Chapter 4
FOUR
WARREN
I blink rapidly, waiting for my vision to clear. Through the white spots, a gangly teenager stands in the doorway, flashlight aimed at our faces. The music and screams have stopped.
“Hey, kid. Do you mind?” I grunt. “You’re burning my fucking retinas.”
“Oh, sorry.” His arm drops, and he flips a switch on the other side of the wall. A light bulb above our heads flickers to life. “You two caused a manhunt out here. How’d you get locked in?”
“That’d be my fault,” a feminine voice says beside me.
It’s then I get my first glimpse of my cellmate.
Though Harriet was obviously lying about her appearance, nothing could’ve prepared me for the big reveal.
Like her sweet-toned laugh, she’s beautiful.
Sparkling, cobalt-blue orbs pin me in place.
Wavy, long blonde hair, golden like wheat in the summer, falls over shoulders, stopping below her breasts.
Even in the dim lighting, the freckles along her nose and cheeks are unmissable, and I’m drawn to the one above her plump upper lip.
She’s definitely not sixty—late twenties, perhaps.
There’s a hint of shyness in her as she carries out her own inspection. The drag of her gaze burns, making me shift on my feet like I’m standing on hot coals.
The question regarding her smile is answered.
Sweet and sultry. Her mouth flattens, pulling up at the corners. Sparkling was the wrong word. Her eyes are fire, a blue ring of flames dancing around her pupils that would gleam gloriously in the golden hour sun.
“Wow. Your boils cleared quick.” A smirk joins her flushed cheeks.
“And you have a full set of teeth. Dentures?”
She nods. “Thanks for noticing.”
A throat clears, and we both turn to see the ride attendant standing there awkwardly, his existence completely forgotten while we took each other in.
“How long were you in here?” he asks with a little attitude. “Did you not read the sign on the door saying Staff Only?”
“Hard to see in the pitch black. Do you know it’s a health and safety hazard to install one-way locks?” I volley as I cross my arms over my chest. “If there was a fire, we’d be trapped.”
He blanches. “Umm—”
“What if we got hurt or were claustrophobic? Maybe think about installing security cameras. Don’t think I can’t smell the weed either. Is this why it took you so long to find us?”
The kid’s chin drops, and Harriet bristles at my curt tone. Shit. If I hadn’t already slaughtered her first impression of me, this is certainly the killing blow.
“I’ll pass the feedback on to my manager, sir,” he mutters.
Sir? Christ. Now I not only feel like an asshole, but fucking ancient.
I glance at the woman beside me, who stares at the teenager like a kicked puppy, placing a hand on his shoulder.
“Hey, we’re all good. No claustrophobia. I’m the one to blame.” She cuts me a scathing look.
He perks up a little. “Thanks, ma’am.”
Her nose wrinkles. “Don’t sweat it.”
“The ride is closed now anyway. Your friends are waiting out front.” Obviously besotted with her, he smiles and drags his feet into the corridor.
Neither of us moves.
Well done, Warren. The first woman to give you the time of day in years, and you show her your true colors not once, but twice.
She stares ahead, posture rigid.
Gripping the back of my neck, I step forward. The movement grabs her attention, and before I can utter a word, she’s hightailing it out of the room.
Shit.
“Hey,” I shout, jogging to keep up with her. “Harriet, wait.”
She ignores me and darts behind a corner. I take a sharp left and stop short at the concerned voices. Peeking around the wall, I find her surrounded.
“Where the heck were you?” a redhead asks, brows furrowed.
“Are you okay?” another woman says, voice comforting and warm. “We thought someone kidnapped you.”
“Always for the theatrics, this one,” the third woman tuts, her purple hair bouncing as she shakes her head. “Maybe our girl found a handsome stranger to canoodle with in the shadows.”
“I’m fine. Quit your squawking, mother hens. I got locked in a supply closet, and there was zero canoodling.” Harriet sighs and smooths out her skirt—which is when I notice her outfit.
Really notice it.
The ties around her waist accentuate her hourglass figure, and the black skirt floats in the wind, stopping midthigh.
It’s hardly revealing, but the glimpse of smooth skin has my jaw grinding.
I lower my gaze, which was the wrong move.
The black, leather, knee-high boots will have me calling my dentist on Monday morning.
A molar might’ve cracked. Images of those long legs wrapped around my waist, sans dress and in only the boots, flood my brain.
I’m so lost in the sordid daydream, I don’t notice four pairs of eyes aimed my way.
“Can we help you?” the intimidating one asks.
My gaze cuts to Harriet. “I, uh, wanted to make sure she got out safely and found her friends.” I’m not one to get embarrassed, but under the scrutinizing gaze of these four women, heat claws at my skin. “We were stuck in there together.”
Three heads turn to Harriet, waiting for her to confirm my story. I wait with bated breath, bizarrely intrigued by her opinion of me.
“Wow, Harry, I was kidding about the handsome stranger part. Way to go.” The woman with purple hair knocks her with an elbow. “Unless he was a creep. Blink once if I need to knee him in the nuts.”
My balls recoil.
Some deluded part of me still hopes she’ll take me up on the offer of a drink. I’ve got to be at least ten years older, and she likely has a boyfriend—or husband. With her hands linked, there’s no confirming her relationship status.
I’m not looking to fill the position. My proposition is casual, but there was a spark between us, the most I’ve felt with anyone in a long time. The realization that being locked in a supply closet with a complete stranger is what it takes to restore some life into me is depressing.
Harriet has some compassion and places a reassuring hand on her friend’s arm. No ring. “Down, girl. He was…fine. Call off the cavalry.”
Convinced, they relax.
This is clearly her polite way of rejecting me—understandable, and my cue to leave.
Dipping my head, I skirt around their huddle, eyes on Harriet. “Well, I’ll leave you to it. Happy birthday. Thanks for the company.”
I double my pace once my back is turned and head toward the exit, not having the energy to go in search of the bachelor party. I’ll drop my brother a text once I’m at the motel.
Twilight paints the sky as the last of the afternoon bleeds into the evening. I weave my way in and out of the merry bodies. I’m not sure why I thought tonight of all nights was a good idea to pursue anyone, especially her.
She made the right decision. I’m not ready, and even if she gave me a chance, I’d go fuck it up a third time by putting my foot in my mouth.
I let a family cross the path first when someone tugs on my wrist. Turning, I find a pair of blue eyes staring at me.
“You’re rude,” Harriet announces.
I’m stunned by her sudden appearance, and all I can do is brace for her accurate observations of me. Nothing I haven’t heard before.
“Also blunt and a bit of a jerk.” She tilts her head. “But you’re also kinda sweet, in a moody, enigmatic way.”
I clear my throat. “Thank you?”
She holds her chin high, oozing confidence.
“You’re right—”
“Of course I am,” she interrupts. “Please, continue.”
“I’m sorry for how I acted.” Squinting, I look off into the distance.
Sweat slicks down my spine at this onslaught of vulnerability.
“I’m not good at, well, anything that involves being an active member of society.
I don’t get out much. The fact my brother abandoned me tells you what you need to know.
Fuck. I’m not trying to get your sympathy—” I pause my waffling.
She’s smiling. At me? “I don’t want your apologies. I am interested in that drink, however.” My eyes widen a fraction, but she raises a finger. “One rule.”
“I’m listening.” The tension in my body ebbs.
“This is pretty bold of me, so I’m going to blame the three cups of Gluhwein for this proposal.
” She sucks in a breath. “It starts as one drink and, who knows, maybe it turns into a second. Or more.” Her liquid courage eases off as she flushes a little.
“Basically, what I’m saying is I’d like to have a night with a man I’ll never see again to celebrate my birthday.
No strings. No commitments. You say you don’t get out much?
Me neither. Between work and a recent breakup, I deserve some fun. ”
I don’t question why a woman so full of life would want to pair herself with a miserable bastard like me, even if it is for one night.
My best friend, Marcus, is always telling me to get out more. Let off some steam. Maybe this is exactly what I need. A night of escape, to pretend I’m the Warren before fate cruelly morphed me into the man I am today.
I stride forward, forcing her to tilt her head back. “Deal.”
Her gaze drops momentarily to my open palm hovering between us.
She slides her soft hand into mine, jerking once. “Deal.”