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It was smooshed between me and the stranger. The distinct scent of hot tea mixed with coffee told me I wasn’t the only one who’d been holding a hot drink, and I jumped back as my empty cup clattered to the ground.
“Oh, my God,” I breathed, looking down at my coat. The front of it was covered with a mix of tea and coffee—the only saving grace was the fact it was navy and you couldn’t see it if you didn’t already know.
“I am so sorry,” the guy I’d collided with said. “Oh, fuck, are you all right?”
“No, no, it’s fine. I’m sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going. Are you okay?” I looked up from my coat at the guy and I swear to God, if my life were a romcom movie, this would be the part in the movie where our eyes would meet, the camera would go into slo-mo, and there would be a ten-second interlude of dreamy, romantic music while we stared at each other.
Sadly, there was no overlay of dreamy music, and I probably resembled a shocked porcupine more than I did a dreamy heroine who’d just encountered her future husband.
Becauseholy shit.
Of all the guys in this place I could run into, it was someone who looked like he belonged on billboards in Times Square and not a dreary, wet pavement in Oxleigh, Cambridge.
Great.
Just great.
CHAPTER THREE – GRACE
Haskivsyvousdyk
“Oh, I’m all right. The coat is waterproof.”
At least I think that was what he said. I was more than a little distracted by his face. He was strikingly handsome, with dark hair and even darker brown eyes that were flecked with golden hazel. He didn’t have much on me in terms of height, maybe two inches at most, but that didn’t mean I didn’t have to crane my neck back to meet his eyes.
Or, you know.
Run my gaze over every inch of his face.
Like that very nice short beard that was hiding what had to be a kickass jaw.
Guys as hot as him had jaws that could slice through ice. That was just a fact.
“Are you all right?” he asked again, drawing his brows into a frown.
I blinked rapidly and pulled myself out of my dreamy thoughts. “Yes, sorry, I just… I’m fine,” I answered. “I’m so sorry, I wasn’t paying any attention to where I was going.”
“Neither was I.” His lips gently curved on one side. “Can I replace your… coffee, is it?”
I looked at the crumpled takeaway cup on the floor and pressed my lips together. “Nah, it’s fine. It’s not great coffee anyway.”
“It’s the least I can do for walking into you.”
“Hardly. I walked into you just as much,” I replied, bringing my gaze back up to meet his. “Really, it’s okay.”
“Absolutely not. Plus, we can get some paper towels to try to clean off your coat.” His smile widened and he held his hand out in the direction of the coffee shop. “Please. I insist.”
I hesitated, but I could hear my late paternal grandmother’s voice in my head telling me not to be rude.
Honestly.
The woman had been dead for six years and shestillhaunted me.
No wonder I had issues with my father’s side of my family.
“Well?” The guy’s eyes twinkled like he knew I was going to give in no matter how long I stood here faffing about.
“Okay,” I said after a second, returning his smile. “Thank you. That’s very kind of you.”
