“Eden!” Tommy’s low voice questioned incredulously.
“Hey Tommy,” I sighed in happiness.
“I cannot believe you are back! Andy didn’t even tell me, the asshole,”
“I don’t think he even knows, he is too busy travelling around Europe to worry about his favorite cousin being back in town.”
I pulled out one of the stools at the counter and spent fifteen minutes catching up with Tommy. He spoke excitedly about college, his single life, his continued love for surfing, and then—for good measure—he dropped the sly ‘I’m still waiting for you to accept my marriage proposal.’ My shoulders shook with laughter. The conversation suddenly took a serious turn and all laughter ceased as he leaned over the counter and began firing questions about what I was doing back here and what I’ve been up to. But I knew he was skating around asking me how I was.
“I’m okay Tommy,” I admitted quietly, answering his unasked question. He nodded and grabbed hold of my hand giving it a friendly squeeze. Worried, unsure eyes darted over my face in an attempt to believe what I was saying and all I could do was give him an encouraging smile—it was all I could muster. When he was satisfied with my response, Tommy turned away and served a waiting customer.
It was beyond amazing to see a familiar face in a city I despised. I tapped on the counter and hummed along to the music flooding the air from the surround sound speakers and my mind automatically crossed to the night before.
I had barely slept a wink.
My lips were still alight from the sensation of Ky’s lips on mine. I couldn’t stop touching them and even now my fingertips ran over my swollen pout. He had kissed me, devoured me, and completely owned me in those few moments.
Did I regret it? No.
Did that fact frighten me? Yes.
Not only was I dealing with the thought of kissing a guy who was also signing off on my paychecks for the next six weeks, I was now dealing with Ky’s question and his unrealistic suggestion. His words—give me December, be mine for one month—had continued to swirl around my head and left me in a complete puddle of emotions and I hadn’t heard from him since.
“You are currently being eye-fucked,” Tommy announced.
I choked on the Coke that he had just placed in front of me and looked at him with wide eyes. Good to see his subtleness had developed over the years. He watched me with amusement plastered all over his face and his eyes left mine and glanced over my shoulder. I didn’t even want to know. I shook my head and concentrated on the glass in front of me but now the feeling of being watched swamped me. Damn you Tommy. How I could be getting eye-fucked, as Tommy called it, made me question this person’s desperation. I had left the hotel in my oldest jeans, the hoodie I usually wore to bed, and my hair was covered in one of my favorite beanies, as well as my face being free of any makeup.
“He is coming over,” Tommy warned, and I stiffened in my seat. Tommy saw the anxiety greet my face, and he remained standing in front of me behind the counter.
The intoxicating scent of sandalwood and musk hit me like a warm summer breeze. I gripped hold of my glass and raised it to my lips and took a long comforting drink.
“Tommy, I’m ready to order.” Ky’s voice hit my ears like silk touching skin. Smooth, enticing and dangerously flirtatious. “I’ll also pay for what Eden wants.” His words grabbed my attention, and I swung back around to look at him. He looked back at me expectedly with inquisitive eyes and stubble gracing his strong jaw.
“I’m happy to pay for mine,” I stuttered in response.
I saw his mind tick over and then the smallest of frowns swept over his face.
“Put it on my bill,” he directed at Tommy with a growl tinging his voice and then he turned to me. “Come sit with me when you are done.”
He didn’t give me a chance to respond; he turned and crossed with diner without another word. It would seem that Mr. Alpha was visiting for the day.
“How the hell do you know Ky Crawford A.K.A Mr. Eye-Fuck Eden?”
I chose to ignore his ridiculous statement. “I am doing a photo shoot for the magazine he works at.”
“He is seriously into you.”
Tommy’s admission shocked me. I shook my head at the absurd statement and dropped my eyes to the counter. I couldn’t even fathom that. I was in a whirlwind of uncertainty when it came to Ky Crawford, and Tommy’s comment was unbelievable. I was here to do a job, to take photos and then I would be back on a plane headed to my comfortable, stable life in San Francisco, and I wouldn’t have to think of this place again. I wasn’t the type of girl who gave out signals that I wanted a guy to ‘want’ me. I couldn’t, I would never.
Fear, intrigue and confusion all swam wildly within me as I tried to desperately get a grip. These were the moments when I got furious with what happened. Not only did Jeremy Davis take away my innocence, my pride, and my right as a woman, but he also damaged me for the rest of my life. He took away my opportunity for a normal relationship—the experience of feeling butterflies in my stomach when a guy like Ky Crawford would look at me, that feeling of completeness of a first kiss and the overwhelming excitement of sex. He took my right to be a normal twenty-four-year-old woman and I hated him for that. I despised him for that.
“Eden!”
I snapped out of my trance and looked at Tommy, whose brow furrowed with worry. I found the biggest smile I could muster and shook all thoughts out of my head.
“Are you okay?” He clearly didn’t buy my attempt at covering up my thoughts.
“I am all good Tommy.” I shot a look back at where Ky sat and grabbed my glass from the counter. “I’ll see you soon.”
I pushed away from the counter and silently gave myself a pep talk, but my eyes never left Ky as I crossed the diner. How could I possibly sit across from him while his absurd proposition continued to plague my thoughts and his kiss still sent shockwaves through my body? He was burning down my walls of resolve terrifyingly quick, and I was stumbling into unknown territory that for some strange reason made me feel alive again.
I slid in the booth opposite him and the familiar feeling of being under Ky’s watchful gaze immediately hit me. My hands fumbled as I quickly attacked the brass buckles of my bright pink laptop satchel and grabbed my Mac. The thought of using my laptop screen as a shield was a welcome relief, and I was planning on spending the morning working on my ideas for the shoot and searching for locations.
“Thanks for joining me.” His deep voice spoke with a certainty, a promise, and an intention that felt surprisingly welcomed but made me so damn nervous. I retracted from my internal battle of refusing to grace my eyes with the pleasure of looking at his face and lifted my gaze to meet his.
Big mistake.
“Mr. Crawford.” I acknowledged with a stern nod.