He nodded. “I’ll be right back.”
He turned for the counter, and I took the opportunity to study him. In fact, I found that I couldn’t stop staring at him. So, I might as well take the chance to watch him shamelessly. His dark hair, those broad shoulders, that perfect butt.
I glanced down at myself, wondering what he saw when he looked at me. Was I what he’d expected? Taller, perhaps? When he’d first spotted me, he’d seemed pleased. But maybe that was just wishful thinking.
“So how wasUnbreakable?” I asked when he returned to the table with our drinks. I needed something safe to talk about. I needed some familiarity.
“You haven’t read it yet?” He tsked.
I lifted a shoulder. “I’ve been busy organizing stuff for the panel.”
Though I hadn’t known who was on the invite list. Seth had assigned that task to Nicole. He’d also become increasingly aggressive about my dad’s memoir, though I’d never promised anything.
I took a sip of my coffee. “Thank you for this, by the way.”
“Excuses. Excuses.” Connor smiled. Gah, he was so freaking handsome. “You need to read it. It’s her best book yet.”
I cupped my drink, the warmth seeping through the mug and into my hands, filling me with a deep sense of contentment. “And you’re an expert on her books, huh?”
“Well, I have read two-thirds of them now. So, yeah.”
My jaw hung open. “Seriously?”
He chuckled. “Yep. I’m kind of addicted.”
And a whole lot sexy.
“Well, that’s…a twist I didn’t see coming.” I sipped my coffee.
He leaned back in his chair, crossing his ankle at the knee. “You know, for a minute there, I thought you were going to stand me up.”
I laughed. “I, um—” I glanced down at the cup, staring into what was left of the foam art as if it held all the answers. “I considered it.”
“Do you wish you had?” His voice was gravelly, sexy.
I shook my head, some of my hair falling over my face. “No.” My voice was quiet as I tucked my hair behind my ear. “I’m glad I came. What about you?”
The corner of his lips tilted. “So am I.”
I’d spent countless hours emailing with Connor and talking to him on the phone. But nothing could’ve prepared me for the reality of seeing him in person. And my brain was still trying to reconcile the version of Connor in my head with reality. It was—hewas—a lot to take in. And I wasn’t sure my heart was prepared for it.
Chapter Ten
Connor
“So, what are you hoping to do while you’re here?” Olivia asked in that sweet voice of hers.
You.
I shook my head to clear it, though I couldn’t deny the idea was appealing. She was… God, she was gorgeous. Those full hips and luscious breasts. And her long legs. I wanted to explore her, to get lost in her curves.
“I’m open to ideas. Other than the panel, I was mostly planning to bum around the beach. I haven’t ever really taken a vacation.”
“Ever?” Her eyes went wide. “You’ve never been on a vacation?”
I shook my head, not wanting to dwell on the reasons for it. She knew my family history, and that was more than I could say for any other woman I’d dated. And since joining the SEALs, I’d rarely taken leave. Apart from a few weekend trips to a beach house with some of the guys from the office, I’d been focused on work.
“Well, that is completely unacceptable.” Her expression was so stern, I nearly laughed. “And we’re going to have to remedy that immediately.”
