Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 104037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 520(@200wpm)___ 416(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 520(@200wpm)___ 416(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
Before I have a chance to properly apologize and meet my savior, my ankle wobbles. “Oops,” I yell, catching myself by grabbing him around the middle and holding on. Good lord, this man is built like the statue of David.
“You’re safe.” The soothing tones of his deep voice wrap around me like a snuggly sweater. My eyes close, and I sigh contentedly, happy I didn’t fall for him . . . I mean, off him. “I think it’s safe to let go.”
His honeyed tone has me savoring every second. It’s been so long since I’ve been with a man—Oh my God! I remove myself from his incredibly delicious body and visor my face in horror as I hurry away, hoping I don’t make more of a scene than I already have. “Sorry,” I shout.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to—”
“Sorry. So sorry about that.” The hostess opens the door for me. I look back quickly, my eyes meeting his for the briefest of moments before the door closes. I hand my ticket to the valet and walk to the corner, wanting to be nowhere near the restaurant. If I could wait down on the beach, I would.
Pulling my phone from my purse, I call my best friend, needing her to talk me down from this ledge of humiliation.
“Hello?”
I begin to pace, holding my hand to my forehead. “I’m so embarrassed, Marina.”
“Oh God, what happened?” I appreciate the perfect pitch of panic in her tone.
“I was clinging to him.” Raising my voice, I say, “Clinging,” as if she didn’t hear me the first time.
“Um, I’m going to need you to back up and tell me the full story. Don’t leave out any details. Who were you clinging to?”
“The most perfect man I’ve ever . . . Well,” I start but stop, my shoulders dropping. “I didn’t get a good look at him, though I got a brief one, and he was gorgeous, but I got a great whiff.”
“Poppy, tell me you didn’t smell him.”
“Okay, when you say it like that.”
My car pulls up to the curb. I tip the valet and hop in, locking the doors as if I can keep the mortification out. I can’t. When I check my appearance in the rearview mirror, I look like I have a bad sunburn.
Marina asks, “Is there another way to say it?”
“Oh God.” This is torture. I pull away from the building as fast as I can without breaking the law, knowing I’ll never be able to return to one of my favorite restaurants. “What have I done?”
“You did nothing wrong, Pops. Don’t worry about it.” She can’t hide her laughter on the other end of the call. “Inquiring minds want to know, though. What did he smell like?”
“Sin, Marina. He smelled like the best sex of my life.” Ugh. I miss being touched and desired, craved to the point of losing myself in someone else. “Happy?”
“Yes,” she replies so smug since she’s not the one who disgraced herself in front of the man of her dreams. She’s also married, so she won’t get it. “I need to hang up now so I can die on the inside from complete and utter embarrassment.”
“No need to die, but that might mean you’re ready to date again.”
“What’s the point when I just blew it with the most perfect man I’ve ever me—smelled?”
4
Laird
“Laird?” My sister throws her arms around me. “Are you okay?”
“Um . . . fine.” I tip down to look at shorty pants. “Why, what’s going on?”
Her arm flies from her side. “You were just mauled by that fan.” As soon as I chuckle, she shoves me. Fortunately, the pipsqueak is much smaller, so there’s no damage. I don’t budge. “Usually, Nobu is stricter.” She huffs and then sits down at the table. “Where’s security when you need them?” Concern tugs at her eyebrows as she searches my face for wounds to heal. She won’t find any. They’re all on the inside . . . “Are you sure you’re okay?”
I glance toward the exit, knowing the woman is already long gone after her hit and run. It happened so fast that I didn’t have time to even get a good look at her. She didn’t hit higher than my shoulders, her blond hair was pulled back in a tail at her neck, and her blue dress billowed behind her as she ran away. But that stuff didn’t matter. How she felt so familiar in my arms had me standing there like an idiot holding her.
What the fuck was I doing?
I’m a total creep for holding on to a stranger like she’s someone I knew. I bet she was pretty. I wouldn’t know since the sun was in my eyes when she opened that door. “It’s no big deal, Nikki.”
Shane rocks back in his chair, my cousin grinning like an idiot. “She was hot.” He drums his fingers on the edge of the table. A drummer’s habit I’ve seen Nikki’s husband, a drummer in his own band, do as well. It’s annoying as fuck. “You know what that means?”