pte

at creeping up my neck. My mind, unfortunately, was filled with far too many naughty thoughts-my brain was swirling with images

as if searching for the next distraction. She was half-drunk, but her words still made me

ith a mischievous grin that made me want to both punch her and kiss her. She always knew how t

e two push me into making a complete fool of myself? He was terrifying in ways that were hard to describe. At the office, he was all sharp edges and cold eye

ough to make my hands clammy and my heart race. This wasn't just an ordinary conversation I

ere and show him a little Mercy," she teased, the play on my name r

me something so ridiculous. I was practically destined for moments like this, w

excited college girl. "Ya get it, Mer, mereccyy!!" She giggled and did a little shimmy in her seat, putting a finger over her li

he looks like he wants to be alone." I gestured in his direction, hoping they'd see that I was making sense. The man hadn't moved in ages. Hi

I tried to convince myself to turn away. Was he just being brooding and moody, or was he really as

him, hoping to make my case. He hadn't moved since I'd first laid eyes on him, and the o

ished drink, not even asking for permission, and poured the remaining

g the empty glass back down in front of me. She didn't even

iously live through me," I grumbled, pushing myself out of the booth. The thought of me walking up to C.J. Cole, this

rying to shake the image of my ridiculous self out of my mind. If I couldn't even get a

ard the bar, each step heavier than the last. It was almost like I was walking to my d

bout 'emptying' my drink. The last thing I needed was to get tangled in the mess that was C.J. Cole

chment, like nothing in this world could even come close to reaching him. The lack of any other souls aro

sses. Please,

rt was pounding in my chest, and my palms were clammy, but I had to do

was it. This was the moment I would either make a fool of myself or break through the steel wall he'd built around

hing-to break the silence. But the words that

untrained dog begging for a treat. I winced as soon as the name left my

ing, something inside me froze. His gaze was sharp, assessin

wondered if maybe-just may