“No, of course not. I just took you for—you know what? Never mind. Why are you in my car?” I give him a little shove toward the passenger door, but the man doesn’t budge. “Get out.”
“We’re going to come back to the shoe thing later. But first, the guy in there”—he hooks a thumb toward the coffee shop—“told me you’re the town Uber.”
I’m going to kill Colin. He might be one of my oldest friends and my third grade ex-boyfriend, and give me a free coffee every morning, but he knows damn well that five to six pm is my designated reading time. And because there’s hardly ever anyone who actually needs an Uber in this podunk town before midnight, I end up going home at six and finishing said book until the first call comes through. So basically, Colin just ruined my night.
Damn him.
“I’m off the clock.” I reach across him to push open the door but stop short at the smell of his woodsy cologne.
Don’t do it, Jules. Don’t you dare do it.
My eyes close, and my traitorous nose breathes him in. The smell of a man can be wildly erotic. Some women like a nice butt or great arms—and don’t get me wrong, I’m an equal opportunity girl and the physical attraction has to be there—but nothing compares to the way a man smells.
“Are you sniffing me?”
I shoot up in my seat and shake my head. “No, that would be creepy.”
Sexy Suit lifts a brow.
“Okay, fine.” I cave. “I was sniffing you. But in my defense, you smell you really good. It’s hard not to sniff.”
The man once again flashes his pearly white teeth. He really needs to stop doing that. Doesn’t he know what kind of effect he could have on a woman when he does that? Particularly this woman.
With a shrug, he leans toward me, presses his nose to the crook of my neck, and draws in a deep breath. My brain screams at me to push him away. He could be a serial killer, for all I know, but my body doesn’t move. Instead, I find myself tipping my head to give him more room, and when he pulls back, I look up. His face is mere inches from mine.
Dark brown eyes sear into me. “You smell intoxicating.”
“Oh yeah?” I breathe, refusing—and failing—to fall for his fancy charm.
Our gaze holds. His eyes drop to my mouth, and my tongue darts out, wetting my lips. His eyes darken, and for a split second I think he might actually kiss me.
And I’ll let him—stranger status be damned—because sometimes you just know when a guy will be a good kisser, and there isn’t a doubt in my mind that this guy’s lips could rock my world.
A light tap on my driver’s side window startles us both, and we yank apart. I take a second to collect myself before turning my head. Colin is standing outside with a knowing smile. He waits for me to roll the window down, and because I’m still mad at him, I shake my head.
“Come on, Jules. Don’t be stubborn.”
“Jules,” the stranger echoes, as though he’s trying my name on for size. “Is that short for something?”
“Juliette. But most of my friends call me Jules.”
“I like Juliette better.”
“Of course you do.” Choosing to deal with the lesser of two evils, I roll the window down and frown at Colin. “What do you want?”
Colin’s smile grows. “I see you’ve met Mason.”
Mason. I like that name. It’s strong and suits him much better than, well, his tailored suit.
“If the guy who highjacked my car is Mason, then yes, I did.”
“I didn’t highjack your car,” Mason says with a touch of amusement.
Not literally, but the second he climbed into my vehicle, he highjacked every one of my senses, so that’s basically the same thing. But I refuse to admit that. The guy has enough ammunition in his arsenal. The last thing he needs is to know I’m wildly attracted to him.
“It would seem that Juliette and I are having our first fight,” Mason tells Colin.
“There will be many more to come with this one.” Colin grins and looks past me. “But don’t let her snarky tone deter you. She’s really quite sweet.” He looks at me, his smile faltering when I narrow my eyes. “When she’s not mad at me. Speaking of…” Colin lifts his hands, revealing two steaming cups of what I know will undoubtedly be my favorite drink: