Keep (Seaside Pictures 2)

I dropped to the ground with a huff. My glasses fell off my face, and I was pretty sure I was going to have a bruised tailbone.

“Sorry, dear.” The old man said in a sweet voice. “Didn’t see you there.”

“That’s okay.” Pavement scraped my palm as I fumbled around for my glasses; I really was blind as a bat without them. All I could make out were blurry images of people shuffling around me.

The old man was in a walker, not like he could actually skip over to where my glasses had fallen and hand them over.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Yup, I’m great.” I exhaled. “What about you?”

“Fit as a fiddle.” He shuffled by me, at least it looked like he did.

“Shoot.” The glasses should be on my right, they fell that way. Or had they fallen left? The sidewalk was starting to burn my butt in all the wrong places. Stupid Mags!

“Either you just fell…” came a smooth, silky voice, “or you like hanging out between trash cans in your spare time.”

“Trash cans.” I sighed, then slumped my shoulders and gave up. “Would you believe me if I told you right now they look like giant ice cream cones?”

“Sure.” The guy chuckled, and then hands were on my shoulders jolting me to my feet, and my glasses were placed on my face.

I adjusted them on my nose and looked at my rescuer then stopped breathing altogether.

Zane Andrews.

A Yankees cap covered his gorgeous hair and he lacked a shirt. Zane Freaking Andrews, completely and totally without any clothes on his upper body.

I begged my eyes not to fail me twice in one day and kept them firmly fixed on his face.

“A little advice.” Zane leaned in and whispered, forming the words with perfect lips. “It’s creepier when you don’t blink.”

My entire body went numb with embarrassment. “Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry. I’m just in shock, it’s not every day a rock star finds you sitting between two trash cans.”

“And dog shit. Don’t forget that.” His side grin had me sucking in a breath of much-needed air as he pointed to doggy doo right next to where I’d fallen. Awesome.

“Great.” I held out my hand. “Well, thank you for your rescue.”

Well, thank you for your rescue? I mentally slapped myself. Who says crap like that?

His lips pressed together in a suppressed smile as he took my hand and shook it firmly. “A girl with manners. I like it.”

He didn’t release my hand.

“If I didn’t know your name I’d probably call you sir too, it’s just how I was raised.” Stop talking, Fallon. Stop. Talking.

“Hmm, I may like that regardless.” He grinned. “Has a ring to it, don’t you think? Sir…” Somehow he maneuvered himself so that he wasn’t holding onto my hand anymore but had slid his hand up my arm and put his own arm around my shoulder. “What’s your name?”

“F-Fallon.” There it was, the stutter. And I had been doing so good! Why, God? WHY!

“Fallon.” He repeated it. I tried to keep my eyes averted, but it was so hard not to stare at him. At the diamond stud in his nose, or the fact that every time he moved, I felt warm skin against my bare arm. He was bigger than I thought he’d be, extremely fit but just…big all around.

“Would you be offended?” He stopped walking and turned me toward him.

“Offended?” I frowned.

“If I used you as a human shield?”

“A human, what?”

“Ten girls just spotted me. They’re currently skipping in our direction. My choices are run, but I’m kinda winded from all this titillating conversation.” He winked.

My knees knocked together. I loved it when guys used big words. Having a gorgeous face or body was one thing, but if the guy actually had a brain? Or knew how to spell? He was officially my knight in shining armor, only instead of a sword, I pictured a rather large dictionary in his hand as he whispered sweet words like titillating into my ear while feeding me grapes.

“Or I can make them think I’m pre-occupied with someone who isn’t after my autograph.”

“O-o-okay.” I thanked God I finally got the stupid word out.

“Fabulous.” That was the only warning he gave me before he tugged me down the street and into an alleyway. I barely had time to process the change of scenery before he leaned in and kissed me across the mouth.

Chapter Two

Zane

SHE WAS NERD HOT.

Like the girl who peaks after high school but has no idea how damn cute she is.

Her lips were soft, and I swear they tasted like marshmallow. What the hell kind of chapstick smelled like marshmallows and who did I have to kill to get a hold of some?

I broke off the kiss just as she swayed toward me. “Well, Fallon.” I held out my hand. “It’s been nice doing business with you.”

“Hmm? Wh-what?” Her big brown eyes blinked at me through hella thick glasses.

“The kiss. Business transaction. Human shield. Saved my life. The end.”

“Good story.”

“What can I say? I’m a storyteller at heart.” I winked and placed a shaky hand against the brick wall behind her.

I acted like it was fine.

But the shaking was getting worse.

As if the screaming made the shaking harder to control.

And just like that, I felt the choking sensation of anxiety as I tried to rein in my emotions and concentrate on the nerd in front of me, the nerd who really had saved me from having a mental breakdown in front of ten fans.