Six months later...
Kaia hadn’t seen Randy in over nine months, but his shocking disappearing act was on her mind again tonight. Ten dates, ten awesome dates, and then he was gone without a word.
Their last date started innocently enough. They’d met at a restaurant they both liked, and he seemed happier than usual. When he started anxiously talking about seeing how well their extended families mingled since his was such an important part of his life, her heart fell.
His reaction to her admission that her parents were dead and that she had nothing to do with the rest of her family would almost be comical if she hadn’t felt so demoralized at the time. The horror on his face, and his immediate jerking out of her arms and practically running out the door made her feel beaten down about the realities of her life.
It made it worse that he didn’t even pretend to be nice about leaving her. There was no explanation, no apology for wasting her time thinking all the connections they felt with each other meant something… Nope. He was just gone.
Yeah, he was a jerk, and his reaction was pretty extreme, and would’ve been even more extreme if she’d told him the whole story of why she didn’t have any family around. But even other guys that she’d only shared tiny bits of herself with had a similar reaction.
So she wasn’t the unbruised, perfect girl next door type. So what? Weren’t there any nice, decent, well-adjusted guys out there that didn’t mind a woman with some scratches around the edges?
Watching funny cat videos wasn’t getting her out of her funk tonight, even if they did keep her anxiety attack at bay that always crept up when she thought of her life before Atlanta. So here she was at Peach’s bookstore looking through the new release table of business related books. She let the much too heavy one on ‘How Successful People Think’ slide out of her hands and land with a satisfying thud back on the table. She mentally groaned and decided she needed something fun to read.
She swirled around to head for the more interesting sections of the store and smacked right into someone. “Oh God! I’m so sorry!” She grabbed onto the guy as she steadied herself, and when she got a good look at him, she knew things could go one of two ways. Either very, very badly, or… yeah.
The guy was maybe six inches taller than her and had a lean build, but his arms, and seemingly the rest of him, was rock solid. The only indication that she’d even crashed into him was the fact that the book he’d been reading was now splayed open, flat against his chest.
A deep, irritated scowl adorned his sharply featured face, half of which was covered with an angry scar. It started under his left eye, then raggedly tore straight downward before veering off under his ear. She couldn’t tell where it ended because his long, black hair hung more loosely on that side.
His dark eyes made his pale, creamy skin seem almost ethereal as his narrowed eyes pinned her in place. Combined with his expensive clothes and the fact that he was reading one of the more technical business books from the table she’d just been at, he didn’t seem like the fun loving, forgiving kind of guy.
She quickly let go of him and took a step back so she wasn’t in his personal space. “I’m really sorry. I hope you’re ok. I should’ve looked where I was going.” For a scowly guy, he was actually pretty interesting to look at. Now it just remained to be seen if she’d get her head bitten off by him.
He’d been silently staring at her, his expression still and controlled, but after a few tense moments the scowl disappeared. “No apologies needed. I suppose I shouldn’t have been standing within collision distance.”
She chuckled and he frowned in confusion. Oh. He hadn’t been making a joke. “Uh, well, sorry again.”
He closed the book he’d been reading without once taking his eyes off her. His intense focus started to make curious emotions whirl around in her belly… and electricity build in the air between them. And the longer she gazed into his eyes, the more warm and intimate things started to feel.
She broke eye contact to try to get her racing heart and confused thoughts under control, and that’s when she noticed a second book in his hands. “Hey! Where did you find that?” She pointed to the Interstellar Missions book he held onto and ended up pawing at it in her excitement. She didn’t know the latest in the series was already out.
He looked down at her hand on his book and she realized she was being a little too friendly with this perfect stranger. Something about this guy was really throwing her for a loop and she needed to get it under control before he thought she was some kind of freak.
“That’s a good series,” she said more sedately, embarrassed at her impulsiveness.
“I’m Anthony.” He extended his hand and it took a moment for her brain to catch up to the fact that he wanted to know her name.
“Kaia. Nice to meet you Anthony.” His grip was firm and cool and he held her delicately, like he was afraid he’d break her. Her instant reaction was to squeeze his hand harder to show him she wouldn’t break that easily, and then she felt like an idiot for doing it.
He narrowed his eyes in almost amusement as if he knew what had been going through her head. He released her and said, “You like Terry Scheinway? Do you read both of his series?”
Her heart calmed down because this was a topic she felt comfortable with. “Yes and yes. Though I like Interstellar Missions better than the Evolutionary series. There’s too much existential philosophy in those books.”
He finally gave her a real smile, and her clearly out of control hormones decided for her that she found Anthony very uniquely attractive. She struggled to keep her racing pulse and nervous thoughts under control. “How about you? Which series do you prefer?”
She let her eyes wander down to his books again, this time to check if he had a ring on his finger. His hands were wrapped around the edges of the small stack he held, though, so she couldn’t get a good look. Well, even if he wasn’t single, it was nice to talk to others about the stories she loved to read.
He stood so still, and his hesitation in answering her made her think that yes, she was definitely barking up the wrong tree. His wife was probably lurking around watching Kaia flirt with her husband.
Her stomach dropped at her own stupidity and she quickly blurted out, “I’m interrupting your reading. Sorry again…”
She took a step back from him but he reached out and touched her arm to stop her. “No, you’re not interrupting me. Far from it.”
He slowly took his hand back and electricity practically crackled between them. The mood shifted in an instant, though, and it was as if the intense connection she’d just felt was all in her imagination.
He said in a much more casual tone, “My favorite of the two series is also Interstellar Missions, but I like Lydia Allard’s Planetary novels better. She has a more straightforward way of writing. I read a lot of science fiction, but also business books. Is that what you were here for tonight?”
She got the distinct impression he was trying really hard to make conversation with her, and it was obvious that socializing didn’t come naturally to him. But the way he watched her… as if he didn’t want to let her out of his sight… It was curious that he was so interested in everything she said, but his moods changed so fast she wasn’t sure how to read him. This whole interaction was confusing and intriguing all at the same time.
“I was just browsing actually. I didn’t have anything to do tonight…”
“And you ended up at a bookstore?” His eyebrow arched in mock challenge.
“Yes, as a matter of fact. Looks like you did, too.”
Anthony’s instant, genuine smile more than made up for his awkward social skills, even if she was still confused about his intent.
A voice blared from a speaker inside the store and they both turned to see where it was coming from. “Looks like there’s a book reading tonight.” That was probably why he was here, but when she glanced at him again, he was scowling as if the noise irritated him.
When he finally turned back to her, he said, “Would you like to talk more outside? There are some tables out front.”
Intrigued by this mystery of a man with his giant scar, dark, intense eyes and solid as a rock body, she gamely said, “Sure.”
He randomly left his books on whatever shelf was closest to him while keeping a close eye on her. He was intense and it was nerve wracking and exciting at the same time. But was he a little too intense? Like creepy intense? Or was she just being paranoid?
Anthony tilted his head and looked a question at her as if he could sense her moment of doubt. He said nothing, though, while he watched and waited for her to do something.
She found herself suddenly fascinated by the dark lashes around his equally dark eyes, and the beauty of his pale skin and large, craggy scar. He had an air of sternness about him, and she wondered what it took to get him to relax.
She impulsively wanted to step into his personal space again, just to see what he’d do. Instead she turned around and headed towards the door as he kept pace behind her.
Outside, he directed them towards an empty wrought iron table and a set of chairs that faced the parking lot. He pulled her chair out for her, then helped her get settled. Wow. Chivalry wasn’t dead.
She waited for him to settle in as well, still feeling a little unnerved by his constant attention. But the longer she looked into his dark, dark eyes, the more at ease she felt.
He finger combed some long strands of hair back, then uptilted his face to enjoy a passing breeze. She liked the look of peace that overcame him, and felt calmed by it.
She said, “It’s a nice night out.”
“Yes. I don’t get outside often enough. I should make more time for it.”
She waited for him to say more, but he fell silent. She was terrible at being the talker in a relationship, but she didn’t mind making a bit of a fool of herself with Anthony. There were too many contradictions about him that begged for her to find out more.
“Tell me about yourself.”
He gave her another one of those hesitant looks before saying, “What would you like to know?”
Well, they weren’t out here together to chat about parking lot maintenance so they might as well get the big stuff out of the way. “Married?”
“No.”
“Girlfriend?”
A little smirk. “No.”
“Why not?”
The smirk disappeared, though he didn’t exactly frown. “It should be easy to find your match?”
His response felt like cold water on her curious mood. “No, I suppose not.”
He didn’t give her time to feel sorry for herself. “And you? Do you have a significant other?”
“No.”
He might’ve looked pleased with himself, but she wasn’t sure. Either way, he leaned back in his seat and looked only slightly more relaxed. She wondered what totally relaxed looked like on him.
“You come here a lot?,” she asked.
“Occasionally. You?”
“Whenever I need a new book to fill my time. It’s kind of a quirky store. Busy place, too. I’ve never been to any of the readings, but they seem to have a lot of them.”
He curled his lip and she chuckled. “Not a fan of the book readings?”
“It depends on the topic. But no, I don’t keep track of when they’re happening.”
Well, that was a longish answer compared to what he’d been giving her so far. “You’re kind of a quiet guy, aren’t you?”
“At times. I suppose that could be said of me.” A teasing look lit up his eyes. “You ask a lot of questions.”
Ok, he was quiet, but playful. She could work with that. “I’m trying to keep you talking.”
The slight smirk was back. “And why is that?”
“Because I like the sound of your voice.”
He stilled, and she wasn’t sure why she’d just been so blunt with him, but it was true. She also liked his attention on her, his unique look, and the fact that he liked the same authors she did. The list was growing by the second. But he had such a closed off vibe as well. Did she need someone with a difficult personality in her life? And if not, why was she flirting with him?
He asked, “Can I take you out sometime?”
An inspirational quote she’d read once popped into her head. ‘You miss all the shots you don’t take’. She decided to take a shot. “Yes.”
He smiled. “Tomorrow night?”
Nice and direct. Excellent.
“Yes.”
He chuckled and she felt like he was absorbing every little thing about her with just a look.
“How about the Botanical Garden at Piedmont Park in Midtown?”
“Is it open on weeknights?”
“During the summer they have a night exhibit with lights throughout the gardens. There’s also a dessert shop nearby that we could walk to. I believe it’s called Sweet Tooth.”
“That sounds nice.” Was he a sweets fanatic? For some reason that seemed funny to her. It was hard to picture him getting excited over a sugary treat. He was so subdued, did he get excited over anything?
“Is seven thirty too late? We could meet at the southern garden stairs inside the park.”
“That’s perfect. I can’t wait.”
“Can I get your number?”
That made her pause. She’d been having fun with him, and even accepted an invitation for a date, it was a date, right? But once she gave him her number he’d have more personal information about her.
Was that so bad? She wasn’t sure, but if she didn’t intend to get to know him, she shouldn’t be sitting out here with him in the first place. So…
“I only have a home phone. I mean, I have a hand me down cell that I carry around in case of emergencies, but it’s usually not charged.”
The playful light in his eyes dimmed. “You should charge it. It’s always good to have a way to contact people in an emergency. And I understand if you don’t wish for me to call you on your home phone.”
She tensed at his thinly covered disappointment, then reached for his hand. “No, that’s not what I meant.” When he didn’t pull away, she leaned forward and slowly, oh so slowly, took his cell phone out of his shirt pocket while he watched her.
He didn’t move to take it back, and didn’t look irritated that she was being so forward. In fact, he was being very, very still right now. Almost too still.
She looked down at his phone and had no idea how to get it to turn on. She started pushing buttons until the screen finally lit up. The background wallpaper on it was a dark blue and black stylish pattern. She wasn’t sure what kind of personalization she’d expected him to have, but this seemed to fit.
She looked up and he was still watching her, not having moved an inch. He seemed totally fine with her manhandling his belongings, which sent a tingle of warmth through her.
“I have no idea how to get to anything on your phone.” She tried to hand it back to him, but he didn’t take it. Instead he slowly reached out with his pointer finger, tapped out the code to unlock it, then swiped the screen a couple times before touching an app. His gaze was on her again as he pulled back and let his hand drop onto the table between them.
The air was definitely charged now. And any doubts she had about whether he was just being awkwardly friendly or if this was something more instantly vanished.
Anthony was intense. Dark, penetrating eyes, beautiful, creamy skin, character etched into every natural and unnatural line in his face, and a heavy, yet comforting vibe. He wasn’t really the kind of guy you’d think of curling up to and relaxing in his arms, yet that’s exactly what she found herself wanting to do right now.
Feeling his eyes on her the entire time, she put her name and number in his phone, and even put her cell number in there. When she was pretty sure she’d typed everything right, she showed him. “That’s me.”
A small, satisfied smile curved his lips before he reached out and cupped her hand with both of his cooler ones, then slowly lowered his eyes to the screen of his phone. He studied it for a few moments, then, in no apparent rush, took it from her, turned it off, and slid it back into his shirt pocket. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
They locked eyes again and she said, “You could call me and give me your number, too.”
“Do you want me to?”
“Yes.”
“Then I will.”
She smiled and his eyes flicked to her mouth for longer than a heartbeat before he looked away. His interested glance made warm butterflies flutter around in her belly, but nothing seemed to be able to stop an unwelcome yawn from her lack of sleep last night. She tried to hide it from him.
“It’s getting late. You probably have to work in the morning.”
“Yeah, I do.” She shook her head as if that would clear it. “It’s not too terribly late, but I was up early this morning. A strange noise woke me and then I couldn’t get back to sleep. It’s not you.”
“A strange noise?”
“It was probably just a weird dream, but I swear I heard a dog growling. It sounded close enough to be in the next room, but I live alone on the second story of an apartment building so there’s no reason I should hear a dog that loudly, even if it was out in the woods behind my place.”
She waved it away. “Like I said, I’m sure it was just a dream, but it freaked me out and I couldn’t get back to sleep, and then my neighbors were being loud. I don’t know, maybe they were fighting or something because they knocked into the walls a couple times after that.” She stifled another yawn.
“Do they fight a lot? Are you in a safe part of town?”
She tiredly chuckled. “Yes, it’s safe. They’re just young guys that like to horse around a lot.”
He didn’t look entirely happy with that answer. “And do they have dogs?”
“No. The landlord doesn’t allow pets and he lives on my other side. I don’t think they’d dare push him. He can be kind of stern. Nice guy, but he has his moments.”
He frowned.
“I sometimes see wild animals around my place. That might’ve been what woke me. Coyotes or wolves or something. My friend, the landlord, always tells me not to go outside in the dark, especially behind the buildings where the dumpsters are. I try to be careful.”
“It sounds like you have a smart landlord. You should listen to him.”
“I do!” She smiled and tapped his arm before stifling yet another yawn.
“I should let you get home. May I walk you to your car?”
“Of course.” She gathered her things while he waited beside her. Warmth shot through her again as she looped her arm through his offered one, her body now just inches from his.
He seemed slightly less affected by their closeness. As in completely unaffected. He was stiff and stared straight forward as they started through the parking lot with her nudging him in the direction of the aisle her car was parked in.
“What do you do for a living?” His question seemed to come out of nowhere, and surprised her for how intensely interested he sounded in knowing the answer.
“I’m an accountant.”
He looked like he was fighting a smile. “A CPA?”
“No. Corporate accounting and finance.”
His smile grew. “What’s the line of business?”
“It’s the wholesale textile division of a local company. They produce different types of fabrics, then sell the lots to manufacturers all over the U.S. for clothing or commercial purposes. I’m a cross between a senior accountant and a financial analyst.”
A laugh burst out of him and she frowned. “What’s so funny?” He had a nice laugh, but she didn’t like to be the butt of any inside jokes.
The muscle in his arm tensed more than it already was, and he settled that heavy gaze on her again, a small smile still gracing his teasing lips. “As you’ve pointed out, I’m not much of a talker, and tonight I’ve met a woman whose job is analyzing numbers. That’s not a stereotypically good combination for two people to get to know each other. It looks like we may both have some work on our hands.” His eyes sparkled in the overhead lights, and she found his humor… interesting.
“Well, I guess we’ll see, won’t we?”
His smirk firmly in place, he cocked his head and said in a more intimate tone, “I guess we will.”
She’d give a dollar to know what was running through his mind right now because so far he was an intense mystery to her. Ok, maybe his interest in her was obvious, but he was still a mystery.
“So what do you do for a living?”
The inner glow dimmed from his previously playful expression, and the sly smile slipped from his lips. When he spoke, his words were measured and the energy he expended seemed calculated and exact. And she couldn’t quite tell if she was hearing pride, boredom or a business pitch in his voice.
“I wear a lot of different hats. I invest in properties and businesses around Atlanta as well as manage a private apartment complex in Brookhaven. I also occasionally mentor new business owners associated with a private family organization.”
“You sound busy.”
“Mm. At times.”
His gaze turned to the parking lot again as if telling her that little bit about himself was all the talking he wanted to do right now.
Her earlier nerves settled down. Anthony was intense, but maybe just because he was an incredibly focused man. Maybe there was nothing more serious going on between them than just some damned good chemistry, and the fact that he seemed to struggle with figuring out how to relax.
“This is me.” She guided him to her dark blue Civic.
“I like the color.”
She looked at her car as if she’d never seen it before. Was there something special about it? No. “Is that your favorite color? Dark blue?” Like the wallpaper design on his phone.
“Yes.”
She smiled unexpectedly. Anthony was a complex man, yet had straightforward likes and dislikes. Maybe she was starting to understand him, at least a little.
They stopped behind her car and he turned into her. Being so close to him now, she could smell the pleasant herbal scent of whatever soap or shampoo he used mixed with something that seemed to be uniquely him. He smelled like a breath of fresh night air.
He watched her with those intense eyes again, and she felt completely at home as she gazed back at him. A light breeze caught a few of his long, dark hairs and blew them into his face. When he didn’t make a move to brush them out of his line of vision, she reached up and slowly tucked them behind his ear.
He sucked in a breath and closed his eyes as her fingers caressed his cool skin. She paused to just watch him, and when he didn’t move, she let her fingers trail down his neck, then slowly down his chest as her palm flattened against his firm body.
He tensed so she pulled away, embarrassed she was being so forward with him, but he caught her hand and stopped her. His eyes opened and pinned her in place, and he lightened his grip when she settled her hand on his chest once more. Her belly fluttered in excitement. He wasn’t shy about conveying what he wanted, and once she left here tonight she was sure she’d wonder why the hell she felt so drawn to this complete stranger.
His muscles continued to tense, then relax, then tense again. His hand even trembled a couple times and it finally struck her that he was struggling pretty badly right now. He might be extremely direct in his feelings for her, but that didn’t mean he was ready for whatever was going on between them.
Feeling sobered by the realization that he probably wasn’t a ‘fling’ kind of guy, she said, “I should get going if we’re going to meet up again tomorrow.”
He startled and immediately let loose of her hand. “Of course.” He took a half step back from her, then stopped.
It was clear she’d hurt his feelings, and now it seemed like it was up to her to end this tonight. Great. She loved to be the bad guy. But… it fit with how quiet and nervous he seemed to be.
His voice had a softer quality when he said, “I’m glad we met tonight, Kaia. I look forward to seeing you again.”
Her heart clenched at the genuineness of his tone. “Me too, Anthony. I’m glad I was in your collision zone.”
A small smile crossed his kiss me lips, and she had to force herself to look away. She reluctantly got into her car and drove off as he stood and watched her go.