I’m being completely honest, extremely distracting. By the width of his shoulders and the build of his upper body, I can tell he’s fit—extremely fit.
Even with all these amazing qualities, I can’t tear my eyes away from something else. His eyes. At the surface, they don’t seem that special, just a deep blue that matches his dark looks. It’s a common blue that would be easy to overlook. His brows are the prominent feature and what people most likely notice. Thick and arched, they darken his expression with heat, but his eyes remain icy, chilling me to the bone.
My legs clamp together as I ogle him, trying to find my voice or another smart remark. Instead, I turn on my heels, ready to leave, but his voice stops me.
“Have dinner with me.”
An electric shock bursts through my spinal column and vibrates in my fingers and toes. Slowly, I glance over my shoulder, and he points at the empty side of the table. “No company. Might as well humor me.”
I open my mouth to say something but snap it shut. I mean, seriously, what the hell do I say to that? I should leave. I need to leave. Go and never come back because this man is so out of my league, it’s not even funny, but for some reason, I don’t. I suck in a lungful of air, pivot, and stride back toward the table, trying like hell not to wobble in these six-inch heels.
Seemingly out of thin air, someone dressed in a hotel uniform brings a chair for me and helps me sit, all the while tall—even sitting down, this man would tower over my small frame the moment he stands—dark, and handsome watches my every move. I had no idea hotel employees were waiting in the wings and shadows of this restaurant watching my strange yet arousing encounter with this man.
Slowly, I lower myself into the seat, feeling my nerves rise. The decadent, savory smell of his food hits me first, and my stomach rumbles. My mind immediately drifts to Vera and Kat, who are probably waiting for me to arrive at Nobu. I don’t want to be that friend, the one who ditches her girlfriends because she meets a man, but Jesus Christ, when will I ever get the chance to enjoy a meal with a man as gorgeous, intimidating, and intriguing as the one sitting across from me again? The likelihood is never.
“I’d like to make it known I’m only sitting because I’m hungry.” And not because you’re the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen.
I keep that last tidbit to myself.
The handsome stranger lets out a dark, husky chuckle that hits me in places a laugh never should. It’s so foreign yet titillating.
His face splits into a mind-blowing grin that has my lady bits clenching. I take in the boyish gleam in his iridescent blue eyes and his masculine features and cock my head to the side. There’s something so familiar about him, but I can’t put my finger on it.
“Noted,” he remarks in a deep, raspy voice that travels through my body in waves. The way he speaks, his timbre is so incredibly sexy, and it has me forgetting why I came here in the first place. “I didn’t catch your name.”
The heat brewing in his eyes has my chest rising and falling erratically as it tries to accommodate my heavy breathing.
“I didn’t give it,” I say in a breathy voice, getting lost in his turbulent gaze. He smirks as though he knows his effect on me, then rests his forearms on the tablecloth and slowly leans toward me. My eyes widen, and my lungs squeeze painfully, restricting air, just waiting for him to make his next move. His head dips low, his lips grazing my ear. His masculine scent wafts around me.
“It’s a pleasure, no name.”
I smile and try to ignore the buzz of butterflies in my stomach and the thrill shooting up and down my spine. “It’s Mackenzie.”
He pulls away just enough to look into my eyes.
“Mackenzie,” he repeats my name as if he’s testing out the sound of it on his tongue. And fuck me if hearing my name come from his lips doesn’t do strange things to my body. “Tell me about yourself. What brings you to the resort?”
“Well, I … Wait, I didn’t even get your name. Seems a little unfair, don’t you think?”
He seems slightly surprised and taken aback by the question. Did he think I could read minds