Page 4 of Carnal Games

Ah… shit.

“Oh fuck, I’m so sorry,” says the wall apologetically.

I go ramrod still when I realize it’s a human I ran into, not a stupid wall. My cheeks flame even hotter as I listen to the smooth voice, knowing I made a clumsy fool of myself in front of a stranger. I bet a handsome one, at that.

Just my freaking luck.

Chapter Two

Iris

I stare up and up at the actual human, who could easily pass for a tempting wall of muscles, and lock eyes with a set of gray ones. They watch me with concern, mistaking my silence for anger at almost knocking me to the ground.

“Are you all right?” the stranger, a couple years older than me, asks softly.

I have to keep my head craned to maintain eye contact.

The universe did me dirty by making me shorter than average at five-foot-one. The useless extra inch almost a taunt. No amount of drinking milk or exercising as a kid has helped me gain a few more inches. Maybe that’s why I’m obsessed with buying heels more than an average girl.

I don’t realize I’m too busy having a conversation in my own head until the stranger clears his throat, amusement filtering in his expression.

“I would seriously be worried, but I know I didn’t hit you on the head.”

His teasing reddens my cheeks further, and I skirt my gaze past his face as I finally answer. “I’m fine, thank you. I shouldn’t have been carrying too much stuff in the first place.”

I have the strongest urge to escape. Meeting or talking to strangers brings me the worst case of anxiety, something I struggle with a lot. I don’t know who or what brought it on, but as far as I can remember, it’s always been an innate part of me.

So, before the stranger can pull me in for some inevitable small talk, I lower to my knees to quickly grab the spilled items and be on my merry way.

He has other ideas because he joins me on the floor to help.

Jeez. Why couldn’t he be a rude and arrogant bad boy instead of being a chivalrous gentleman?

“I’m sorry for not watching where I was going,” he says.

I glance back at his face and study his features. He’s extremely handsome with a classically seductive face. A day-old stubble covers his square jaw, giving him a sexy, boyish look. His aura is approachable and bright. Without a doubt, I can say he breaks hearts left and right with his good-boy-next-door persona.

Yet he doesn’t hold a light to Mr. Severe.

“It’s okay,” I answer, and stretch my arm to grab the chocolate bar that slid off to the side. The movement spills my hair forward and hides my face. “I’m just as much to blame.”

“Let me please pay for all this as an apology for almost knocking you over.”

“No, that’s absolutely unnecessary.” I lurch to my feet, holding half my haul while he holds the rest, his biceps underneath the black short-sleeved T-shirt flexing nicely. “It’s not like you ran me over with your car or anything. If that were the case, I might take you up on your offer.”

Did I also mention I tend to blabber when I’m nervous?

If he senses my awkwardness, he doesn’t show it and continues to disarm me with a friendly smile. “Then I’d say you’d be letting me off the hook pretty easy.”

“Confrontation isn’t my thing.”

“When it’s standing up for yourself, it should be,” he advises before grinning. “So, God forbid, if someone ever does run you over, go after his ass.”

I can’t help but chuckle. My earlier nervousness vanishing with each passing second. My heart is still beating a little fast, though. Yet for some reason, he’s easy to talk to because I find myself teasing back, “Do you go around imparting wisdom to random people?”

“Only if they’re as cute as you.”

I straight-up blush. It’s an involuntary reaction because he’s the first boy to confidently compliment me. The boys in my high school were clumsy idiots with nonexistent flirting skills.

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