Not even Javy had been able to drag him out. Yet as he was flipping through the channels, he stumbled across a low-budget cable commercial for a local psychic. It triggered the memory of Roxy reading his palm.
And for the first time in days, he smiled.
He considered calling the number on her agent listing, then decided he should really try to talk to her in person considering the gap between their time at The Copper Keg and now. Since he only had her work address, he would head over and see if anyone happened to be there. Even if the place was closed, at least it got him out of his condo.
Arnie Daulton & Associates was located in a poorly lit strip mall just outside Little Five Points, wedged between a hot yoga studio and a used bookstore. The entire mall was on the sketchy side. It was a long rectangle of concrete block construction painted industrial beige. The beige had been chipped away to muddy gray in many places, and what was visible of the nearly flat roof showed shingles missing or at odd angles.
If he hadn’t seen a light on inside the real estate office, he would have turned around and gone home. He wasn’t real comfortable leaving his Audi R8 unattended in the lot, security package or no. But he parked right outside the office and only had to walk a few feet to get to the front door.
He started to reach for the door’s handle, then glanced up and slightly to the left through the glass and spotted Roxy. He almost didn’t recognize her because her dark hair was pulled up into a ponytail, a surprisingly casual look for her even when paired with the oversized gold hoops in her ears. She was sitting behind a desk staring intently at her computer monitor. The furrow between her arched eyebrows made him feel as though he shouldn’t interrupt her, but the thrilling thud-thud-thud of his heart urged him to do it anyway.
Still, he hesitated, content just watching her. He might not have interrupted her at all if it hadn’t been for a couple of women exiting the hot yoga studio. He didn’t want them seeing him creeping outside the office staring at Roxy. They’d probably call the police.
That had prompted him to knock. Roxy’s blue eyes lifted to him, causing his breath to tangle in his throat. It was a reaction he was getting used to around her.
When she rose, he took in the sight of her in her body-hugging teal dress that was somehow professional and sexy at the same time. It revealed her gorgeous legs from an inch above her knees down, drawing his attention as she started his way. Her body swayed in a sensuous rhythm that was completely natural to her. He could watch her move like that for the rest of his life.
That random, completely unexpected thought somehow triggered the immediate realization that his grandfather would never get to meet her. Sharp pain struck him, making it a struggle to maintain his smile when she reached the door.
An unspoken moment passed between them before she held up a finger and walked back to her desk. He guessed she was closing up shop and getting ready to leave. He wasn’t sure whether to feel ecstatic or guilty, then decided he’d take either over devastating grief.
It wasn’t until she locked up and finally stood next to him on the sidewalk that he realized how desperately he had needed to see her again.
“Hi, Callan,” she said.
“Hi, Roxy.” The apology he had crafted for not getting in touch sooner flew from his mind, overshadowed by his happiness and relief. “God, it’s good to see you.”
She didn’t immediately reply. He didn’t shy away from her scrutiny.
They both shifted closer, inescapably drawn to one another. He longed to pull her against him but, considering she had given him the hottest B.J. of his life at The Copper Keg and he had disappeared for two weeks, that definitely wasn’t the right move.
“Is that your ride?” she asked, indicating his car.
“Yes.”
“I’m over there.” She pointed to a black Nissan coupe parked in the middle of the lot beneath the only working light. “If you can keep up with me, you’re welcome to come to my place and give me the apology I deserve.”
He couldn’t help but read into her words. She did deserve an apology and he intended to give her one. But the way she said it made it sound like she expected more than just words.
And he wanted to give her that, too.
“All right,” he said. Before she turned from him, he reached out and touched her arm. “Just in case, though, I really am sorry I haven’t been in touch sooner. I…well…something happened.”
He couldn’t bring himself to talk about his grandfather right then. He hoped she understood.
Her head tilted as she studied him. Whatever she saw elicited a soft tsking sound. She reached up and placed her hand on the side of his face, rubbing her thumb along his cheekbone in a way that conveyed understanding and compassion. He swore if she issued one word of sympathy that he would completely lose it.
Dropping her hand, she said in a light tone, “Then I suppose it’s only right that I accept your apology. And for that reason only, I’ll drive slower than usual so you can follow me.”
Gratitude and a thrill of excitement rushed through him. “You are aware my Audi’s a V10 and can go from zero to sixty in just over three seconds, right?”
“Oh…a car man, are you?” When he nodded, she gave him her sultry smile. “Haven’t you heard, Callan? It’s not just about the instrument. It’s how well you play it.”
She turned with a rich laugh, swirling her keys around her index finger as she walked—or, rather, sashayed—to her car. He grinned and watched until she got safely to her car before climbing into his own. Just in case she decided to test him, he backed out of his spot and circled around to where she was reversing. Then he made sure to stay as close as possible so he didn’t lose her.
The drive took less than ten minutes. She lived in an apartment complex just off Ponce near a specialty cookie shop he’d been to more than once. He pulled into the narrow drive running alongside the long, two-story brick building where he assumed Roxy lived. The driveway opened up into a nearly full parking lot. Seeing that Roxy had stopped and was rolling her window down, he pulled up beside her and lowered his passenger window.
“Park in spot twelve,” she said. “That’s Mrs. Ladenbaum’s spot and she’s out of town.”
Taking her at her word, he nodded and hunted for the spot using the numbers painted on the ground as Roxy pulled around to her spot. He ended up six cars down from her. They met up in the middle.
“Right this way, Mr. Hockey,” she said.
She led him to the only door in the back of the building, using a swipe card to unlock it. The door led to a hallway lined with red doors bearing golden numbers. He assumed they were apartments. When Roxy stopped at the third door on the left and used one of her keys to unlock it, his assumption was confirmed.
She stepped inside first and flipped on the light switch. Callan followed her. He was welcomed by her distinctive scent, making him pause just inside the threshold to draw it in. He expected to see her heading to a security keypad to disarm her alarm. Instead, she moved behind him and closed and locked the door. Then she strolled over to her nearby kitchen counter and set her purse on it.
No security alarm?
That didn’t sit well, especially since she lived alone. As he scanned the apartment, though, he supposed there wasn’t all that much to protect beside Roxy herself.