Page 5 of Craved By You
My response echoed out quickly, “I don’t have a boyfriend.” Though I was sure I wouldn’t have to twist Haileigh’s arm too hard to get her to go with me.
His coy smile left me wondering what exactly he was going to make me do for these tickets. I had said I would doanything. He cleared his throat. “So, you’ll take them?”
I stuttered. “I-I don’t know.” I was still embarrassed from my initial assumption that he was asking me on a date. “How much?” Hesitation began to take over, knowing that there wasno way I would be able to afford one, let alone two, backstage passes.
He didn’t even take the time to think about it. “No charge.”
I had a hard time believing what he was saying. “So… What’s the catch?” I braced myself for his response.
“No catch.” His voice fluctuated and I could tell that now he was starting to realize just how crazy he sounded. “Look, I have two passes that are going to go to waste. You have no passes and want to go. Consider it a testimony to our new client and stylist relationship.”
Even out of my chair, I couldn’t stop thinking about his hair. It was so soft, and I just wanted to spend the rest of the day running my fingers through it. No sooner had his appointment started, it was already over and I found myself wishing that I hadn’t been so quick to finish him up and get him out of my chair.
I escorted him to the front desk and I watched as he grasped his wallet with a massive hand. I couldn’t help but think about how perfect it would be wrapped around my throat.
What is wrong with me? I just met the guy.
He handed me the passes and I examined them with hesitation that all of this was too good to be true.
I playfully smiled at him, trying to hide my excitement. “Well, at least they look real.”
“Good, I hope you have an amazing time, and I can’t wait to hear about it in-” he paused and waited for Haileigh to tell him how many weeks before his next appointment.
Haileigh caught her cue and her fingers went rampant over the keyboard. “It’s going to be about three weeks, does Thursday the twenty-forth work for you?”
“It’s perfect,” he said, his eyes never straying from mine.
Her voice seemed to go an octave higher. “Same time?”
“That works for me.” Colt handed her his credit card and then proceeded to hold out a one-hundred-dollar bill and a note in my direction. My heart skipped a beat, secretly wishing it was one of those ‘Do you like me? Check yes or no’ type of notes overlooking the fact that we were both adults.
“I can’t.” I stared down at the bill in my hand with wide eyes. “The passes and this tip? It’s way too much.”
“See you later,sunshine.”This time he emphasised the word and it echoed in my mind. I liked my new nickname. Colt turned and walked out of the salon before I could finish what I had to say. “Have a good day, Hailstorm.” I heard him finish saying as the door closed behind him.
Haileigh rushed at me from behind the desk. “Oh my God!”
I held my hand up and stopped Haileigh in her tracks. “Hold that thought,” I told her as I rushed out the entrance doors in an attempt to catch up to him.
Chapter 4
Colt
Ihad a feeling she was going to come after me.
I tucked myself in the entrance of one of the shops down the way and watched as Astrid frustratedly looked up and down the sidewalk. She was probably questioning her sanity over how I had disappeared so fast. I reached into my pocket and pulled out her phone, pleased with the fact that she had given me just enough time to switch our devices when she went to the back to get her supplies.
This afternoon Chris would be able to help me unlock it and install the tracking software that our friend Ryder had developed. Afterwards, I would casually call or text my own phone and act out of pure embarrassment over mistakenly grabbing the wrong one, suggesting that we meet up before the concert so we could trade back. She’d definitely want to be able to take pictures tonight.
Cute. I glanced down at her bondage bunny screensaver. I definitely wouldn’t mind tying her up if she was into that sort of thing.
I slipped her phone back into my pocket, glanced up to see that she had given up on her manhunt and gone back inside. I desperately wanted to go ahead and initiate contact, but I held myself back.
Not now, Colt. You need to do this right.A little self-pep-talk always did the trick.
I stepped back into the hustle and bustle of the crowd and began to walk briskly down the sidewalk back to where I had parked my car.
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