AllFreeNovel
Share Us
And that accidental touch is enough to frazzle me even more.
It’s been way too long if an innocent graze of fingers against my butt cheek is enough to have my core tightening.
I force myself to snap out of my trance and squat down next to him.
“I got it,” I say, but I don’t even reach for the bag. Because I’m too busy staring at his tattooed fingers.
Tattooed. Fingers.
I almost mewl. But thank god I don’t. That’s a level of mortification I don’t think I could recover from.
I love tattoos. There’s something about them that’s just so… hot. So brave.
I’ve always wanted them, but I’ve been too chicken to get one. Afraid the pain will be too much and I’ll cry the whole way through. Or worse, bail after two minutes and end up with half a design.
But this man…
I press my lips together as I watch him pick up my broken chocolate chip cookie and wrap the pieces in the tiny brown paper bag it came in. And I really just can’t stop staring.
His whole hand is tattooed. Fingers, the back of the hand, all of it. And when he reaches for the napkin I also dropped, the bright white cuff of his sleeve pulls back, exposing an expensive watch and more tattoos.
I sway.
“Steady, Shorty.” The hand not holding the cookie grips my elbow.
His fingers against my bare skin are somehow grounding, but the use of a second endearment throws me right off balance again.
I didn’t miss the way he called me Angel before. I just couldn’t process it.
No one has ever called me anything other than Val. No one even uses my full name anymore.
“You okay?” The man’s voice is softer now. Less amusement, more concern.
And it’s all too damn much.
Crouched next to each other, we’re closer to the same height. But even like this, he’s taller than me. Wider than me. Bigger than me. And I need to flee. If I spend another moment in his presence, I’m going to melt into a goopy puddle of hormones on the floor. And nobody wants to witness that.
“Th-thank you.” I try to reach for my bag, but he beats me to it. Using the same hand that’s holding the cookie, he hooks the bag with just one finger and easily lifts it.
“You’re welcome.” His gaze flicks to my exposed knees, and I yank at my skirt, pulling it down to cover the extra skin.
He clears his throat. It shouldn’t be sexy, but it is.
I’m tempted to yank my skirt back up, but then the man starts to stand. And his grip on my elbow brings me up with him.
“How much time until your flight?”
“Um, I think I have thirty minutes or so before boarding.”
He dips his chin. “Perfect. Me, too.”
“Perfect?” I ask, but he’s already moving me along with him, his hand on the small of my back again.
“I owe you a cookie and a backpack. Thirty minutes should be just enough time.” His voice is so deep and rumbly it nearly distracts me from his words.
“Backpack?” I’m just repeating words as I let him guide me down the main hallway of the airport.
I’m used to being around tall men. My half brother, King, is practically a giant, and he’s probably only an inch taller than this man. But even with his much longer legs, this man is walking at my pace.
