“I think you know what I mean,” I scoffed.
“I need a new book. Mine are all worn.” He provided a crooked, confident smile that sent my heart racing and my knees weak.
Stop it, stop it, I demanded of myself. I had to stand my ground. Just because we shared a moment at the Halloween party, didn’t mean he wasn’t bad news. “You were at the bar,” I growled.
He stared into my eyes with his crystallizing gaze.
I could feel the words slipping from my thoughts. I had to concentrate hard to pull my attention back to the conversation, even though I really wanted to do naughty things to him. I wanted him to rush to me and pull me up into his arms as he kissed me passionately. I took a couple of deep breaths to pull me back from that alluring fantasy. I managed to let the rest of my original thought roll off my tongue before I lost the words again. I modified my eyes from a gushy girl in love to a scowl that would spit fire, if that were possible. “I saw you just as Myra jerked me from the bar. You were at the clothing shop. I didn't see you, but I heard your voice. Now you happen to be at the same store and aisle as me.”
He bore into my eyes as if he was releasing his full powers upon me. “Okay? I didn’t realize there was a rule against visiting my place of work before a leisure trip to a bookstore.” He raised one eyebrow, his smirk deepening in amusement. My knees were buckling from overwhelming lust.
I spat, “Yeah, I’m sure you were really looking for a book about…” I realized I didn’t even know what section we were in. I grabbed a book off the shelf to use as a prop. “Stranded on a secluded island with a cowboy servant ready to make all your fantasies come true.” My voice ended in a whisper. “Great, romance,” I said under my breath. I rolled my eyes. How embarrassing. I hated romance. I didn’t know how I ended up here.
“Sci-fi actually is across from your genre of choice.” Demien pointed at the neighboring shelves. His eyes tightened as he snickered.
I threw my hand in the air, cutting him off mid-sentence. “Don’t bother.”
I could tell he was struggling to hold laughter in. I started to walk away when I felt his hand on my shoulder. My body shuttered with delight to his touch. My heartbeat quickened in hopes that he would claim me at that very moment.
“Are you always this aloof?” he purred in my ear, making my toes warm and my hormones jump even higher. His eyes were full of desire and longing. My knees began to give way. I used what strength I had left to shake his hand off my shoulder.
“To you,” I hesitated for a moment to gather strength. “Yes. I don’t like you.” I managed to stumble away, tripping over the edge of a bookshelf. “Damn it,” I muttered in frustration.
“Yes, you do,” I could almost hear him smirk, with that stupid smile plastered on his face.
I didn’t have to look at him to see that too familiar expression on his face. I know him too well, I repeated the absurd thoughts to myself during my storm off. I grumbled all the way to the coffee shop. Without warning, a realization hit me like a brick. I stopped, shocked at my thoughts. “I know him too well. Where did that come from? I don’t know him. This guy really makes me crazy. There is something about him that is not... I can’t quite think of the right word. Human?” I angrily murmured to myself as I entered the threshold of the café. The award-winning grumbles continued as I obsessed over our interaction. I knew the patrons were staring at the crazy girl talking to herself, but I couldn’t have cared less at that moment. Our interaction played over and over in my head. Other than pissing me off and confusing me, I had a strong feeling that I was overlooking something extremely obvious and important. I couldn’t shake the feeling.
I snapped out of my daze to realize I was standing in the middle of the coffee shop with eyes glued to me. That is, everyone’s eyes except Myra. I made a full circle in search of her several times, but I couldn’t find her. I spun circles as I tried to spot her, stuck in the same spot. She wasn’t there. She said she’d be in the coffee shop.
“Vessi,” I heard her voice from afar. I turned around to see her jogging over from the registers. “Ready?”
“Yeah, let’s get out of here.” I angrily pulled her outside.
“What’s your problem?” She jerked her arm from my hand. I hadn’t realized the strength to my grip.
“I bumped into Demien. Ugh! He pisses me off.” My tone was filled with hurt and anger. I couldn’t explain why I was so emotional. Our interaction wasn’t all that dramatic. I couldn’t deny the tension, but there hadn’t been enough drama to warrant my overreaction.
“What did he do?” Her features glowed with concern. She appeared a little frightening to me for the first time in our lives. I had never seen this side to her.
“Nothing,” I yelled.
“Well, did he say something,” she asked, frustrated.
“No! Just the look of him makes my skin crawl.” That was all true, but he made my skin crawl in an intensely fantastic way. I wanted him never to go away and never to take that feeling away from me.
We got into the car and headed to Myra’s house.
“I just don’t understand your hatred for Demien. He’s never done anything to you.”
