Page 9 of Good Vibes Only
“Hope so,” he said with a slowly spreading smile. The handsome little wrinkles that crinkled the corners of his eyes made me want to melt. “Are you really the owner here?”
I could hear it in his voice—he was surprised. I bet when he asked to speak with the owner, he thought I’d be someone older.
“I am,” I said with a touch of pride.
“Wow, that’s great. I wasn’t expecting someone so …” He trailed off, his feral eyes darting down my body. “So beautiful, really.”
Aw!
“Well!” I laughed, surprised. “Thank you!”
Now,normally,when men hit on me in my store, I get seriously icked out.
But this time was different. I don’t know why, exactly.Yeah, he was hot. But more than that, he clearly didn’t let his height bother him. He was confident, which was the sexiest trait of all.
“So … what can I do for you?” I asked, totally wrapped around his finger.
And please don’t hold back,I told him with my bedroom eyes.
He flashed a captivating and stark white smile, and stuck out a hand for me to shake. “My name’s Brett.”
“McKayla,” I said, giving him my hand.
Okay. Maybe it was too soon to be feeling butterflies in my stomach as his big, warm hand took hold of mine. But you know what? I was just shocked I could even feel butterflies at all. Because I couldn’t even remember the last time I wasthisattracted to some guy I’d just met. It’d been years,years,since I’d felt this sort of instant attraction. Since freshman year of college, to be exact, when I met my ex for the very first time at a party.
To be honest? Until thisverymoment, I thought this crazily magnetic attraction was a thing of the past. I thought it was something you simply lost when your heart had been broken too many times, and you simply knew better than to go falling in love with someone who was nothing more than, let’s face it, a pretty face.
And I have to say, I was so cynical that I didn’t evenmindif it was gone forever; in fact, I considered it a badge of pride that a square jaw paired with a stacked chest could no longer make my knees wobbly. It meant I wasn’t some dumb, immature girl. I was a woman now, wise and powerful on my own. I wasimmuneto the games men played; they couldn’t hurt me without first proving themselves.
Because ever since a certain point in my life, every interaction I’ve had with guys was colored by the underlying knowledge that they are after one thing and one thing only—and they are above absolutelynothingin their quest to attain it.
At least, that’s what I thought until I met Brett. A nervous thrill permeated every second I had my eyes on him.
And I hate to say it, but all that cynicism washed away in a flash. I dare say it even made mehappy. Like some part of my heart opened and said,finally! Thank you, McKayla! I’ve been waiting to feel this again!
“Nice to meet you, McKayla. I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other,” he said coyly.
I giggled. “Why’s that?” Still under his spell, I twirled a lock of hair on my finger. I hoped this was the part of our story where he declared his intention to sweep me off my feet.
Instead, he gestured with the other hand at the shared wall, over by the cash registers, where all the noise and my frustrations came from.
“Because I own the place going in next door,” he said.
It took a beat or two for it to sink in. Once I’d actually processed what he’d said, my attraction to him went up in a puff of smoke. And Iloathed the fact that I’d let myself momentarily get excited over some guy I barely knew.
Told you not to get excited,some smug part of me told my foolish heart.
A choppy and flustered laugh escaped me. “Oooh,really? You’re the business owner?”
“Yeah. Look at us. Two young business owners,” he said, grinning.
“Well, Brett, I’ve gotta say. It’s nice tofinallymeet you.”
His brow arched. “Yeah?”
“I’ve been trying to find out who our new neighbors are for two weeks now. Ever since your crew started working on the place.”
“Ah. Yeah. Me, I just found out we’re neighbors last night.”
