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Chapter Three
I’d pushed my luckfor far too long, making a habit of one-night stands with strangers I met in bars. And now the one time I’d picked a bookstore instead, I’d managed to run into not one, but two creepy stalkers. If I screamed, Violet would call the police. The thought didn’t reassure me the way I wanted it to.
“What are you doing here?” I kept my tone steady, despite my creeping fear. “Did you follow me home last night?”
Fred frowned. He had the nerve to look offended? Now? Or was that his normal look? “I’m looking for Jaelyn O’Driscoll. Are you she?”
How the fuck did he know not only my name, but all of it? “May I tell her who’s asking?”
“Owen Samson.” He extended his hand, and nodded at Barney. My already churning gut plummeted into my feet, and I knew he was going to say, “and my associate Kingston Ryder.”
Fuck. Fear bled into irritation. These were the two assholes who had been trying to buy out my business for several months. And last night I’d considered going back to their hotel? Worse, I’d enjoyed their company.
I crossed my arms rather than shake his hand. “I’m still not interested. Now that we’ve covered that, I have a huge catering order I need to get back to. I trust you can find your way out as easily as you found your way in.”
“Sharp witanddangerous curves. You’re destruction in a stunning package.” Kingston used the same flirty tone he had as Barney.
Why was a sliver of me still enjoying him? Still sending shivers of desire through me while my brain begged me to indulge a fantasy. “If I’d realized last night that you’re the kind of men who can’t takenofor an answer—”
“We have a new offer for you, and it’s a good one,” Owen said.
I clenched my jaw at being cut off. If I screamed, I’d look irrational and unreasonable, even though they were the ones who kept coming back after I turned them away. It was tempting to scream.
Kingston’s smirk didn’t improve my mood. “Not as good an offer as last night.”
And now he was mixing business with pleasure? Implying screwing him was better than... whatever this was?
Then again, this was irritating the hell out of me, so sex probably would be better.
Bad libido. Stop.
Owen sighed. “Don’t listen to him, he forgot to put his dick away. We’re here on business. Nothing else.”
“Something we agree on.” I gave them a thin smile. “This is absolutely nothing, because you’re leaving.”
“Five minutes.” Kingston’s tone and posture changed like a switch had been flipped. His playfulness disappeared behind an intimidating mask of seriousness.
This was why I hadn’t recognized their voices last night. Kingston was always the one to call me, to negotiate, and this voice was different than the flirty, carefree one he’d approached me with in the bookstore.
I could reinforce a third time that they needed to leave. But if I heard them out, and their offer sucked as much as I expected it to, I’d have blocked off more of their avenues for arguing. I hated knowing they could control the conversation this way, but I was going to close every loophole they could find, until they heard me. “Five minutes. I won’t start a timer, but make it fast, and make it good.”
I shouldn’t have phrased it that way.We always take our time, and it’salwaysgood. I swore I could hear Kingston’s voice in my head.
His lips twitched, and I pursed my lips, daring him to take the accidental innuendo outlet.
Owen elbowed him, and his serious mask was back in place.
“May we do this in your office?” Owen asked.
No, because my body was still reacting to them. It didn’t matter that it shouldn’t be. We’d stay in a public place, where it was easier to remind myself that everything about them right now was pissing me off.
Even admit the memories of how nice last night was. How they’d looked at me. How sincere and complimentary they were... “Out here is fine. Did you know who I was yesterday?”
