Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 63195 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63195 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Some would say it’s the bad part of town, but others say it’s the fun part. I guess it depends on what circles you run in. New to New York and struggling to find where I belong, I suppose I’m keeping an open mind. The bright lights and sophistication are what I came here for, but making it here isn’t so easily achieved.
I’m slow to step on the brakes and pull into the last spot that lines the front of the small convenience store. I’ve only been here a few times, either needing to stop for gas or a quick bite to eat on my way to or from work on the west side of the city. It’s a clerical job for a newspaper, but beggars can’t be choosers and the bills need to be paid while I learn the ropes, snag clients and rub elbows, so to speak.
Several cars are parked in front of the store and a few men head inside as I pull up. They vary from obviously expensive to looking like they’re falling apart. The vehicles, that is.
I notice the men, and they notice me. Averting my eyes to avoid making small talk, I turn down my radio and put my car in park.
I mind my business and everyone around me seems to do the same. In the city that never sleeps, there’s always something happening. And I’m not interested in a damn one of those somethings. Distractions get a bad rap for a reason.
Grabbing my purse and keys in the same hand, I make haste, opening the car door to step out in a rush, but my eyes glance back to the cars and straight into a man’s gaze.
Not just any man, a man exuding power and confidence, along with defiance. Although he’s wearing a simple shirt and faded dark jeans, the way he wears them makes me think they were made to be fitted to his muscular body. He’s hot as hell, and given the way he looks at me, he could be a temptation the devil made just for me.
My driver side door shuts with a loud bang as I stand there caught in the heat in his gaze. He leans against the hood of a car, I’m assuming is his, a shiny black Mercedes that reflects the light from the store in its slick exterior. The windows are rolled up and tinted so dark it’s hard to see the inside. As my eyes move back to the man, my movements are slowed and I grip my keys tighter.
He doesn’t stop looking, taking me in and letting his eyes follow along the curves of my body. Arrogance and sinful thrill dance in his cocky grin. He obviously wants me to know that he’s watching me. Something about that small fact forces a blush to rise to my cheeks.
My breathing picks up and I subconsciously pull the hem of my dress down just slightly, smoothing out the cherry red pleats and wishing I hadn’t been wearing it all day. I take one step and the click of my heels keeps time with my racing pulse as I walk forward, knowing I have to pass him on my way in.
I can’t help that my eyes flicker over to his as I grip my purse strap and settle it in place. His shirt is pulled taut and over his muscular frame and his tanned skin is decorated with ink. Tattoos travel down his chest and arms, peeking out below his collarbone from the crisp white cotton shirt and leaving a trail of intricate designs all the way down to his wrists. I’m too far away to see what they say or what they are. I know if he were in a suit, the tattoos would be hidden, but something tells me he’s proud to have them on full display.
“What are you up to?” he asks me and catches me off guard.
“I don’t think that’s any of your business,” I answer him easily, although I don’t know how, swaying a little from side to side in a flirtatious way I didn’t intend. My body can’t help but be attracted to his. Some part of me is eager to know how his tattooed skin would feel against my fingertips.
There’s a scar over his left eyebrow and it’s subtle, but even from this distance I notice it. As his deep rough chuckle fills the night air and drowns out the other sounds of the city, I find myself wondering how he got it.
“A man can wonder, though,” he says, causing a hot blush to creep slowly into my cheeks. I bite down on my lower lip, but that doesn’t stop the shy smile from showing. I have to stop and give him the attention he’s looking for as he leans forward, holding me captive to whatever’s on his mind.