Page 28 of Unlucky You

I groaned, wiped, and flushed. My thighs burned from squatting because I was still sore from the spin class my sister made me go to a few days prior. While I washed my hands, I moved through every reason in the world I needed to walk right past that booth but knew I wouldn’t. The way I scrutinized myself for not taking the time to be more presentable was a suresign that I was definitely going to push my luck with a guy who clearly warned me to stay away from him.

I shouldered through the bathroom door, not wanting to touch the handle, and glanced across the diner, noticing Sameena was grinning with her face buried in her phone. As soon as I reached his booth, I slid into the space across from Grand and was nailed with a narrowed, angry stare. He didn’t speak, just glared at me like I was the devil incarnate. I plastered on a smile and reached for a slice of bacon on a saucer near his plate.

His eyes lowered to the spot where his bacon had been, then lifted to my mouth where half the piece disappeared. I chewed slowly until those dark abysses were fastened to my eyes.

“Good morning.”

“You don’t fucking listen,” he grumbled in the sexiest, deep, rough tone that danced across my skin and settled between my thighs.

“My listening is selective.”

He grunted and placed both arms on the table, caging in the plate of food. He had a full stack of pancakes, eggs, and hash browns. Enough for two people, but it was piled on one plate.

“Sounds a lot like writing a check your ass can’t cash.”

My smile expanded as I finished the last of the bacon and reached for another piece but the look he delivered had my hand freezing mid-air before I pulled it back.

“Not much of a morning person I see.”

“What do you want, Saniya?”

Oh fuck, hearing him say my name was a torturous kind of sexy.

“I don’t know,” I answered honestly. I had not one damn clue of why I was so enthralled by this man. I was attracted to him but it was impossible not to be. He was fucking sexy, but it wasn’t his looks. Something about Grand intrigued me. He was a puzzleI wanted to solve. There were secrets deeply embedded in this man’s soul and he was protecting them for dear life. I wanted those secrets.

He remained silent, but I was stubborn, one of the qualities that made me so successful as a photographer. I’d learned the unique ability of persistence early in my career. If you pushed hard enough, no wasn’t an option.

“Are you fighting tonight?”

His eyes darkened. “No.”

He was most definitely fighting and I was going to be there to watch.

“You’re lying.”

His brows slammed in and I added, “One of my superpowers is reading people and you’re an easy read. You’re fighting. I guess that means I have plans.”

I slid to the end of the booth and stood, snagging another piece of bacon before saying, “Maybe you’ll be in a better mood.”

I decided to walk away and not press my luck, but his voice had me swinging my eyes over my shoulder before I managed my first step.

“This is my second warning. You won’t get a third. You might want to think about that before you cross a line you have no business crossing.”

The way those dark eyes confirmed what I already knew, he was just as curious about me as I was about him. He also knew I was going to be there tonight and I had a feeling he was counting on it.

With quick steps I made my way to the booth where Sameena was sitting. She locked her phone and picked up the menu. “Damn girl, what were you in there doing, making room for what you’re about to order?”

I laughed and snatched the menu from her hands. “Fuck you.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a movement and followed Grand as he made his way past us and out the door.

“That’s a walking red flag, sis. Don’t even think about it.” My eyes snapped across the table to my sister’s to find her staring at me with a smug grin when she added, “But he’s fine as shit though.”

“Very fine and very much a red flag,” I countered with a smile just as the server approached our booth to take our orders. My sister managed to distract me long enough to push thoughts of Grand out of my mind…temporarily.

“I have a date tonight.”

“With Clue?” I arched a brow and she rolled her eyes.

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