Page 2 of The Keeper

“You need to not be alone on the side of the road anymore.”

“Oh my God, Killian. Five minutes. I just need five damn minutes.” I spun around and nearly collided with someone. I blinked, trying to focus on the tall, lean figure standing in front of me.

“Is everything alright here? Do you need me to call you a tow?” An elegant baritone voice wrapped in an English accent invaded my senses.

Blue eyes and a dimple. That’s all I saw at first.

I collected myself and checked out my uninvited guest, absorbing as much detail as I could in the waning sunlight. Clad in jeans, t-shirt and leather jacket, he towered over me. His exterior screamed fine-tuned athlete, or at least someone who made it a point to stay fit. Tousled, dark brown hair rustled slightly in the chilly breeze. Expectant eyes fixed on mine, waiting for an answer.

“No. I’m fine, thank you.” I smiled and moved to a different spot to continue pacing.

“Who are you talking to?” Killian demanded. “Hello? Victoria?”

“The other person who pulled off the road. They wanted to see if I was having car trouble.”

“Creepy? Normal? I need details.”

I squeezed the phone. “Can you not play the role of overprotective best friend please? I can handle myself.”

“Yeah, yeah. The great Victoria Chase needs no one. We’ve all seen that movie,” Killian sounded annoyed.

“Killian,” I yelled. “I love you to bits but I’m going to hang up. You know how I get. I haven’t been here since I was sixteen. I’m less than twenty-fours away from going to the last place we vacationed together as a family because my mother…” I exhaled harshly. “This is hard for me.”

I turned and crashed hard into a wall of leather. Great. This guy again.

“That’s a first.” His grin revealed a dimple just beneath his left cheek. “I’ve heard stories about people ending up in hospital from walking while using a mobile phone but I never thought I’d become a victim.”

The deep, richness of his voice accomplished two things at once: it soothed my nerves in a way I couldn’t explain while giving me an uncontrollable urge to pull all his clothes off.

“I’m so sorry” was all I could think to say once I regained my ability to speak.

“Don’t let it happen again,” he teased.

“Victoria Chase you better tell me who that is.” Killian’s voice blared.

“Hang on, hang on,” I mumbled into the phone.

There was something about this guy. I allowed myself to study the handsome stranger’s features. The arch of his eyebrows, the aristocratic nose carved right from a Greek statue, the strong, rugged angle of his jaw. The jagged scar above his left eye. And that mouth. Full and sultry with a slight pout. Not a sulky pout. A sexy, enticing pout. It was made for promises and sin, and not necessarily in that order. I could say the same about his striking sapphire eyes. So many promises fringed by long lashes. He appeared to be around my age. Maybe a few years older.

“Just a mildly hot mid-life crisis,” I blurted, staring straight at him.

An amused smile crossed his lips.

My gaze remained fixed on this man’s mouth. He folded his arms, bringing up one hand to stroke his jaw. A silver ring glinted off his thumb when he ran it over his lower lip. My knees almost gave out watching the slow, deliberate movement.

Okay. Side of the road flirting it is.

I was not subtle as I checked him out from head to toe. Was that a tattoo peeking out from the neckline of his shirt? Of course it is.

Despite the casual attire, he exuded a well-bred pedigree. I’d grown up around boys and men like this. The slight air of indifference. The inevitable bursts of charm. He either came from money, made lots of money, or some combination of the two. With that athletic build I’d be willing to bet he played professionally. Probably soccer. Maybe rugby.

But beneath his curated outer layer was something else. I sensed it from the obvious way he stroked his lip and watched my reaction. There’s something about him that’s much more rough around the edges. And it piqued my curiosity.

Killian’s concerned voice broke through the heady fog that’d wrapped around me.

“Tori, it’s getting dark. And—“

“Hold on.”

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