“Hey,” he says quietly.
“Holden.” I breathe his name.
“Can I sit?” he asks.
This is unusual for him. He’s never asked for permission before, and it catches me off guard. “Sure,” I finally say. He slides into the booth and pushes a small bag and a bottle of water my way. “What’s this?”
“You’ve been at this for hours. You need to eat.”
“H-How do you know?”
“I’ve been here every day this week. I’ve sat over there.” He points at a booth at the other end of the café. I have to lean out of my booth to see it, which explains why I never saw him. I was so lost in my studying and worrying about him being here that I actually missed him.
“You’ve been following me?”
“No. Well, yes.” He pulls his hat off his head and runs his fingers through his hair. “I came Monday to see you. I’ve been coming here every day to see you, and when I saw how focused you were, I decided not to bother you.”
“So, what? You decided to sit and watch me instead?” My palms are sweaty.
He shrugs. “You looked like you were deep in it.” He taps his fingers against my closed laptop.
“Have you really been here every day while I’ve been here?” My heart flutters as I wait for his reply. It might sound creepy, but the thought of Holden Bailey just hanging out so he can see me, even though he didn’t talk to me, is kind of thrilling.
“Yeah.”
“Why?” I can’t figure him out. If it was just the chase, why would he sit and watch me study and not come and talk to me? Is he trying to get into my head? Make me think it’s more than that? He has to be.
“I’m not sure,” he replies. The tilt to his head and the tone of his voice tell me he really isn’t sure why he did it.
“And today? Why did you come to see me today?”
“Today, you seem less stressed, I guess. Almost as if a weight has been lifted from your shoulders.” He shrugs.
“Yeah, that’s pretty accurate, actually. I’ve been cramming for finals.”
“You’re ready.” He nods.
I can’t help but chuckle. “What’s in the bag, Bailey?” I ask him.
“Just a sandwich from the deli across the street.”
“They have food here.”
“Pastries, which I know are delicious, but you need more than that. You’re going to wither away or get sick if you don’t eat.”
“I eat.”
“Well, you need fuel to study.”
“I’m done for the day. I’m as prepared as I can be.”
“Parker.” He sighs. “Just eat the damn sandwich.” He hesitates, then says, “Please.”
“Are you eating with me?”
“No. I wasn’t sure you’d let me stay.”
“You mean you’d actually give me a choice?” I’m starving, and the deli bag taunts me. I’m trying to reconcile this nice version of Holden. Not that he’s ever been mean to me. He’s just usually all bossy and whatnot.
“I’m trying to.” A small smile pulls at his lips.
Reaching for the bag, I pull out the deli sandwich and the small bag of chips. “You really have nothing better to do than hang out here all day?” I ask before taking a bite of the sandwich. I moan. It’s a turkey club, which is my favorite. When he doesn’t reply, I look up to find his heated stare. “What?” I ask, reaching for a napkin to wipe my mouth.
“Did anyone ever tell you you’re sexy as fuck when you eat?” He licks his lips, and I shift in my seat.
I can’t help the nervous laugh that sputters out of me. “No. Can’t say that they have.” Embarrassment heats my cheeks. It’s not every day a girl gets a compliment from a man like Holden.
“Dumbasses,” he mumbles under his breath.
“So, what are your plans for today?” I ask before taking another bite.
“I need to do some last-minute Christmas shopping.”
“Procrastinator, huh?” I tease.
“Nah, there’s this girl I met. I’ve been trying to get her to give me a chance, so that’s been taking a lot of my time.” His lip curls in a smile, and if I were standing, it would have made my knees weak.
“Sounds like maybe she’s not interested.” I manage to keep my voice steady as I say the words. I’m interested. Anyone on the receiving end of Holden Bailey’s attention is interested. However, interest does not outweigh common sense. I mean, the point of dating is to find your forever, and Holden doesn’t do forever.
“Nah, she’s interested.” He leans forward, resting his elbows on the table.
“You sure about that?” I ask, popping a chip in my mouth.
“I’m sure.”
“Cocky much?” My tone is teasing.
His deep blue eyes hold my own. “It’s not being cocky when it’s facts. You see, this girl, she wants me, but she’s fighting it. Our chemistry is off the charts.” He pauses, waiting for me to reply, but I’ve got nothing. No words come to mind. “Every time I’m near her, her breathing accelerates. I can see the rapid beat of her pulse in her neck.” Before I know what’s happening, his long arm reaches across the table, and he slips his hand around my neck. We’re both leaning close. “Right here,” he says softly. “I feel it right here.” Slowly, his hand slides down to rest over my chest. “And here. Her chest rises and falls rapidly with each breath every time I’m near her.”