Chapter 1 #2
Devi should leave. This wasn’t a conversation for her ears. Unfortunately, she was also super nosy. So she found herself standing there, listening.
So he really was a bodyguard?
“That’s not the way this works,” he said. “I have to stay with you.”
“Please tell me you’re not coming into the treatment room while I get a Brazilian. I think that’s taking things too far.”
Devi let out a small squeak. She couldn’t help it. Just the idea of him watching Sondra get her vagina waxed . . . well, she felt both amused and jealous.
Jealous? Really?
That was ridiculous.
Both of them turned and looked at her. She gazed around frantically as though searching for something to save her. Finally, she saw some dirty dishes on another table and rushed over to grab them.
But she failed to see the leg of a chair sticking out and her foot hooked around it. She slammed to the floor on her hands and knees.
Ouch.
Tears filled her eyes.
More due to shock and embarrassment than actual pain.
“Devi, what are you doing? Get the hell up!” Aaron snapped at her from across the café.
Kind and caring as always.
“Devi,” a deep voice said from above her. “Are you injured?”
She closed her eyes.
That didn’t happen. She was dreaming. That was all. Well, it was a nightmare now.
“Devi?”
She felt him move. And then his hand went under her chin.
No, no, no.
Now he was going to see that she had tears in her eyes. And she really wasn’t ready to face anyone.
Or accept that this wasn’t some sort of nightmare.
“Open your eyes. Where does it hurt?” he demanded.
She blinked rapidly, hoping to keep back her tears. “I’m fine. Not hurt. Just, you know, embarrassed.”
“Don’t be.”
That’s all he was going to say? Don’t be?
Sheesh. Well, she’d get straight onto not being embarrassed.
He suddenly stood and then to her shock, he grasped her under the arms and set her on her feet.
“Um, thanks,” she said as she wobbled slightly due to the shock of him lifting her like she weighed nothing more than a rag doll.
That was impressive.
At five-foot-eight, Devi wasn’t exactly small. Although Mr. Tragic Eyes had to be well over six foot. Standing this close to him, she felt really small. Something she very rarely felt.
He grunted.
She glanced up to find him running his gaze over her. Her body heated in response, even though she knew he wasn’t staring at her with want or desire.
Nope, he was probably looking at her wondering how she was so clumsy.
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath.
“Devi, are you all right?”
Opening her eyes, she gave Sondra a shocked look. “You got my name right!”
That probably wasn’t what she should have said, but it was the first thing to come out of her mouth.
Sondra blinked. “Well, yes. Are you okay? Are you sure you didn’t hurt yourself?”
Devi focused on Sondra so she didn’t have to look at the guy still standing way too close to her.
God, he smelled good.
It would have put a real damper on her fantasies if he’d stunk. But he smelled of a mix of cinnamon, chocolate, and something really masculine that she couldn’t put her finger on.
Do not sniff him.
Do not.
Lord, it was hard to resist, though.
“No, I’m just embarrassed. I can’t believe I did that.” Her cheeks were still red and she wanted to scurry away and hide.
What were the odds that they’d all forget about her stumble by this time tomorrow when they returned for their coffee fix?
Maybe you need to quit, move towns, take on a new identity.
Yep. That was the only way she was going to get past this.
“Don’t be.” Sondra waved her hand in the air. “We’ve all done something embarrassing in public that made us want to hide in a cave for weeks. At least yours wasn’t caught on video. Social media can be brutal and ending up as a meme is my worst nightmare.”
That was an interesting nightmare.
Her worst nightmare was her brother getting shanked. Or waking up to find her dad had overdosed in the night. Although sometimes she had the terrible thought that that might be a relief.
But that wasn’t something she’d ever tell anyone.
“Mine is being kidnapped, held in a dark, damp basement where I have to fight giant rats for scraps of food, and having to pee in a bucket while knowing I am going to die at any moment,” she said.
Sondra blinked. “That is terrifying. Why would you think that would happen?”
“I read a lot.” The library was free and it was a way for her to escape. But she should probably stop reading so many murder mysteries and horror stories.
Yep, she might stick to romance for a while. Although her reaction to Mr. Tragic Eyes told her that perhaps romance wasn’t a good idea, either.
Maybe she’d take up reading autobiographies. Or cookbooks.
“Um, right,” Sondra said, giving her a wary look. “We better go, Hayes.”
Hayes?
That was his name? Was that his first or last name?
Hayes grunted. Then, to her shock, his finger once more landed under her chin. He tilted her head back. “Sure you’re not hurt?”
Her hands and knees were thumping in pain, but she forced a smile onto her face. “Yep! I’m all good.”
The expression on his face was difficult to read. It could have been disbelief. It might have been annoyance.
Or boredom.
He nodded and turned, following behind Sondra. She paused at the door to let him go through first.
“Devi!”
Devi jumped at Aaron’s voice. She turned to find him glaring at her. “Get back to fucking work.”
With a grimace, she gave everyone else in the cafe an apologetic look. Aaron didn’t care who heard him swearing or yelling.
Luckily, there were no children in here this morning. One day, he’d actually made one cry.
“I’m coming. Bathroom break.”
She knew he’d probably be spitting mad at her the rest of the day for this, but she just needed a moment to calm down and catch her breath.
Washing her shaking hands, she stared into the mirror. There were dried tears on her red cheeks.
Crap.
She scooped up some water, splashing it onto her face.
Taking a deep breath in, she let it out slowly.
She had this. She was good.
Nothing was going to get her down.