“Well, have a great rest of your day.” Holt’s massive shoulders rise as his hands find his pockets. He starts to turn, but I stop him.
“Wait.” God, what am I doing? This is bad. This is stupid. The last man I fell for robbed me blind and tried to tell me it was my fault because I had more money than he did. That he needed it more.
But Holt isn’t Blaze, Sienna.
“I think maybe a drink sometime would be nice.” The words fly out of my mouth before I have a chance to change my mind. “I don’t know anyone here anymore, and God knows I don’t want to hang out with my high school friends.” I wince at myself, my nervous rambling that always gets me in trouble. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
“It’s okay.” He moves closer, and again, I’m overwhelmed not only by his scent but the mere size of him. I’m not a small woman by any means, but he makes me feel like I’m standing in a giant’s shadow, and I fucking love it. “We outgrow people. It happens. You can tell me all about it over drinks. Tomorrow night? We close at eight.”
My gut screams yes. My mind screams no. But it’s too late.
“Tomorrow night sounds great.” I nod, twisting my lips like I do when I’m nervous. Holt shoots me one last smile; then I watch him head back into the shop.
Giddiness seizes me, though I feel conflicted. What if he is another man in a long line of asshole bad boys? Am I strong enough, smart enough to see the signs straight off the bat? I haven’t been able to in the past.
The coffee shop is busier than I expected, but one sip of my caramel chai latte and my troubles seem to melt away at least a little bit. For now, I’ll keep my date with Holt. It’ll be something to look forward to as I prepare to stay yet another night at my parents’ house.
My car doesn’t start right away. It takes three times before the engine finally kicks in. I’d fix it if I had any real money. But I need a job if I want money. My savings is almost shot, and this latte is the only thing keeping me sane right now.
Whether it’s a good thing or not, the idea of gazing into Holt’s eyes for an evening over drinks sends a wave of excitement through me. I told him that I’m stronger than he thinks. Now, I just have to believe it myself.
ChapterFive
Holt
I shouldn’t bethis nervous, but all day I’ve been scatterbrained thinking about my date with Sienna. I barely slept last night, either. Dirty thoughts kept clouding my brain. Images of a soft and naked Sienna splayed before me on my bed like she was in my chair had me angsty and restless.
I don’t know what it is about her, but I never get this worked up about women. My ex and I basically got together out of a common interest. We spent so much time together that it just felt natural to start dating. The chemistry was fine, but it was nothing like what’s brewing between Sienna and me.
I’m craving a woman I barely know, but it feels more real than anything I’ve experienced in a long time. Even if it is messing with my head a little bit.
My clients are a revolving door today. A pet portrait on ribs. A constellation on a collarbone. Even a dirty, hidden word on the inside of some dude’s lower lip. My concentration flips back and forth until finally, it’s quitting time.
At eight on the dot, the door chimes. My heart drops into my stomach. I haven’t felt this amped up since dating in high school.
My eyes flicker toward the door as Sienna moves to the edge of the bookcase divider. Christ almighty! In her red sweater and black jeans with knee-high boots, she’s an angel in a devil’s disguise. My cock tightens as her red, lacquered lips spread into a shy smile.
“Am I too early?”
I have to clear my throat so I don’t sound like a prepubescent choir boy. “Right on time.”
“Awesome.” Again, her cleavage is on full display, just a peek. Enough to get my engine revved. How could any single human being be built this perfectly? “Do you want me to wait while you finish closing?”
“Nah.” I grab my leather jacket and take a step toward her. Her chin raises slightly when I lean down to kiss her cheek. Her scent brings out animalistic tendencies in me. “One of the other artists can close up.”
“Cool.” I open the front door for her, unable to stop from staring at her gorgeous, round behind. I’m an unadulterated ass man, and damn, Sienna’s got the goods. Everything about her is criminal, from the cute freckles to her perfect, voluptuous frame.
We head down the street. I resist the urge to rest my hand on her lower back. I don’t want to come off too handsy too quickly, but damn, what I wouldn’t give to take ownership of her. Let everyone around us know that this woman is mine and mine alone.
“I thought we’d grab a table at the wine bar down the street.” I fall in line with her.
Her head flicks in my direction. “Wine bar?”
“Yeah, it's a cute little place with small plates and a really good selection of…what?” Sienna smiles bigger than I've ever seen her.
“I just wasn’t expecting you to suggest a wine bar.”
I wrinkle my nose. “Yeah? What did you think? I was going to take you to a roadhouse?”