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Everything about him screamed power and danger. His pupils widened, extinguishing the hazel in his irises. My body shuddered in response as fear trickled down my spine. Fear of what? It wasn’t like he could hurt me in a crowded airport. But something about this stranger set all my senses on high alert. Suddenly, the lights turned bright, and his woodsy scent engulfed me completely.
Run.
My whole being screamed at me to move, to get out, but I couldn’t. I was in a nightmare where my head could sense the threat, but my limbs couldn’t react. Even now, my nails dug into his suit jacket.
“Well, are you?”
“What?”
“Are you lost?” he asked this time, furrowing his dark brows as if my mere existence was an annoyance, an inconvenience in his otherwise perfect life.
I was the gum stuck to the bottom of his shoe.
“No. Why would you think that?”
“No reason.” He relaxed his stance, then slowly peeled my fingers from his lapel.
I winced at the sweaty spot my hand left on his crisp white button-down shirt. When he bent down, a shock of energy, raw and feral, ran down my spine and straight to my core. “Ahh.” I blushed because even with the whooshing sound my pulse made in my ears, I could hear my voice, raspy and needy. What the hell was wrong with me?
“Are you always this jumpy?” With a smirk on his face, he made a big show of collecting my purse off the ground and the wallet and phone that had fallen out of it. “You dropped your purse.” He pressed it to my chest.
“Thanks,” I mumbled, keeping my wide eyes on him. I had this odd sensation that if I looked away, he’d pounce on me.
He glanced up, and his gaze zeroed in on something behind me. With a quick nod, he adjusted his suit coat and sauntered away from me. The second he exited the door that led to the parking lot, the room filled with air, and I could move again—as if some invisible and heavy paw had released me.
“Luce.”
A hand touched my shoulder, and I screamed, turning around so fast I bumped heads with Kay.
“Owww.” Kay rubbed her temple.
“I’m so sorry. That guy just put me on edge.” I stepped closer to her, away from the glass doors even though he was long gone.
“What guy?”
“The billionaire who kept us waiting for almost an hour.”
“Oh, man, I can’t believe I missed it.” She craned her neck toward the exit. “Well, our car is here, and the luggage has been loaded. You ready to go?”
“Yes, I want to be done with this day already.” I motioned for her to lead the way.
As soon as we climbed in the back seat, the driver informed us the ride to Mr. Walsh’s penthouse would take about forty-five minutes. I leaned against the window and settled in for the long drive. Even this close to midnight, traffic was still in full swing near the tunnel and got worse as we entered the city. I was so tired, though, I didn’t stop to consider what awaited me in my new home. Instead, my brain kept going back to the stranger at the airport. His dark, luscious hair that framed his chiseled jaw and straight nose perfectly were seared in my mind’s eye—and his commanding voice. I could still feel its timbre on my skin.
Only a few minutes in, and I already had a pretty consistent movie of him playing in my head. His deep, steely eyes, hazel looking, but mostly gray. But the thing that stuck with me was the recognition I saw there. Did he know me? No, of course he didn’t. I’d never seen him in my life. Either way, he had definitely decided he hated me. Something about me annoyed him. Maybe that was a billionaire thing. All rich and powerful people didn’t like dealing with commoners like me.
Shaking my head, I made myself focus on the buildings sweeping by us. I was in New York City to meet my future husband. That right there should be occupying all my thoughts.
“How much longer?” I met the driver’s gaze in the rearview mirror.
“We’re here.” He pointed at the high-rise in front of us.
My heart rate spiked as the SUV went round and round the garage ramps; with every turn, it climbed one more floor, one more floor to where Liam Walsh lived. By the time we stopped in front of the elevator bay, I was nauseous and regretting every one of the decisions that got me here. Ichosethis. I repeated the mantra a few times, then climbed out as soon as two bodyguards came to meet us. They helped me onto the curb, then pushed Kay back into the vehicle.
“Luce,” Kay called after me.
“She’s with me. She’s my bodyguard.”
“We were not told you were bringing your own security,” the older bodyguard grumbled. “Take it up with the boss. You want the lobby floor.”
