of pretending I don’t know about them, and honestly, I’m shocked I didn’t see their betrayal sooner. They’re horrible at hiding it.
“Okay, well…” He rubs the back of his head and looks at his feet. “If I drink too much, I’ll probably crash at Tony’s house.”
All those times he drank too much and crashed at Tony’s because his place was closer to their favorite dive bar. Translation: He’s staying with Courtney.
“Cool. ‘Night.” I try to give him a polite smile, but my acting skills are shit as of late.
I stuff my uniform into my purse and brace myself for the walk to the station. The temps have dropped, and my cheap leggings are no match for the wind. I pop up my hood and push out the door. The first bite of the cold air whips against my legs, and I figure if I walk fast, I’ll work up enough body heat to keep my teeth from chattering.
I keep my head down, my arms crossed over me, and make a left on the sidewalk. The sound of a car door opening beside me calls my attention to a sleek, black SUV. I have a brief thought about how the heater inside is probably epic and hurry my pace.
“Jordan.”
I slow and turn toward the deep voice that said my name.
A man in a dark gray button-up shirt, collar open, and black slacks stands at the door of the car. His head tilts as he takes me in the same way I do him. He’s tall, with broad shoulders, hair cropped short, and a clean-shaven face with just the hint of shadow on his cheeks. I squint and step closer. Hazel eyes pierce mine.
“Grizzly.” I take three steps and crash against him. My arms wrap around his waist, and my cheek presses to his chest. He smells like aged wood and rich spices, and the heat coming off of him makes me shiver.
One muscled arm comes around my back, a hesitant response to my greeting.
Feeling a little stupid, I release him and take a step back. “What are you doing here?” He looks like a different person. No longer the rugged, unkempt mountain man, he’s now the poster boy for a New York millionaire.
He puts his hands in his pockets, and I wonder if he does it to keep his hands warm or to resist the urge to touch me. Sadly, I’m afraid it’s the first. “Watching you.”
“Watching me why?”
He glares at the glass windows of the restaurant, and I realize if he’d been parked here in this spot, he’d have the perfect view of my section.
“You watched me work all night?”
“Yes.” He dips his chin to meet my eyes. “I’ve come the last couple nights, but you weren’t here.”
“How’d you know where I work?”
His brows pinch together. “You told me.”
“I didn’t realize you were actually listening.”
“I was always listening.”
My cheeks warm, and something happens to my face that I haven’t felt since… well, since I came off that mountain. I smile.
He cups my jaw and runs the pad of his thumb over my lips as if he’s just as happy about my smile as I am.
The touch reminds me of our last night on the mountain, the way he played my body so easily. Played with my heart, too. I turn away and out of his touch. “What do you want from me?”
He seems confused by the question.
“We had sex, Alexander. Amazing sex. And the second your brother showed up, you acted like you hardly knew me.”
He clears his throat, and he studies the sidewalk with a pained expression. “I’ve never been good with women.”
“Um… that’s a lie. I was there. I know exactly how good you are with—”
“Not the physical part.” He finally meets my eyes and reveals his vulnerability. “The emotional part. I told you I tend to hurt people just by being myself.”
I sigh because he’s right. He did warn me he wasn’t great with people, and he showed me as much. “So, what? Is this your apology?”
He reaches for my hand and presses the inside of my wrist to his warm lips. “I’m sorry.” He runs his lips back and forth and then brushes his nose against the skin, breathing me in.
My head floods with images of us naked and tangled together. Such a cruel trick to play on my heart. I pull my hand away and tuck it to my side. “Apology accepted.”
His expression is warm, and he looks like he wants to say something when