Eye Candy

Silence.

My heart starts beating fast and I turn back to the power box, checking all the switches again. More creaking. This time louder. I spin around again, flashing my light over the room. There is no one there, but I could swear I heard something. I take a step forward and trip over something. My phone flies out of my hand and I land on the ground with a thump. The phone must land facedown, because suddenly everything is dark. Dammit.

Heart racing, I start crawling in the direction I think my phone landed. I am making so much noise, scurrying around on the floor, that I don’t hear anything else. As I’m feeling around the floor, I head-butt a pair of legs. A scream rips from my throat and I throw myself backward. Two big hands find me, curling around my arms and hauling me up.

“Let me go!” I screech.

“It’s me. Calm down.”

Oliver’s voice fills the darkness and I exhale with so much relief I slump into him. My arms go around him without thought, my head dropping to his chest. I exhale and tremble, a little shaken up. For a moment, he does nothing, and then his arms go around me and he holds on to me. “You’re okay.”

I tip my head back, even though he can’t see me, and look up. He must be leaning down, because I can feel his warm breath tickle my face. My heart feels like it stops and I just stand there, wrapped in his arms, so close to his lips I could kiss him if I wanted to. And I do want to. So badly. He makes a raspy sound, and then lets me go, stepping back. “What are you doin’ in here, on your own, in the dark?”

“I was checking the power box,” I whisper. “And I heard a sound . . . it must have been you coming, I think, and I freaked out and dropped my phone.”

“Shouldn’t be touchin’ power boxes. You’re a lady.”

I want to smile at that, because it’s kind of adorable. “I have looked at them before.”

“Don’t care if you’re an electrics expert. You’re a lady. It ain’t your job, sweetheart.”

Sweetheart.

My knees tremble.

“R-r-r-right,” I stammer.

He shuffles around, and after a moment, pulls out his phone and flicks the flashlight on. His face lights up, and my heart races even more. He moves the flashlight around the room until he finds my phone, then he walks over and picks it up, handing it to me before moving to the power box. Just before he makes it, the lights flick back on.

“Hmmm,” he murmurs. “Must have been an outage, or something to do with the switches outside. Maybe Kenai found the problem.”

Oliver turns and glances at me, and I look up at him, cheeks still warm from our little moment. “Well,” I murmur. “I’m glad that’s back on.”

He nods. “You hurt?”

“No . . . no, thank you.”

“Come on then, let’s get back out there.”

“Okay,” I whisper.

He lets me walk first, and we head back out to join everyone else. We all arrive back at the sofas at the same time. “Well,” Kenai says. “Not sure what that was, but it’s back on now. We were the only ones out. Probably just a trip somewhere.”

Marlie yawns. “Thank God, it nearly put me to sleep.”

“Speaking of sleep,” Kaity says, “I’m going to grab a cab and head home.”

“I’ll give you a ride,” Marlie says. “I haven’t had anything to drink.”

“Okay.”

Marlie looks at me. “You good for a lift?”

“I—” I begin, but Oliver cuts me off.

“I’ve had under the legal limit, so I’ll drive her home.”

I blink.

He’ll drive me home? Oh boy.

“Okay,” Marlie grins, being completely obvious. “Well, enjoy the rest of your night.”

“Take care of her,” Kenai says to Oliver. “We kind of like that one.”

I laugh softly. “Thanks, Kenai.”

“See you guys tomorrow for the party,” Oliver says gruffly, nodding at them.

“Night!” I call.

Oliver is taking me home.

Oh.

My.

God.





Chapter 3


“This your place?” Oliver asks when we stop at my apartment complex.

“Yeah, it is,” I say. “Thank you for the ride.”

“I’ll walk you in.”

My stomach flips, and before I can protest he’s out of his truck and walking around to the passenger door to open it. I climb out, murmuring a “thank you,” and then I dig around in my purse for my keys before walking toward my lower level apartment door. I unlock it, feeling Oliver’s presence behind me as he comes to a stop and waits. I should ask him inside, right? That’s the polite thing to do? What if he thinks that’s me asking him to sleep with me?

Dammit.

Um.

“Did you want to come in for a tea?” I ask, and then feel immediately stupid. Tea. I asked him inside for some tea.

“Sure,” he says, without hesitation.

Oh.

Okay then.

I push the door open and flick the light on, stepping into my small but comfortable apartment. Oliver looks around as I put my stuff down and walk into the kitchen to put the kettle on.

“Nice place you’ve got here,” he says, sitting at a stool by my counter.

“Thanks, I like it. It’s close to everything and easy to look after.”

“Where’s this hamster?”

I smile and nod toward the lounge, where Batty’s cage is. Oliver stands and walks over, staring into the cage. After a moment, he returns. “I’m buying you a puppy. That’s embarrassing.”

I laugh. “I don’t need a puppy. They’re so much work. Batty is easy.”

“Batty is creepy.”

I giggle. He does look a little creepy. And he is a bit of a weirdo. But I love him. “I can’t deny that,” I grin. “But he’s easy to take care of.”

“A kitten, then,” Oliver continues.

I laugh once more. “No way, they require far more attention.”

He gives me a half grin that’s so attractive I have to inwardly tell my knees to stop their damned shaking.

“What about you?” I ask, getting two mugs out. “Do you have a pet?”

“Got a dog. A shepherd.”

My eyes get big. “Wow, that is a big job.”

“Yeah, he’s a lot of work, but he’s loyal and he’s good.”

“I bet.”

After making tea, we go and sit on my old but cozy black sofa. I cross my legs, facing him, gripping my mug with both hands, and trying not to blush. I wish I wasn’t so damned shy and hesitant. That I could sit here without feeling a little nervous. It’s not that I don’t trust Oliver; I do, I can tell he’s a good guy. But I guess because of my past, I have forgotten how to feel normal, act normal, and, I guess, trust a little bit. I take a deep breath and do my best, though.

“What do you like doing for fun?” I ask Oliver, trying to make conversation, because really all I want to do is lean forward and kiss him.

So, so bad.

I haven’t felt that for such a long, long time.

“I ride motorbikes, obviously, since I work on them,” he says. “I also like fishing.”

I raise my brows. “I didn’t peg you as the outdoor type.”

“Why not?” he asks.

I shrug. “I’m not sure. Motorbikes, yes, but fishing . . . no. I guess that’s the beauty of people, though, you never really know until you ask.”