S: Oh, hi. How’d you get my number?
And there it was, right away he’d have to admit he was a borderline stalker.
S: Let me guess, you used your mighty powers as Mayor to track it down? Lol.
A: Yes. I’m sorry if that offends you, I wanted to continue our conversation and didn’t want to wait until tomorrow morning.
S: It’s okay, really. I could use the distraction.
Phew. Dodged a bullet there.
A: Does that mean you’re ready to say yes to me?
S: I didn’t say that.
Having the conversation with her over text wasn’t ideal, but with the pandemic, everyone had to make exceptions to the rules, himself included. With a sigh, he pressed her harder.
A: But it’s what you want.
S: You really are used to getting your way, aren’t you?
A: Yes.
There was no need to explain further, he wanted her, that was a fact.
S: How can we possibly even go on a date?
A: Leave the details to me. Just say yes.
S: You’re not going to give me much of a choice, I guess.
A: Nope.
S: Fine. Yes. I’ll go out with you.
Atticus took a long pull of his beer and then grinned, letting her stew for a few minutes.
S: That’s it? I give in and get radio silence in return?
A: Pick you up tomorrow night at seven.
S: Fine. Goodnight.
Shea tossed her phone back in her purse and opened the front door to her apartment. She’d had to take a hot shower at the club to wash the stench of death off her skin. Arriving home, she was in a foul mood that could only be overturned by her daughter’s happy smiles.
“Mommy, Henry and I made pies!” Penny exclaimed from the kitchen.
“Be right there, sweetheart!” she called back. Smoothing her hair into a ponytail, she did one last check that all the blood was erased and then headed to join her daughter.
A playdate with her daughter and a real date with her crush the following day. One might think she was nothing more than a regular person.
If only that were true.
Chapter 4
Shea tossed another shirt into her pile of discarded clothing and stamped her foot in frustration, much like Penny did when she didn’t get her way. Nothing matched with a damn mask, and there certainly wasn’t anything in her wardrobe that would make wearing her mask look sexy. Atticus was due to pick her up any minute and she was nowhere near ready. There was only one option left.
“Henry!” she called for reinforcements. The breath had barely left her lungs when her bedroom door banged open and Henry all but leaped through the doorway. She frowned at him. “Were you just waiting for me to beg for help?”
“Sweetheart, I love you endlessly, but you’re hopeless when it comes to this kind of thing,” he told her.
She opened her mouth to argue, but wisely slammed it shut again. She didn’t have time to prove him wrong, especially when she’d proved his point by calling him.
Henry headed straight for the double white doors of her walk-in closet and disappeared inside. She tried to follow him, but he had eyes in the back of his damn head and threw a hand up to deny her access. “No, no, no. You wait out there,” he ordered.
Shea’s frown increased, but she complied, hopping around from foot to foot as she tried to get a better look at what he was doing. After a few minutes, he emerged, grinning like he’d won the damn lottery. He passed her a pair of her dark skinny jeans and a simple off-the-shoulder black chiffon blouse.
“Not bad,” she admitted. “This is one of my favourites.”
“Mmmhmm,” Henry hummed, his know it all attitude firmly in place. Opening her top dresser drawer, he tsked in disgust. “Nothing in here could be even remotely considered lingerie.” He fished through the drawer while Shea pouted. “Aha!” he exclaimed, producing a black lacy set of undergarments. He thrust the entire ensemble at her triumphantly, shooing her towards the bathroom to change.
“I do too have sexy underwear,” she told him defiantly, closing the door in his face on his mocking shout of laughter. Dressed in the outfit he’d chosen for her, Shea danced back into the bedroom, ending her showing off with a little twirl.
“It’s perfect. Damn, I’m good.”
“It is...but my whole problem was finding a mask that doesn’t ruin anything I put on. This looks great,” she swept her hand down the front of herself. “But when I put the mask on…”
Henry grinned and pulled a piece of fabric out of his back pocket. “Put this on.”
Curious, Shea accepted the mask from him. It was black and covered with a sprinkle of pink glitter that shone in the light. Fitting it over her mouth, she was pleased with the results. “How long have you been holding onto this number?” she asked.
“Just waiting for the right moment.” The doorbell rang, and Henry let out a whoop. “And how is that for timing?” He smacked her ass and gave her a shove towards the door. “C’mon, c’mon, don’t keep him waiting!”
Shea ignored him and veered off to Penny’s room. Poking her head in, she found her daughter colouring and singing quietly to herself. “Hey, kid, Mommy has to go out for a little while. But Henry will be here with you.”
“I know. We’re going to make smudge cakes!”
“Smudge cakes?” Shea asked, trying to decipher what that five-year-old code could be for and coming up empty.
“She means fudge. We’re going to make fudge,” Henry explained, pacing impatiently behind her.
“Okay, well you be good and I’ll be back to give you a kiss goodnight,” she promised.
“No you won’t,” Henry muttered, earning him a swat. Blowing Penny a kiss, she faced her friend. “You’re going to be fearless. You’re not going to overthink this. You’re attracted to each other, you’re two unattached adults.” Henry kept up his coaching all the way to the door. “If we’ve learned anything these past few months, it’s that we don’t know what the future has in store for us. Live in the moment. Just fucking live for once, Shea.” With that parting wisdom, he yanked open the door, hid behind it and left her face to face with Atticus.
Atticus drew in a sharp breath when the door was yanked open and he was face to face with the woman he’d been dreaming of having in his arms for months. No glass barrier, no line-up of other people, just the two of them. Her scent drifted to him and his cock jerked in his pants in response. She smelled like sin and looked like heaven. A walking contradiction of complexities that made her that much more attractive.
“Hi,” she greeted him. “You’re right on time.”
No, honey, this is way later than it should be. “Well, I aim to please,” he replied, hoping she could see his smile in his eyes. “You ready?”
“Let’s go,” she told him, stepping out onto the porch. On the way to his car, she paused, obviously mulling over something in her mind.
“What is it?” he asked, fearing she might call off the date.
“I just...I never thought about it. Getting in your car. The pandemic—”