She couldn’t be serious.
However, she walked around me and disappeared into the crowd.
What the hell just happened?
“What happened to you?” Liam came up and I noticed that he was wearing a different shirt. He looked me up and down.
I looked back at the check.
Miss Coraline Elizabeth Wilson.
Wilson International Bank.
317 Raven Hill Heights.
Run Declan, she’s getting away…again!!!
“Declan!” he yelled as I ran after her.
She was it. She was what I’d been looking for. I couldn’t let her get away.
CORALINE
I shivered at the feeling of the night air on my skin. I hated leaving Imani, but she’d said that she was staying over at Otis’ anyway, which made me wonder what exactly she had expected me to do.
“Hey! Wait!”
Turning, I came face to face with the same green eyed, brown haired man as before. The stain on his black shirt was still slightly noticeable. Even in my heels he still had at least a good two or three inches on me. The corners of his pink lips perked up into a small smirk as he looked me over just like he did in the club.
“Are you naïve or stupid, Ms. Wilson?”
“What’s your problem?” I turned to him. “I said I was sorry about your damn shirt and I promised to pay for another one. What more do you want?”
He held up the check I had given him.
“Right now, I know your full name, your account number, and your address. For all you know, you could have just earned yourself a new stalker, Coraline.”
I hadn’t even thought about that until he’d said it.
“Well then, I’m at a disadvantage considering that you still haven’t told me your name.” I tried to stand up straighter.
“It’s Declan,” he grinned as he took a step forward. “Declan Callahan. How can you live in this city and not know that?”
“There are over two million people who live in Chicago, Declan. Do we all need to know who you are? Are you that vain or are you just a narcissist?”
He snickered, as his eyebrow rose. “Is there really a difference between being vain or narcissistic?”
“Is there really a difference between being naïve or stupid?” I countered.
“Touché,” he said. “I suppose I owe you an apology then.”
“Giving you that check was dumb idea,” I muttered as I turned away from him. “So why don’t we just forget this ever happened.”
“Fine. But only if you go out with me for coffee.”
“Now?”
He nodded. “I’ll even take it as payment for the shirt.”
He handed me back the blank check, and when I reached for it, he pulled it back. “Are you accepting my offer?”
“Fine. One cup of coffee.”
“Good. There is a diner just down the street from here,” he replied as he took my hand and led me away from the club.
The further we got from everyone, the more nervous I became. I gripped my purse tighter.
“Scared?” he asked when we stopped at the traffic lights.
“Not even a little bit,” I lied. Taking a few calculated risks was all part of living, right?
“You’re cute when you try to lie.”
“Great. Cute was just the look I was going for,” I muttered.
“You again” an older woman said as she looked at me from behind the counter when we entered the diner.
“What?”
“Seems like luck is on my side tonight, Beatrice.” He winked at her as he led me to a booth. “Two coffees, and please make them as large as possible.”
“What did she mean by ‘you again?’ ”
“You don’t remember?” He leaned back. “Doesn’t this place look familiar to you?”
I glanced around the diner, but nothing came to mind.
“This morning you came in here soaking wet and fighting with an umbrella while you laughed at yourself.”
I paused as I looked out at the dark street, and then back at the entrance.
“You also wounded my pride when I went up to you, and you ran out without even looking back.”
“No way. I would have remembered you.”
“Apparently you left a much more lasting impression than I did. This time I hope to rectify my past mistake, Ms. Wilson,” he whispered, and I shifted under his gaze. My skin suddenly felt hot, and I was at a loss for words.
“Two large coffees,” Beatrice interrupted us.
“Why large?” I tried to shift the conversation.
“You said only one coffee. I have to make it last.”
“Why?”
“Why what?
“Why did you follow me outside? Why’d you ask me out for coffee?” Why had I left a lasting impression? But I didn’t ask the last one.
“Because I thought you were beautiful from the moment I set my eyes on you, and I knew that I just had to get to know you.”
Whoa. “Are you always this blunt?” I whispered.
“Yes.” He took a sip of his coffee, and his green eyes never left mine. “Especially when it comes to things I want.”
“And you seem like a man who always gets what he wants.” I frowned.
“You don’t seem pleased by that.”
I shrugged as I grabbed my coffee as well. “I don’t know much about your family, but I do remember that the Callahan boys are known for being major players.”
“And you don’t like being played with?”
“Who does?”
“People who play back,” he countered as he sat up. “Yes. My brothers and I enjoy women. But if I only wanted to sleep with you, we would be at hotel right now, Ms. Wilson.”
“You sound really confident about that. I’ve met men like you before, Mr. Callahan.”
“People should be confident about facts, and I don’t believe you’ve never met a man like me. However, like I said, I brought you here because I wanted to actually get to know the woman who ran away from me not once, but twice…but if you prefer a hotel—”
“There’s nothing to know,” I cut him off. “I’m quite boring.”
“I don’t believe that for a second.”
“I read, shop, work, and watch movies…” I laughed as I shook my head at myself. “It’s actually pretty sad. My cousin was the only reason why I came out tonight.”
“I’m glad she did.”
My leg brushed against his and we both froze. My heartbeat quickened.
“That was an accident!” I blurted out.
He smirked. “I’ll pretend you did it on purpose. I’m not used to being a gentleman. Touch me again if it suits you.”
Why did it feel so good to touch him? Even something as seemingly insignificant as a light brush against his leg had me wondering what his skin felt like.
“I’ll keep my hands where they are.” Before they got me in trouble.
“Pity.” He frowned. “I really wanted to get out of this shirt.”
My eyes drifted to it and I remembered how I’d gotten in this position to begin with.
“You said in there that I spilled my drink on you to get your attention. Exactly how many times has that happened?”