6
Roscoe
Waiting for Stewart was killing me. After a few minutes of nothing, I turned around. “Sweetheart?”
He stared, all teasing gone.
“What’s wrong?“
I stepped closer.
He stepped back. “You have a tattoo.”
Not what I had expected. “You don’t like tattoos?”
“It’s not that.“
He looked down at his hands, still filled with lotion.
I told my body to get over it and handed him the towel from my chair. He wiped his hands. “It’s a bit unusual.”
I didn’t owe him an explanation. Hell, I barely knew the guy. But we’d made a connection, right? My hand reached for my shoulder, and I dropped it. “My best friend and I played Mario Kart growing up.”
His brow furrowed. “You were Princess Peach?”
“No. Peach was Jack’s favorite. I was always Donkey Kong.”
He gave a startled laugh. “That tracks, honestly.“
But then he frowned as he worked out the things I hadn’t said. The reason I didn’t tell anyone that story. He searched my face. “Did he…?” Then he glanced away. “What happened?”
“Jack passed away years ago.“
There was more, so much more.
Stewart was no longer looking at me as if I were a monster, but I could feel his walls going up. After a moment, he made an excuse and left.
It was better this way. I needed to focus on the job. Not on how blue Stewart’s eyes were or how he’d responded to my touch.
Or how much I liked him taking charge.
I spent the next day getting yelled at by Lisben and ignored by Stewart. I didn’t bother looking for Carter. I could easily follow his movements through Candy’s Instagram.
My contact, Da_ch0zen_1—stupid fucking name—was obviously a no-show.
After dinner, Candy posted about going for drinks at the martini bar. I knew earning Carter’s trust wouldn’t be easy, but this meeting had been his idea.
So why did I have to rely on his wife’s IG account for information?
I’d been restless all day. Ready to get this done, which would make both of my bosses happy. I could handle my supervisor at EliteHire, but I really needed Lisben to get off my ass.
The martini bar was already crowded. Representative Carter and his wife were again surrounded. As I waited at the bar to order, I scanned the area and spotted Stewart talking to someone. The guy was facing away, but something about him was familiar. The way he stood? Or maybe the way he dragged his hand through his short hair? If only he’d turn around—
“What can I get you, handsome?”
I turned my attention to the bartender. He was cute. Just my type. And before yesterday, I might have gotten his number.
But not today. Today, I was obsessed with a cute but sassy Brit who was now avoiding me. I ordered a caramel-apple martini and left a generous tip.
Stewart and the guy were gone. Did he see me and leave? I stepped around a woman dressed in a red sequin gown and stopped short.
Stewart. He smiled. “Hey there.”
“Hey.”
“I was hoping to see you.“
It was like the odd moment yesterday never happened. Except his smile was a little too bright. His energy too forced. I wanted to call him out on it, but I didn’t want to risk scaring him away.
“You’re in luck.“
I took a sip of my drink. “Here I am.”
He stepped closer and touched my arm. “Sorry about yesterday. Can I make it up to you?”
My body was instantly on board. My mind…still had questions. “You ran out on me.”
I expected defensiveness. Instead, his smile was flirty. “Some things are worth waiting for.“
Then he winked.
Warning bells blared. Something was up. But I didn’t know how to handle this side of Stewart. I let him lead me into a small sitting area. It was deserted for now, but that would change. Stewart placed his hands on my chest and pushed. Not hard, but enough that I got the message. I fell back on a love seat, and Stewart climbed onto my lap.
Holy hell. My arms went around his waist. His arms snaked around my neck. “Now, about that apology…”
And then, for the second time in as many days, Stewart kissed me.