grasp. "You ass." She punched me playfully in the shoulder and then laughed, her face a little flushed.
I breathed a massive sigh of relief she'd taken my little confession as a joke.
Thank Christ.
As we walked toward the elevators, I diverted my mini-disaster and asked her about school and her volunteering job at the South Boston Youth Center—anything to take the focus off me, and why I was coming in at this late hour. She unhappily shared the story of a young brother and sister who were in a dismal situation with a mom who most likely prostituted herself to keep them fed. I could tell it broke her heart to have to send the kids home in the evenings when the center closed for the day. Winter was such a good person in her heart, and she would help a lot of people in her lifetime. I knew this without a shadow of a doubt.
"It was nice of you to carry my backpack and walk me to my door." She turned to face me as we got to her apartment and held her hand out for her backpack. I reluctantly gave it to her, wishing our short time together wasn't over so soon.
"My pleasure, Win. I like knowing you're right here beneath me all safe and sound."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, like she was trying to figure out my comment and what I was insinuating. Oh, I'd intended the double meaning all right. I was a dickhead for teasing her all the time. I said shit I shouldn't say to her. But still, I kept doing it. The kid in the third grade who relentlessly tormented the little girl he secretly had a crush on? That kid was me right now.
"Goodnight, James." She hurried to unlock her door, probably to get away from me.
"Night, Win. Get some rest."
"You too," she said with a sexy half laugh and gentle shake of her head—right before she shut the door in my face.
Yeah, Winter was one of a kind. A diamond amongst the rocks. She was fucking gorgeous with a heart I wished could be mine. But Winter Blackstone deserved someone much better than me. And always would.
As I headed for the stairwell, I knew something else, too.
All I can see is a very beautiful, lovely girl named Winter, and I think she should marry me.
Nothing in my comment had been a joke. I'd meant every word…even if it would always remain a fantasy.
Chapter Three
WINTER
Maybe James was trying to kill me. Because it was quite possible he was really a serial killer whose signature method was death-by-swoon. All I can see is a beautiful, lovely girl named Winter, and I think she should marry me.
Seriously, WTF just happened?
James Blakney said those words to me.
Right after telling me I was beautiful and lovely.
I snorted out a laugh in the foyer of my apartment, dropping my messenger bag and backpack where I stood. Yeah, I might be in good physical shape and have youth on my side, but any more talk like that from James and my heart would be at risk. For cardiac arrest as well as breaking.
What? Did he think I was made of stone or something? He's lucky I didn't climb him like a tree in the parking garage with the way he'd looked at me. And touched me. Jesus…
I brought my fingers to my lips and traced the path he'd used with his own fingers. Ever since I'd moved into this building six months ago, something had been different with James.
Ever since the mess with Chris.
It was James who prepared the restraining order against my ex because Caleb asked him. So James knew some of the story, but probably not all. I wished I knew exactly what Caleb had shared about the situation, but I suspected it wasn't much, because Caleb would keep it in the family. I knew my brother, and he spent a good portion of his time protecting our family. That's just the kind of person he was.