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Her golden locks tumbled around her face like they had a mind of their own, and her eyes? Well, let's just say they were like two cups of coffee—one look, and you were wide awake and ready for action.
She was the hottest thing I'd ever seen. Every inch of her a gravitational pull I couldn't resist, even if I tried.
Not that I was trying to resist. I wasn’t an idiot.
My attraction to her was like a freight train, powerful and unrelenting, and my dick was so hard I was afraid my pants were going to rip.
It felt like I could breathe for the first time since I’d seen that billboard and realized it was her. Like I’d been holding my breath since she’d disappeared on me as a kid.
And now I was free to exhale.
I’d been driving along a Dallas road, the city's skyline stretched out before me, a sprawling maze of buildings and lights that seemed to go on forever. As I approached an intersection, my gaze wandered to the billboards lining the roadside. Advertising for everything from fast food to luxury cars flashed by, each one vying for the attention of passing motorists.
But then, one particular billboard seized my attention, causing me to slam on the brakes in disbelief.
There she was, larger than life, an embodiment of over a decade of wishing and longing. A massive leopard was draped around her, its fierce eyes locked onto something beyond the camera's lens–it was some kind of perfume ad.
I’d immediately known it was her, Layla, the girl I’d lost. The only girl I’d ever loved.
A million memories came rushing back…ones I’d long buried and tried to forget.
I shook my head as I relived the moment I’d found Blake. Kidnapping her and taking her with me to some remote island didn’t seem like a bad idea at the moment.
Because now that I’d found her…Now that I could breathe…You could fucking bet I would never let her go again.
“What’s your name, sunshine?” I asked, instead of grabbing her and dragging her away.
I deserved a mother fucking medal for that,by the way.
She frowned, as if she hated the nickname. I’d have to workshop that. But it was hard to think of anything else when I looked at her. Like she was the sunshine finally here after so much fucking rain.
Look at me, waxing poetic. I’d have to remind Lincoln how smart and artistic I was next time we talked.
“My name isBlakeand I’ll be your server today,” she said in a professional but very unsteady tone. I grinned to myself becauseSunshinewas definitely as affected by me as I was by her.
I’d also just found my new favorite thing…listening to her talk.
Her voice had obviously changed from when she was a little girl…but there was still that same unique allure that had dragged me in from the beginning. That had the boy in me recognizing I’d found magic…even back then.
She bit down on her delicious bottom lip before going into the daily specials. None of which I was interested in since she hadn’t said tacos or steak, but I nodded along anyway. I could listen to her say…anything actually.
“Sir?” she said, and I realized I’d been staring at her…awestruck.
"Is there a special where I get to have lunch with you?" I quipped.
Because I really was that much of a fucking idiot, apparently.
I watched as her features grew cold, a clear rejection that left no room for misunderstanding. "I'm not for sale," she shot back, turning around in a clear dismissal.
With a rueful smile, I stared as she walked away. The view from behind was just as captivating as it had been from the front.
That was okay. I could do the whole redemption arc. I needed to concentrate on my plan without making her hate me on our first encounter though. I was usually more charming than this.
After seeing her on that billboard in Dallas, I’d immediately gone to good old Google, hunting down the ad campaign to make sure I hadn’t gone crazy from years of wishful thinking. As soon as I’d had any resources to my name out of college, I’d searched to see where Layla had disappeared to. And I hadn’t found a single hint. It was as if she’d never existed.
Or died.
Over the years, that thought had creeped around in my head, as much as I hoped she was out there somewhere, living a far better life than the one she’d had at the group home.
