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ChapterOne
Nerdslike me don’t get bad boys like him.
When I first met James a year and a half ago, I exemplified the word nerd. Cosplay, gaming, anime, you name it, I did it. And I loved it. So I never thought a guy like him would ever look twice at a girl like me.
We first met during one of my final exams. A classmate of mine showed up with her mafia boss boyfriend and four bodyguards, including James. It was terrifying at first, they all had huge guns strapped to them and they stood watching over the class like angry sentinels.
I only relaxed when James stood up for me. Hunter Graham had been cheating off me the whole semester but I never had the nerve to call him out. James noticed him leaning to peek over my shoulder and actually slapped him across the back of the head before forcing him to move. It was a really kind gesture and I worked up the nerve to shoot him a grateful smile.
I hadn’t thought about the interaction since that day, not until he showed up on campus looking for me. I thought about avoiding him, I didn’t see it as a good thing that a guy in the mafia was waiting for me but…
Hovering by the door, I sucked in a breath. He stopped Hunter from cheating on my test, I should at least thank him properly. It’ll count as my ‘do one thing outside of your comfort zone’ goal for the week. Bracing myself for the intense cold, Chicago winters are no joke, I stepped outside and walked up to him.
Walking up to him was one thing. Speaking to him was a whole other battle entirely. He’s gorgeous and it only made me feel more awkward and frumpy standing next to him. He had a serious face, his lips pressed into a thin line. But his hazel eyes seemed warm and kind. His dark brown hair was short, close cropped and faded on the sides, almost like a military haircut. He had a square jaw, clean-shaven, and a light flush to his cheeks like he had been waiting out here a while. I only knew he was here because someone in the student center walked up to me and told me he was looking for me. I had no idea who they were talking about at first.
Standing next to him, I had to tip my chin up to look him in the face. He was at least a foot taller than me. Granted, I’m already short at 5’2” but still. The dude towered over me. He was brawny and broad shouldered and maybe coming out to talk to him wasn’t a good idea. He was downright terrifying.
We both stood there awkwardly, saying nothing at first. My eyes dropped to the ground in front of me. His hands were stuffed into his pockets. The winter wind whipped through me, making me shiver. It didn’t matter how many layers or how puffy my winter coat was, the wind still went right through me.
“Are you cold?”
I glanced up at him. “Aren’t you?”
He shrugged. Well, that conversation lasted a whole five seconds. The awkwardness was palpable now. I’m really not any good talking to new people. Especially not super hot muscle men who looked like every nerd fantasy come true. I swear if he let his hair grow long, he’d look like a viking.
“Do you want to get some coffee?”
Of all the things I thought he might say to me, asking me out was not one of them. I felt my mouth fall open as I stared up at him.
“Me?” I squeaked.
He raised his eyebrows and looked around. “There’s no one else here.”
Okay, point taken, but I was still stunned. Why would he want to ask me out?
He must have sensed my trepidation because he rubbed the back of his neck, frowning. “You can say no, you know. I’m not going to hurt you.”
I blinked several times. “I didn’t think that. I’m just surprised.”
His frown only deepened. “Why?”
Blood rushed to my cheeks. Seriously? Was it not obvious?
“I, uh, just didn’t see it coming, I guess.” Smooth. I wanted to hide behind my hands at this point. The last time a guy asked me out was with a note passed through class. That was in high school and he was just as awkward as I was, so it was easier. When he raised his eyebrows at me expectantly, I cringed inwardly. I still haven’t answered him.
“Um… yeah, coffee sounds nice.”
He nodded. And we both stood there awkwardly again. This was going great.
* * *
Eventually,he turned and walked away, letting me trail after him. He fell into step beside me at one point. We headed to the parking lot in front of the main office building. Pretty sure only faculty and staff were supposed to park here but oh well. The parking lot was mostly empty anyway, most faculty already headed home for winter break. His car stood out, the shiny black SUV a stark contrast to the snow drifts and dirty salt covered cars around it. How did he keep his car so clean during the winter? He opened the passenger door for me, which made me blush. That was really gentlemanly. When he climbed into the driver's seat, he immediately turned on the heat in the car, for which I was grateful. Today was brutal, the wind chill well below zero.
It was only after we made it to a nearby cafe that I realized I got into a car with a complete stranger, one that I was totally aware had ties to the mafia. Everyone and their mother knew the name O’Connor. You’d have to live under a rock not to. His boss was the head of the Irish mafia and known for being the most dangerous man in the city. And that was saying something considering this is Chicago. But James didn’t seem dangerous. He was courteous, holding the door open for me as I slid out of the tall SUV. And he didn’t laugh when I had to basically climb into the damn thing in the first place. Being short sucks.
He ordered us both drinks while I found an empty table by the window. It was crowded, people wanting to get their caffeine fix. It wasn’t that early, I am a night owl by nature so I don’t wake up before nine unless I absolutely have to, but it was cold so I wasn’t overly surprised with the crowds.
He dropped into the seat next to me, handing me my cup. There was cream and sugar on the table so I opened it, adding a large helping of both.
