Page 6 of Fall Wherever They May

Just as I look up, a ball of fur runs directly in my path, causing me to slam on my brakes.

My head and body jerk as my car jolts forward. My heart accelerates. I’m stunned, and for a brief second, I’m also confused why I stopped. Remembering the animal I almost hit, I put the car in park, jump out, and run to the front of my car. I look down into a pair of pleading blue eyes staring up at me. Bending down, I pick up the little guy.

“Oh my goodness, what are you doing in the middle of the road? You could have been run over,” I coo.

He’s so tiny, and I can’t imagine that someone isn’t missing him. I cuddle him up to my chest and pet his sweet little head. “What you did was very dangerous. Yes, it was,” I scold, then hold him up at eye level. He licks my face, and my nosescrunches up in response. Movement catches my eyes when I bring him back to my chest.

An extremely attractive man stands beside my car. Our eyes lock. My heart beats rapidly, my cheeks heat, and my stomach dips as if I were on a roller coaster.Muscular forearms are crossed tight against his chest. His charcoal henley taut—the fabric straining around his big muscular biceps. My eyes map the sleeve tattoo on his left arm, then travel up to his pretty hazel eyes as I take him in. His dark brown hair is mussed and sexy, short on the sides, a little longer on top. I wonder what it would be like to run my finger through it. I’m momentarily mute, at a complete loss for words, as I stand in the middle of the road taking in the sight of this gorgeous man in front of me.

A car slows down and moves around us, shaking me from my lust-filled haze. I realize I’ve been staring at him as we stand in the street, blocking traffic. I wipe the lingering tears from my face and take a deep, calming breath, then stride to the back of my car to assess the damage. As if it matters at this point. He moves closer to assess the damage to his own car. Tingles shoot through my body at his close proximity.

“Has anyone ever told you that you can’t drive for shit?” He barks out in a clipped tone.

My head rears back from the man’s rudeness.Welcome to New York.I’m quickly learning that people aren’t quite like they are back home. If someone were to rear-end me in Oklahoma, they’d probably be fussin’ all over me to make sure I was alright, but this man is making it appear as if I’m at fault.

“Well, isn’t he just a ray of sunshine?” I say to the pup as I cuddle him closer in my arms, as if he—all two pounds of him—could become a barrier to protect me from all these foreign feelings this man is conjuring up within me.

I don’t know what to feel right now: attraction or disdain. The man steps into my space; his head bends down close tomine, so close, in fact, that we are almost nose to nose. Based on my rapid breathing and the butterflies taking flight in my stomach, it’s definitely attraction that I feel.

“Do you know how many times you swerved?”

In a trance-like state, I look down at his lips as he speaks. They’re full. Perfect for kissing. I imagine giving him a reason for those lips to be moving, and it has nothing to do with any words coming out of his mouth. What the fuck am I thinking? I was just in a wreck! This asshole hit my car, and I nearly hit a puppy for Pete’s sake. Yet here I am standing in the middle of the street salivating over this . . . this beautiful man. Something is very wrong with me. My eyes flick back up to his.

His fingers snap in my face. “Are you drunk?” He leans in and sniffs me. “God, you reek of fumes. Have you been huffing something?”

And now I’m back to disdain.

I break out of my wordless stupor. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” I jerk back, swatting him away with one hand. “Look . . .” I blow out a breath of exhaustion. “It’s been a terrible week. A terrible month, actually—”

“Did I ask about your terrible week or month? No. Now, answer the question. Are. You. Drunk?” Hazel eyes lock on mine, gauging whether the next few words out of my mouth are true or not.

“No,” I say, shaking my head. “I’m not drunk.”

“Are you high?”

“God, no!” Ugh, this guy is insufferable. “I was talking to my mom, and the phone slipped from my hand. Like I said, it’s been—”

“So, not only can you not drive for shit, but you’re irresponsible too.”

I point my pretty, pink-manicured fingernail in his face and scoff. “Oh, like you never talk on the phone while you’re driving.”

“Of course I do. But I do it hands-free. I pay attention to the road. You could have gotten yourself or someone else killed.”

“Mr.—” I trail off, waiting for a name that never comes.Rude ass!I pinch the bridge of my nose, then drop my hand and focus back on him. “Whatever your name is . . . we can’t very well stand here in the middle of the street arguing.” His jaw ticks in response, but he stays silent.

“You know what? Maybe we should call the police.” I thrust the puppy into his arms. He cradles the pup with confusion marring his brows as he stalks behind me. I lean into my car, grab my phone off the seat, and pick up my purse. Riffling through the old worn-out thing, I grab my insurance card and license. I toss my purse back into the seat, focus on the screen, and unlock my device. I hit the phone icon to type in the number.

“No police!” His tone is in a panic as I forcefully punch 9-1-1 into my phone.

Long, strong fingers wrap around my small, delicate hand. I tilt my head up and raise a brow at him in question. His grip is strong, his touch rough, and his palms calloused as though maybe he works with his hands. My eyes land back on his hand engulfing mine. Big, prominent veins trail their way from his hand up to his muscled forearm. I allow my eyes to map the green lines. An electric current shoots through me. He jerks his hand away.

“Okay. Let’s just get this out of the way then. I’m going to need your license, insurance card, and your phone number.”

“What do you need my phone number for?” He frowns.

“In case my insurance agent or I need to get in touch with you. You know? Ask you questions.”

“If anyone is getting a number here, it’s me.”

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