Page 33 of Rescuing Mia
“That’s the worst.”
“Alright, last one, I promise.” I grin, undeterred. “Do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk by again?”
“That’s it. I’m officially impressed. I didn’t think pickup lines could get worse, but you’ve managed to prove me wrong.” She rolls her eyes, but I can see the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
“Wait, are you telling me it’s not working?”
Observing what she doesn’t say and the questions she avoids, I lean against the railing beside her, our shoulders almost touching.
“Not even close.” She looks at me, her eyes sparkling with amusement and something else, something deeper.
“Ouch, you really do know how to wound a guy’s ego.” I clutch my chest in mock pain again.
“Something tells me your ego can handle it.” She laughs, which is music to my ears.
“Okay, okay, I yield. I know when I’m beaten.” I hold up my hands in surrender.
Electricity crackles in the space between us, the spark of attraction that’s been simmering since the moment I first laid eyes on her.
“I have to say,” I break the silence, my voice low and intimate, “I’ve never met anyone quite like you before.”
“Didn’t you already use that one?”
“Did I?”
“Let me guess, I’m ‘not like other girls,’ right?” She raises an eyebrow, a smirk playing on her lips, but I catch on to what she’s not saying.
“Just saying that, technically, you threw yourself into my arms.”
There’s a sudden stiffness in her demeanor and a new tremor in her words, a hint of something simmering beneath the surface. Her calm exterior is nothing more than an act. I hit a nerve, and it’s clear in the way her hands grip the railing tightly and the tension that radiates from her slender frame.
“Forgive me for saying this, but you seem a bit—on edge. Is there anything I can do to help?” I keep my tone light and casual but sincere.
She studies me for a long moment, her gaze assessing and calculating, weighing the risks and benefits of trusting a stranger.
“I appreciate the offer,” she says finally, a small, tight smile gracing her lips. “But I assure you, I’m perfectly capable of handling myself.”
Her words hold a challenge, a defiance that only serves to intrigue me further. She’s not like the other women I’ve met, the ones who are quick to fall into my arms with a batting of eyelashes and a coy smile. No, this woman is different, a puzzle waiting to be solved.
“I have no doubt,” I reply, holding her gaze with mine. “But sometimes, even the strongest among us need a little help from time to time. There’s no shame in that.”
She flinches, a subtle tensing of her jaw, but she recovers quickly, her composure slipping back into place.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she says, her tone polite but dismissive. “Now, if you’ll excuse me…”
She moves to step around me, but I can’t let her go, not yet. Too much is left unsaid, too many questions swirling in my mind.
“Look, I didn’t mean to come on too strong. It’s just—there’s something about you, something that draws me in. I haven’t stopped thinking about you since you fell into my arms. I can’t quite put my finger on it.”
I shake my head and dive right in, testing the waters. “By the end of the night, I hope to have earned the privilege of your company and continue discovering what lies beneath this intriguing exchange.”
“You don’t give up, do you?” She blushes, a pretty pink spreads across her cheeks.
“Not when it comes to something I want.” My heart skips a beat at the sight of her flushed face. “And right now, what I want more than anything is to get to know you better.”
“I’m not really looking for…” She bites her lip, her eyes searching mine. “You really should focus on the bimbos instead of me. From the daggers they’re aiming at me, I have a feeling they’ll give you everything you need.”
There’s hesitation and uncertainty in her words, but there’s something else: a flicker of longing and desire.