Page 25 of Accidentally Mine
Indignant, I shot out of the booth and quickly started to pack up my things.If he could find me, then anyone could.I might as well have painted a target on my back.
“Don’t go,” he said quietly, sitting down in the booth seat opposite mine.“I’ll tell you how I found you if you’ll just calm down.”
I huffed, my fingers clenched around my laptop, and stared at him, his dark eyes betraying nothing but curiosity.I wanted to be tough, angry at him.I pulled my hat down lower over my eyes so they wouldn’t betray what I was really thinking…namely, that a huge part of me just wanted to jump him.
What the hell, Rebecca?Where did that come from?
I’d buried that part of myself, learned to live without it.It had been a long time since I’d had sex.In fact, the last time I had, I’d laid under Anthony, counting down the moments until it was over and wishing I could be anywhere else.That probably didn’t count.Neither had all the other times he’d pinned me down and had sex with me when I’d claimed to be too tired.When was the last time I’d made love?Had I ever?
Once I’d buried that physical need, I hadn’t missed it.
Until now.
Maybe because I’d never met anyone like this man sitting in front of me, quietly watching me, hands laced in front of him.He wasn’t loud and abrasively demanding, like Anthony, barking out orders and shouting insults when he didn’t get his way.
No, this man’s quiet confidence was even more unnerving.
He motioned with his chin that he wanted me to retake my seat, and with that calm motion, the fight went out of me.I was so tired of running, hiding, melting into the background.I slumped into the seat and raised my eyebrows in question.“So?”
“I had a friend follow you,” he explained.
I clicked my tongue.He had me followed?A shiver climbed up my back, gripping my neck tight.How had I not noticed that I was being followed?“Well.That’s creepy.Who the hell—”
He lifted a hand for me to stop.“I apologize for that, but I felt it was necessary.”There was something in his eyes.He wasn’t angry or berating me, but there was a sort of reprimand there.I suddenly felt like I was the one who should be apologizing to him.
“I don’t see why.”I looked around, wondering who else was watching me that I hadn’t noticed.Using cafés for work had been stupid.Yes, I needed the Wi-Fi to publish my stories, and my aunt didn’t have it.But I was putting myself in danger by leaving her house.I needed to up my game.I grabbed my bag and started to slide out of the booth.“I need to—”
“Go,” he finished, shaking his head.It was getting damn annoying, him finishing my sentences.“No, you don’t.Stay for a minute and tell me what you’re afraid of.”
It wasn’t a request.It was a command.He leaned forward, those dark eyes pulling me in.There was no question—this man did things to me.Things no man had ever done before.
I gnawed on my lip, mentally scanning the minefield of what I could and couldn’t say.I leaned forward, took one last look over my shoulder, and whispered, “I have a jealous ex.”
He leaned forward too, and we could almost kiss we were so close.His face didn’t leak any emotion or concern.“How jealous?”
“If he saw us here, together…he wouldn’t be happy.”
I waited for the worry to appear in his eyes, or for him to turn tail and decide I wasn’t worth getting to know.Most men would think that was too messy.
But he didn’t flinch.
“Doesn’t that scare you?”
He gave me a curious look.“Why should it?”
Maybe he didn’t understand what he was getting into.What kind of monster I was talking about.But the less he knew about Anthony, the better.
My coffee was cold by now, and the waitress here wasn’t the best about warming it up.But I took a big gulp of it anyway.“I was finishing up the latest installment of my serial.It’s calledBlood Run Road.It’s about the zombie apocalypse.My aunt doesn’t have Wi-Fi, so I have to come to the café to upload it.”
He raised an eyebrow.“Let me see.”
I didn’t share my stories with anyone, but now, I felt an inexplicable urge to do so.I lifted my laptop and opened it to the page where my series was for sale.
“That’s impressive,” he said, scanning the page.“Rebel Reid?”
“My pen name.Because I’m anything but.”
“Ah.Good girl, huh?”
