When she made it back to her own room, Hyacinth sat on the bed and took a deep breath. She and Brie had been roommates for almost two years. Living in Santa Barbara was expensive as hell and while she made decent money, it wasn’t enough for her to live comfortably on her own. Not with the high cost of rent combined with her student loan payments. A roommate had been the best way for her to put some money aside, pay down her student debt, and still have enough to spend on herself for the occasional night out.
But she was twenty-eight years old and living with a roommate had lost its luster. Not knowing if there was going to be a strange person roaming around the house. Or simply not being able to do what she wanted. Brie lived here first, and Hyacinth moved in later, so it never truly felt like it was hers. The only personal items were in her room.
The thought had been percolating for a while now, but this morning solidified what she needed to do. It was time to find her own place and move out.
To do that, she needed to find another job.
She stood from her bed and quickly got dressed. The ladies of the garden club may have some ideas for her. Now that she’d decided, nothing was going to stop her. Her day job in marketing took a lot of her time, but she was sure there was something she could do at night. In college, she’d worked as a waitress at some of the high-end restaurants downtown. She could do it again.
Finally dressed and ready to go, she stepped out of her bedroom to leave. She could hear the sounds of Brie and ‘what’s his face’ having sex as she walked down the hallway. Hyacinth knew she’d made the right decision. She had no desire to listen to anyone else get their freak-on, especially when she’d been using her battery-operated-boyfriend for the past two years.
It was time for a change in her life.
Chapter 2
It’s funny how life happens. One moment, you’re just walking down the street after a Garden Club meeting, intent on getting to the ice cream shop across the street. The next, you’re reconsidering your entire life as a car comes speeding down the road, tries to blaze through a yellow light, and almost mows you down in the middle of the street.
Hyacinth jumped out of the way, but in the process, she fell into another person. Graceful, she was not. The person she fell into grabbed her arms, steadying her upright.
In the commotion, her purse went flying and her legs collapsed.
Yeah, not a good look at all.
“I’m so sorry. I do-don’t know what happened,” she squeaked out.
“Are you alright?”
At the sound of the voice, Hyacinth’s entire body went still. Deep. Dark. Husky. With a hint of anger. She wasn’t sure how she could know what his tone meant, but she did. Maybe it was the shiver that coursed through her body. As her eyes traveled up his body to her rescuer’s face, she couldn’t help but notice how firmly he held her. The crisp white shirt covered by a black suit. His beard was dark and trimmed, surrounding a beautiful set of lips. As her gaze met his intense green eyes, she immediately jumped back. Had she been checking the man out right after she’d almost been killed?
“Can you understand me? Are you alright?”
“Yes, I’m fine.” Hyacinth pulled away from the man holding her upright and looked around for her bag. She walked over to pick it up from the ground and turned to face the man looking at her with a frown on his face. “Why are you looking at me like that? I said I was fine.”
“I’m wondering if you’re in shock. It took you too long to answer me.”
They stood to the side of the crosswalk, so when the man put his hand on her back to steer her toward the sidewalk, she went.
“My name is Rhys. What’s yours?”
Even though she was no medical professional, even Hyacinth knew she was probably in shock. “Did you get the license plate of that car?”
The man… Rhys… paused for a second time before answering. “No. It was too fast. I only had time to catch you as you fell into my arms.”
“Have a habit of helping damsels in distress?” Where that little flirting came from, she didn’t know. But if you saw this man, you would want to flirt also. There was something scrumptious about him. Hyacinth stood five-feet nine-inches, and she loved a tall man. Not that she dated many men who fulfilled that need. Usually, her dates were her height, or an inch or two taller. She couldn’t even wear heals. And if she tried to rest her head on their chest, she ended up looking like a hunchback.
But Rhys had to be at least six-three or six-four.
Unknowingly, she licked her lips while looking at him. Hyacinth may not have realized what she did, but Rhys saw it. He wanted to smile at her, but held it in. He was trying to be a good guy here and not think with the head inside his pants. Because if he allowed himself free rein, the gorgeous woman would be on his bed and underneath his body before the night was over.
“Why don’t you come inside and take a seat? We’ll get you some water and something to eat. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
“I’m okay. Really, I’m fine.”
“I insist.” He reached out to grab the door for a restaurant named Mannetti’s. She had never been there before, but it was one of the hottest and most exclusive places to eat. There was no way her jeans and t-shirt were acceptable attire.
“I’m not sure…”
The door was open, and he was already ushering her inside. “It’ll be fine. They’re not open yet, so you can relax.”