Page 8 of Believing in You

He was a tech guru. He was supposed to look geeky, bookish, and intelligent. Not sexy and sophisticated.

And another thought pinged in her mind. He was the opposite of her. Probably in every way possible, and she needed to squash whatever fascination this was between them. Besides being opposites, anyone could look at them and know Harrison waswayout of her league.

“It’s a small world,” Jamie said, reminding Nyla that he was still standing there.

He set a beer bottle in front of Harrison just as he sat at the bar. “I’m glad you guys have already met. Now you can get to know each other better.”

Harrison didn’t respond as he sipped his beer. Maybe he was thinking what she was thinking—them together was a bad idea. Not just because they worked together, though, that would change in a few days. Even if it was clear there was an attraction between them, they’d never make it as a couple. Yes, he was intelligent, kindhearted, and he had a body that her hands andmouth yearned to explore. But he was also grumpy, standoffish, and he didn’t smile enough.

What she didn’t know was if he could kiss. Or if he wore boxers or briefs. Or what his favorite sexual position was, and yeah, at one time or another she’d wondered. She’d always been curious by nature, and Harrison ignited her curiosity to the ninth degree.

“Nyla?”

Her head jerked to Jamie who looked as if he’d called her name more than once. “Yeah?”

“Terry is trying to get your attention,” he said, nodding his head toward the stairs that led to the stage. Terry was a new hire who was currently helping with open mic night.

“Ah, I’d better go see what’s up.”

Nyla started to walk away but stopped and placed her hand on Harrison’s forearm. He stared at her hand before meeting her eyes.

“Don’t leave before I get back,” she said, knowing what she was thinking was probably a bad idea. But it wouldn’t be her first one and probably not her last one.

Without waiting for a response, she strolled away, and a grin kicked up the corners of her lips. She wasn’t looking for anything serious, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t explore whatever was vibing between them.

She’d been sacrificing a lot lately. She needed a little fun in her life, and maybe Harrison could help her out with that. At least physically.

Chapter Five

Harrison tried, but he couldn’t stop himself from watching Nyla stroll away. Her sexy walk grabbed his attention every time. He wanted more than anything to pull her back, have her sit on his lap, and ravish her gorgeous mouth.

Which was insane.

He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had those types of thoughts about a woman, but Nyla was different. From day one, Harrison had been drawn to her. So much so it kind of freaked him out. They didn’t know each other well, but at work, he was so comfortable around her that it felt as if they’d known each other forever.

Nyla had that effect on him. The more time he spent in her presence, the more time he wanted to be near her. She was slowly pulling him from behind the protective wall that he’d erected around himself.

“Those are two of her sisters,” Jamie said of the women who’d just walked up to Nyla and hugged her. He wasn’t close enough to see if there was a family resemblance, but it was nice to see they at least got along.

Harrison once had a relationship like that with his family, but one fateful night changed that and everything else in his life. He’d been shattered by betrayal. He didn’t communicate with most of his relatives, but he at least talked to his sister on occasion.

“I’m glad you came in tonight,” Jamie said. “I need to leave before closing, but I don’t want to abandon Nyla to close alone. Can you stick around and lock up with her?”

Harrison narrowed his eyes at his long-time friend. They’d grown up together but lost touch after graduating from college. He had run into Jamie a few years ago at a time when he needed a friend.

“I know what you’re trying to do, and it’s not going to work,” Harrison said. “Matchmaking doesn’t suit you, and you already know I’m damaged goods. Nyla deserves a man who can be everything she needs. Someone who can be emotionally present. I can’t be that man.”

He wished he could be that for Nyla because the woman stirred a longing in him that he hadn’t felt in ages, if ever. Yes, he wanted to feel again. He wanted to start living again, and that included dating.

But…

“It’s clear you’re both interested in the other,” Jamie said.

“That may be, but nothing could ever come of us.” The words felt bitter on Harrison’s tongue, but they were true.

“Even if she has expressed a serious interest in you?”

Harrison released a long sigh. It was nice to know he wasn’t alone in his feelings. How many times had he dreamed about what it would be like to hold her in his arms and kiss her tempting lips? Which was why he’d been paralyzed earlier when she’d landed in his arms. He’d wanted to devour her mouth.

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