What Her Dad Doesn't Know(4)

Why can’t I sound like a grown up instead of some ditzy kid? I want to shrink up and run before I make a bigger fool of myself. I’d practised what I would say if I bumped into Andrew, but of course I can’t remember a single word of it right now.

A beat passes, and I find myself staring at his face, studying it for later. Seriously, it should be illegal to look this good. He could get away with anything, his face is so perfect. His eyes, framed by thick dark lashes. The slope of his Roman nose. The fullness of his lips and how great it would be to kiss them. The curve of his jaw tickling my face with its stubble... There’s barely two feet of space between us in this dim little hallway. How easy could it be to lean forward just a step? To find out what he tasted like and if his lips were as soft as they looked? We were all alone, in a back part of the restaurant that most patrons don’t go to. The idea is both exciting and terrifying. I mean, what were the chances that he’d be here tonight? It’s like a sign from above. All those years of birthday wishing have come true! Good thing it’s dark here, because my cheeks are definitely flushed now.

“Well, I better let you go then,” he says abruptly. “Don’t want to get you in trouble.”

I’m jolted out of my fantasy and I feel completely unbalanced. He opens his arm in a hug, and I step forward automatically. His body is sturdy and warm, and I have to do everything I can not to squeeze my arms tight. I really don’t want to let go. I try not to be too obvious as I take in a breath of him. He smells like wood and leather, and something darker that’s distinctive and refined, just like he is. It’s completely different than the Axe body spray worn by half the customers in here. I want to remember it forever, but he’s already pulling away and I’m left with nothing.

“Maybe I’ll see you again soon Noelle.”

He goes back out to the restaurant without a backward glance. I’m dazed by the whole thing, though I manage to wait until he turns the corner to sag against the wall. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why couldn’t I have sounded like the intelligent, confident woman I always want to be in my daydreams? I could have told him that my shift was over, and that I’d love to catch up. I could have said that I was going into business too, and I would love to pick his brains if he wants to get together for coffee. A million things I could have done, and it’s not until he’s gone that I remember. Why oh why do I have to sound like I’m still a bumbling, innocent girl instead of a sexy grown woman?





Chapter 2


I am late. Really, really late.

I’m all shaken up after seeing Andrew, and I have to go and splash water on my face for a few minutes before I manage to calm myself down again. It was such a shock. He used to come by the house all the time when I was younger, helping my dad at the barbeque, or coming over to throw a ball with me. Since he didn’t have a family, he’d spend the holidays with us. But then he’d started up his new social media company and he’d disappeared mostly from our lives. He was too busy wheeling and dealing, my dad would say as another Thanksgiving went by without him.

Seeing him today was like having a wave crash over my head. I’d forgotten just how stunningly attractive he was, the way he seemed to suck all the air around him so that it was hard to think straight. I know, I know, he’s an older man. I should find someone my own age. But there was something about him that attracted me more than the silly boys in school. Was it the way he never pretended to be more than he was? The utter confidence in his hard body and piercing eyes? Who knows. I didn’t dwell too long on it. All I knew was that Andrew was the man, not boy, that made my pussy tighten with need at night.

Still, I really couldn’t think about how I messed it all up because I have five minutes to get to the bus stop. If I didn’t get there in time, I’d have to wait in the dark for another hour. This isn’t the best part of town, and I had lecture notes that I wanted to study up on before class on Tuesday. I think quickly. If I skip changing out of this stupid cowgirl outfit, I might just be able to make it. I pulled out my hoodie and zip it up over the leather vest, but there’s nothing I can do about the booty shorts. Shoving my jeans into my purse, I quickly make my way out the back door.

It’s officially dark out now, and there’s only one small lamp hanging above the back entrance. I pull out my phone so I can try to orient myself in the direction of the bus stop. Good, it’s not too far. I tuck my phone back into my purse and start to walk when I hear a voice.

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

Dread creeps down my spine. The voice isn’t friendly, not even close.