I drag my gaze away, moving to hide behind the massive coffee machine as I write his name on the paper cup.
I’m flustered. I rarely get flustered. Even Ryan complains that he rarely succeeds in making me blush, yet here I am… feeling out of it because of a stranger. This is weird, and I feel guilty instantly.
I grit my teeth as I pour his coffee into his cup, my eyes drifting up to the large clock opposite me. Thank God, this shift is done now. I’ve got so many class notes to get through, and then there’s tonight’s dinner. It’s the first time I’m meeting any of Ryan’s family members, and truthfully, he seems more nervous about it than I am. I can’t help but wonder if Ryan’s family thinks I’m a gold-digger too.
It’s all I can think about as I hand Simon his cup. He takes it from me, his gaze inquisitive, but my thoughts are elsewhere. I hope I’ll make a good impression tonight, but there’s this niggling sense of unease I can’t push aside. I’ve always trusted my intuition, and I can’t help but feel like tonight is going to be a disaster.
I bite down on my lip as I take off my apron and walk into the staff room to grab my bag. By the time I walk out of the coffee shop, I’m overthinking everything. It took me an entire week and close to two weeks’ worth of my salary to select an outfit, yet now all of a sudden I wonder if I might end up looking like I’m trying too hard. I’m worried they might not like me, and that they won’t be able to see past my messed up upbringing. They won’t want their son to date an orphan, will they?
I’m so lost in thought that it takes me a moment to heed the warnings my intuition is sending me. I blink as I realize that I’m not alone in the narrow alley that leads to the bus stop, and a chill runs down my spine.
I pause and inhale shakily as I turn decisively. In my experience, most weirdos will let you be if they think you’ll put up a fight or confront them. My eyes find the man behind me, his dark green eyes squarely on mine.
“Simon,” I murmur, before straightening my shoulders. Savannah’s words ring through my mind again. You’re so obviously all he can see. A chill runs down my spine as I stare him down. He pauses and raises his brow. “Are you following me?”
Chapter 2
Silas
* * *
Alanna glares at me, and the dim lights in the alleyway just make her look even more beautiful.
I take a moment to drink her in and smile, enjoying the way her bravado wavers as her eyes widen ever so slightly.
“Me? Following you?” I ask, feigning ignorance.
I wonder what she sees when she looks at me. Does she see beyond the expensive clothes? Does she see me, or does she see Silas Sinclair, CEO of Sinclair Security.
She narrows her eyes and crosses her arms over her chest. My eyes drop down to her chest and I swallow hard. She’s so fucking beautiful. I take my time trailing my eyes back up to hers, a smirk finding its way onto my lips when I find her staring me down.
“Yes. You. My colleague tells me you only ever hang around the coffee shop when I’m there.”
She looks me in the eye, her bravado on display. I’ve been coming here for weeks, but I’ve never once seen recognition in her eyes. She doesn’t remember me.
I guess I can’t blame her. I look like an entirely different person. I went out of my way to leave that part of my life behind. Alanna… she’s the last remaining tie. One I can’t seem to cut. One that keeps me bound to a past I cannot escape. She’s a constant reminder, one I cannot let go of.
“Is that so?” I ask, my voice soft.
When I first walked in so many weeks ago, all I wanted to do was speak to her. Every time I’ve seen her since, that desire grew into something more.
Now? Now I want her. All of her.
I grin at her and take a step toward her. She tenses, and then she takes a step back, retreating until her back is against the wall. She looks up at me with wide eyes, a hint of panic simmering below the surface.
I lean my forearms against the wall, caging her in. There’s only a few inches between us and part of me wants to push further. I want her against me, but only if she comes willingly.
“You should’ve run,” I warn her. “When you find yourself alone in an alley with alarm bells ringing in your head, you run, Alanna. You don’t pick a fight you can’t win.”
She places her hands against my chest, as though she’s about to push me away, but then she pauses. She looks me in the eye, and at last I see a hint of recognition. It fades so quickly that I’m left wondering if I imagined it.
“I have a boyfriend,” she whispers. Her hands are palms flat on my chest, the heat of her skin sinking through my shirt. This is the closest I’ve had her in years.
“And where is he now?” I whisper back.
Alanna swallows hard, and I watch her gather her courage. Good girl. “He isn’t someone you can mess with. If you so much as touch me, he’ll make you disappear,” she warns me, and I smile. No one in this city is untouchable. Not to me.
I lean in and brush the back of my hand over her cheek, my touch soft. “Is that so? I’d love to see him try.”
She blinks in disbelief, as though that isn’t the response she expected, and disappointment washes over me. The Alanna I used to know never would’ve hidden behind a man. She’d have kneed me in the balls the second I cornered her.
I pull away with a sigh. “You should’ve run,” I repeat. “You shouldn’t be alone in these dark alleys at all, Alanna. When you do inevitably find yourself here, be quick. Don’t zone out. Don’t linger. When someone approaches you and your intuition tells you that something is off, you run, you hear me?”
She nods and wraps her arms around herself protectively, her eyes on mine. There’s so much I want to say, yet now that I finally have her alone, nothing feels right. I take a step away and run a hand through my hair.
“Did you… did you follow me to make sure I was safe?”
I look away and shake my head, lying to her. “No,” I say, tipping my head toward the end of the alley. “My car is parked there.”
Her cheeks darken as my words sink in, and I smile. Embarrassment looks cute on her. “I… I’m sorry. I misread the situation. I didn’t mean to…”
I smirk. “You didn’t mean to what? Didn’t mean to assume I was interested in you?”
She bites down on her lip and I follow her every movement, all the while wondering what those lips will taste like. Does she still like cherry chapstick?
“I… yes. I’m sorry. That was… God, I’m so embarrassed. I’m sorry.”
I smile at her, enjoying that sheepish expression on her face. She’s cute. I can’t remember the last time I thought a woman was cute.
“I am,” I tell her. “I am interested in you, but I’ll never you hurt you, Alanna. Not unless you ask me to.” I smirk at her, enjoying the way her cheeks turn redder still. “And when I take you, it won’t be without your consent — you’ll be begging me for it.”
I turn and walk away, leaving her staring after me. This isn’t how I expected that conversation to go, but hell… when do things ever go to plan with Alanna?