Page 17 (2/2)

I hung up and scrolled through es My heart skipped when I saw estion for lunch to, since it was a polite way to say:

Sorry, Pumpkin, can’t tomorrow Next week?

At least he used a colon and parenthesis after the rejection to soften the blow Text jargon or not, it was a smile from my father, so I’d take it

Running a few fingers through my brunette curls, I tried to s up One hour Tords that were growing a little daunting I pulled out my phone one more time and texted my dad back

I know it’s a little late, but can I co out for an hour until Harper can pick me up? I’m kind of stranded in the city

And send My dad only lived a h his asn’talone in a busy bar Maybe not better, but the lesser of two evils My phone dinged and excitement raced That was quick!

I smiled and read:

Sorry, Puht

My smile faded, and I putdown atI’d felt a thousand ti up, while I waited around for my dad to swoop in and save the day:

Invisible

When the couple buain, apparently I wasn’t the only one they annoyed A guy standing next to the on, a fist was thrown, and the two ainst asped in fear and put my arms over my face like an “X”

My nerves went into overdrive fro to e htingthem toward the exit

They’re gone, I toldThe water had hit ht on, and covered my stomach and lap I didht I should have stayed home, like usual

Two rad school in Golden and not have to come back to the city for any reason, other thanatso well at that I had been bumped up to thirty hours a week, now that sued rad school, he’d hire ive me the chance to build toward the dream he’d hammered into me since I was a kid Fa business he’d started back when I was a kid, but when he married Anita, she and her money put my dad in the black I may be the dirty, poor step-child, but I was still his, and whether Anita liked it or not, I was determined to be a person he’d be proud of

People were already over the fight and back to enjoying themselves At least their eyes weren’t oncold

“Excuse me?” A deep, raspy voice said I looked up to find a tall, chiseleddown at ht?”

“I, ah…” I looked down at the front of ain It was no use The thin fabric was clinging tome very uncomfortable

“Here,” he said, shrugging out of his jacket and placing it on my shoulders It smelled of spice and leather I tried to work a breath out, but it was no use Between the sudden heat of his jacket enveloping ht of his obviously broad chest and hard torso, I found it difficult to make my mouth move

I didn’t know if it was the rush of the fight I’d witnessed followed by the cold water, but whatever it was,with goose bumps

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked, his onyx gaze roa over my entire body

When he began to roll up the sleeves of his wh

ite button-up shirt, I watched transfixed His forearms flexed a little as he ers worked thetan skin as he went,up his sleeves could be sexy

Trailing e of his face With a five o’clock shadow that matched his black hair, he looked exotic Powerful What must it be like to be a man like him? A person with so much confidence it radiated in every tiny movement What would someone have to do to obtain that kind of essence?