Chapter 10
Connor
There’s a hard set to his jaw and a line between his brows.
His arms are crossed tightly over his chest, and there’s something sullen about the way his top lip rests on the bottom.
His gaze is piercing. Pissed off. His eyes are as blue as they are arresting.
Captivating and a little concerning. At least, it would be concerning if not for the intense vulnerability written all over him.
There’s something so forlorn in his expression that the light that should be shining from him is dampened.
Tiny cracks, clearly visible in a stony facade.
Deep gouges in a surface that should be solid.
He’s sad, I realize. And he’s angry about it.
He’s complicated and confusing.
It’s strange. I often get a read on people when I meet them, but not like this. I usually don’t see or feel this much at once.
As he stands on my threshold, his scowl deepens, and despite everything, despite the rage and the sorrow, despite the slant of his chin and the way he’s looking at me, one thing stands out above everything else. He is, without doubt, the most beautiful man I’ve ever laid eyes on.
If this were before, and I was still in my life’s all about me era, I’d be flustered by him.
But it isn’t. And I’m not.
I look him dead in the eyes and smile. His shoulders tense visibly, as though I’ve shocked him somehow. He freezes for a split second, and though the scowl remains firmly in place, I notice tiny striations lighting up.
His eyes soften, and soften again.
He looks at me like someone who needs a lifeline.
I know the feeling better than most, so I throw him one.
“Lennon, right?” Two seconds tick by, then he nods. “I’m Connor.”
“Connor.” His voice is wispy and uncertain. Hesitant and hoarse. He says my name like a question more than a statement of fact. “It’s…nice to meet you.”
I hold my hand out, and he takes it. I expect his handshake to be firm. Unforgiving. A brazen attempt to send a message. I’m right about all that, but what I’m not expecting, what I’m not ready for, what shocks the unholy shit out of me, is what happens when we touch.
My joints lock.
My fingers clamp tightly around his.
A flash of heat rushes up my arm and fucks with my heart.