And yet here I was, because apparently I would follow Greer anywhere, including to the empty corner booth. Her jeans hugged her rounded ass, and I wasn’t the only one who noticed. I shot a look of death at one skinny little punk who was probably popping a half chub just watching her. When he finally realized he’d caught my attention, his gaze fell away.
That’s right, kid. She’s out of your league. Fuck, she was out of my league too, but I wasn’t going to let that deter me.
I didn’t care about the looks that Greer got. She deserved every single one of them, even if she was totally oblivious. But I wasn’t oblivious. My possessive instincts climbed with every pair of eyes that fixed on her ass. They could look, but she was mine.
Except she wasn’t really, and I was screwing with myself if I believed she could be.
I was the maintenance guy. She was a trust-fund princess.
The attention that followed her landed on me as I slid into the booth beside her. Shock. The what the fuck is she doing with him looks. I met the gaze of another little prick, daring him to make a move. He wouldn’t. None of them would. They wouldn’t even know how to get their hands dirty.
Including the princess across from me. But why wasn’t I holding that against her? Because you want to be inside her, my inner voice said. And it was right. I wasn’t supposed to be fascinated by this girl, but it was impossible not to be. She was like a goddamned magnet and I couldn’t stay away, even though I should.
A server came to the table. No surprise, it was a guy.
“Hey, Greer, want your usual?”
She smiled politely and nodded, but he didn’t walk away or ask for my order.
“Have you started your outline yet for Corporations? I’ve got a study group, if you want in.”
“I’ll take a Bud, in a bottle,” I said, interrupting his blatant pickup attempt that ignored the fact I was sitting beside her.
“I don’t want to talk about school tonight,” Greer said. “Catch you tomorrow or something?”
The server nodded sheepishly. “Sure. Sorry. I’ll get those drinks right out.” His attention finally landed on me, and just like the rest of them, I could see the question of why I was with her burning in his brain.
I sat up and put my arms on the table, shoving my shirtsleeves up my forearms and revealing the sleeve of ink stopping at my wrist. His eyes darted from my arms to my face. Little fuck was probably assuming it was prison ink.
Assume away, especially if it gets you out of our faces faster.
He turned away, mumbling something I couldn’t make out.
I shifted my attention back to Greer. She was completely oblivious to the posturing that had just happened. Her wide eyes were glued on my tattoos, which weren’t normally visible with my long-sleeved work shirt.
Did the princess have a problem with the maintenance guy being tatted up? Her words put an end to my wondering immediately, as did the fingertips that ran over the ink.
“Oh wow. I didn’t know you had tattoos. I want one, but I’m not quite ready to make it happen.”
Memories of that night play through my head as I listen to the two women. There’s definitely a difference between then and now. Tonight, eyes are on me for a different reason—not because I don’t belong with Greer, but because she and I are equally matched. I belong in her world in a way I never did before.
Now I just have to convince her of that.
One thing hasn’t changed—Greer is still completely oblivious to the reasons for the looks she gets. She thinks it’s because of the notoriety of the ad, but that’s not it. At least, not completely. She’s got no clue that she’s the total package.
It blows my mind that her boyfriend would cheat. Definitely missing brain cells, but I owe him a thank-you. If not for that, she might never have placed the ad, and I wouldn’t have gotten the signal loud and clear that my second chance had arrived.
“You’re gonna take good care of my girl now, aren’t you? Make sure she gets home?” Banner’s words slur together as she climbs out of the car driven by Greer’s driver, Ed.
“I’ve got it covered.”
As Banner stumbles toward the door, I tell the driver, “Would you follow her up to her apartment and make sure she gets inside?”
Ed’s already climbing out of the car. “Of course, sir.”
Greer snuggles into me as the door shuts. “That was a good idea.”
“Can’t be too careful.”
I watch through the large windows in the lobby as Banner grabs Ed’s arm and allows him to lead her into the elevator as she waves to the doorman.
“How drunk are you, Greer?” I pull her onto my lap sideways and stare into her shining brown eyes.
“Drunk enough but not too drunk. I’m perfect.” Her words aren’t as slurred as Banner’s, but she’s beyond tipsy.
“Which means?”
“I’m drunk enough to want you to take me back to my apartment and do dirty things to me, but not too drunk to enjoy it.”
My cock, already hardening against her curvy ass, pulses.
“You sure you can handle what I want from you, Greer?”
She reaches up and curves her hand around my head. “I think the real question is whether you can handle what I want from you.”
“Anything you want, I’m your man.”