scruff of beard stood out on his cheeks and over his
throat. Dark stubble. He looked tired and disheveled, but
his hands were clean and his teeth white. The leather bag
slouching by his feet wasn't cheap, nor was the watch
tangled in the dark hair on his wrist. I noticed things like
that.
He yawned, jaw crackingly, and roled his neck on his
shoulders. He looked out at the sunshine, across the street
to the river. He looked around with a grin that stopped me
in my tracks and held a finger to his lips. 'Don't tel on me,
huh?'
I laughed. 'Your secret is safe with me. But it's a good
thing you're quitting. Smoking is bad for you.'
He hung his head before peering up at me through the
fringe of his dark, shaggy hair. 'I know. It's terrible. I
started in colege and just could never kick it.'
'But you are now, right?' I stared down into the butt
holder.
Eric chuckled. 'Yeah. I'm trying, anyway. Hey, nice
officialy meeting you, Paige. Maybe I'l catch you later in
officialy meeting you, Paige. Maybe I'l catch you later in
the gym.'
Was that a promise? 'Oh, sure. I try to make it in a few
times a week. After work.'
He yawned again, adding a loud, drawn-out sigh. 'Yeah,
me too, but I'm just coming off a twelve-hour shift. I'm
beat. I might see you, though. We'l work on some reps or
something.'
'Okay, sure.' I managed to sound casual even as the
thought of another round of Eric helping me work out sent
my heart skipping in my chest.
He looked at the sand, the butts, then puled a pack of
cigarettes from his pocket and held it up. 'One left. I
should just toss it, right?'
'You should.' But I could tel he wasn't going to.
I watched him tug the cigarette from the pack with his lips,
crumple the package and toss it. He cupped the match he
lit to shield it from the breeze and held it to the end. He
drew on it. He took the cigarette from his mouth and
licked the end, and I watched him with helpless
licked the end, and I watched him with helpless
fascination.
He looked up at me and stopped for a few long seconds
before he smiled. 'I know. Realy bad habit. This is my last
one, see? Then I'm done. Kicking it cold turkey.'
I wasn't staring to get on his case but because watching his
mouth work had been so damn sexy, and I was already
feeling weak in the knees. 'No. I mean, yes, it is. But it's
not my business.'
Eric drew in a long, slow breath and let out the smoke.
