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Chapter 1
“Willow, I am not buying the blood splatter shower curtain,” I mutter, walking through Target, my cart filled with pillows, blankets, and junk food.
“Why not?” my best friend and roommate asks, as if not getting it is out of the question.
“Because I don’t want our bathroom to look like a serial killer lives there?”
Her laugh filters through my phone as I take a few bags of chips and throw them into my cart. Willow and I have been best friends since middle school, living together since college, and yet I'm still surprised at her design choices. If it weren’t for me, our place would look like a frat house on steroids.
“You’re no fun,” she mutters. “Just know that I'm not unpacking any of your boxes for you now. You're on your own.”
I shake my head, chuckling to myself. We just moved to Toronto from our small town since I got a job offer I couldn’t refuse. Willow and I both went to school for publishing, and when I got a recruitment email from one of the biggest publishing companies in the city, I knew I had to take the chance. Masters Publishing is the fastest growing publisher in the industry and so turning down that opportunity was out of the question.
“What would I do without you?” I tease, picking up a very plain, very subtle shower curtain and heading back toward the front of the store.
“You almost done?”
“Yup, I’ll be home soon,” I say as I hang up, looking down as I place my phone back in my purse. My eyes are still focused on my purse when I run into a solid wall of man. “Shit, I’m so sorry!” I gasp as he turns and from the hardened look in his eyes, I wonder if that look is something he gives everyone or if it's just reserved for me.
“You need to watch where you’re going.” He sneers as his dark eyes track up and down my body, and even though I’m wearing jean shorts and an old band T-shirt, that look sends an overwhelming sense of dread through me.
I know I look good in this outfit; I work out, I spend time getting ready every day, but I do that for me, not for a man like him to take his time drinking in every detail like he has the right. His three-piece suit looks out of place in a store like this. His styled hair and shiny dress shoes tell me more than I need to know, and yet it doesn’t help the helpless feeling that settles underneath my skin.
“Again, I'm so sorry.” I pivot my cart, trying to get past him when his fingers grasp the edge of the plastic, stopping me in place.
“I didn’t say I accepted your apology.” His voice lowers as those dark eyes bore into mine and my heart starts to beat out of control.
Never in my life have I felt like a flightless bird, but right now? Right now, I know that I won’t get out of this unless he lets me. My mom always told me to take those self-defense classes, especially when she knew I was moving to the city, but I never had the time, and I’m regretting that right now.
“What else do you want me to say? I didn’t mean to bump into you, it was an accident.”
His tongue juts out, licking his lips as his eyes lower to mine. Then a sinister smile appears, and I know I need to leave now before this goes any further.
“I can think of another way for you to apologize with that pretty mouth of yours…”
The suggestion isn’t lost on me and my stomach sinks to the tile floor. This is not how my first day in a new city was supposed to go. I was supposed to get a shower curtain and some junk food so Willow and I could binge Netflix and fall asleep on the couch. Just as I open my mouth to say something I know won’t make any difference to the man standing before me, arms snake around my waist from behind as lips lightly brush my cheek.
“Sweetheart, I told you to wait for me,” he says loudly enough for the man in front of me to hear and I take a moment to take in the voice that is gravelly, low, and oh so sexy. “Go with it.” His whisper is low enough for just me to hear and my body relaxes. He’s trying to get me away from the creep in front of me. So, I do what he says, I go along. I wrap my fingers around his arms that are still wrapped tightly around my middle, lean back against his hard chest and smile as his scruff lightly brushes against my neck one more time.
“Sorry baby, I wanted to get more snacks.”
His chuckle rumbles through his chest, sending shivers of a different kind through my body.
“Of course you did…” he teases as his head lifts, making eye contact with the dickhead in front of me. “Can I help you?” The sweet voice from earlier is gone, and the hardness of his tone can't be missed. The guy stands tall, straightens his tie as he eyes me one more time.
“Tell your girl to watch where the fuck she’s going next time.” And with that, he walks away, and I breathe a sigh of relief. It’s not until my mystery man releases his hold on me that I realize my fingers are still gripping his arms.
“Thank you so much,” I start. I turn to see the man that saved me and suddenly stop dead in my tracks, because this man is probably the most gorgeous human being I have ever seen. Shaggy light blond hair that looks like it needs a trim, dark blue eyes that are hidden behind dark-rimmed glasses, and a smile that could bring any woman to her knees.
Even me.
“It’s not a problem.” That voice sends heat straight to my core, and I wonder what would have happened if I bumped into him first instead.
“I think you just saved my life,” I mutter as his lips tilt into a smile.
“Well, I’m glad I could help a beautiful woman like yourself.” His eyes are shining with delight. “I’m Luke,” he says as he places his hand out for me to take. When I place mine in his, the jolt of warmth catches my breath.
“Charly. I’m Charly.”
