So the why the fuck couldn’t I stop thinking about her? Why couldn’t I stop replaying that kiss over in my head? Why couldn’t I stop imagining what it might feel like to get Little Miss Perfect underneath me?
Her eyes snapped to mine across the cafeteria. She didn’t look away. Not when I narrowed my gaze and not when I curled my fist on the table. Celeste stared back at me with as much intensity as I glared at her.
Something had shifted between us. But I refused to walk that road again.
One kiss was a mistake.
But two…
Well, that would be downright stupidity.
* * *
“Zane?” A woman I didn’t recognize loomed over me.
“Yeah?”
“It’s your grandma. She had a little incident. She’s—”
“What?” I shot out my seat. “Where is she?”
“She passed out in Mr. Clarkson’s office. She’s okay now. If you’d like to follow me, I can take you to her.”
I followed the woman out of the cafeteria, my heart racing a mile a minute.
“What the fuck happened?”
“I believe she got up after meeting with Mr. Clarkson and felt a bit dizzy. He managed to get her situated again right before she passed out.”
“Shit.” I ran a hand over my face, inhaling a shaky breath. “But she’s okay?”
“She appears to be, but we’ve called the emergency services just to be safe.”
“She’ll love that.”
“I suspected as much. She’s quite the woman.” She gave me a warm smile.
We rounded the corner right as Celeste was coming out of the staff bathroom.
“Zane?” Her brows furrowed. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I’ve got to go.” I kept walking, desperate to get to Grams.
“You know Celeste?” the woman asked.
“Something like that.”
“She seems nice. A real hit with our Saturday regulars.”
Didn’t I know it? I’d spent the best part of forty minutes watching her bewitch the cafeteria with her warm smile and friendly conversation. But I hadn’t found it in myself to leave. To put myself out of my misery.
A bolt of guilt went through me. I’d been watching Celeste like some creepy stalker while Grams was fainting.
Brilliant fucking grandson I was.
“She’s just in here.” The woman pushed open a door and stepped aside for me to enter.
“Grams—”