She looks at me, and her eyebrows go up. “You would do that?”
“No,” I say, laughing. “Once you’re here, I’m not letting you go.”
“There is just so much to think about,” she says. “I don’t want anyone to think—”
“Fuck what they think,” I say. “I lived my life for too long worrying about what people were going to say.” I pick her face up. “I hate when I leave, and I know you aren’t here in our bed,” I say.
“One night,” she says to me, smiling. “It was supposed to be a one-night thing.”
“The minute I locked eyes on you and our hands touched, I was a goner,” I tell her, thinking back to that day.
“I walked in and sat at the table, and I looked around for you,” she tells me, and I’m shocked now. “I tried to downplay it, but every single chance I got, I looked around.”
“I was watching you,” I say, and she looks at me, her mouth hanging open as she smiles. “I saw you get up and walk to the bathroom.”
“You did not,” she says and pushes me away.
“I did,” I admit. “I didn’t mean to run you over, but . . .” I shrug as she puts her head back, and I kiss her lips. “I hate clubs. I hated going there, yet watching you, I couldn’t leave.”
“I was hoping you were watching me, and then when I caught you, I took my chance. I didn’t know what was going to happen, but I knew I had to jump off the cliff.”
“I will forever be in debt to Becca for getting me a room that night,” I say. “Forever.”
“Yes,” she finally says and looks down. “If it’s okay with Jaxon, then I’ll move in here, but . . .” She holds her hand up. “But if it gets to be too much for him—” I crush my lips on hers to stop her from talking.
Picking her up, I carry her upstairs, never leaving her lips. All that keeps running through my head is that one chance meeting, one touch, one kiss, and especially that only one night has led us here.
Epilogue One
Evelyn
Looking down at my watch, I make my way over to the restaurant. My heels click on the sidewalk.
The hostess gives me an up and down look when I tell her I’m meeting someone. She doesn’t even bat an eye when I walk in and head to the bar. The lights are dim, so I know I’m right on time to surprise him.
He’s having a meeting with Ralph and Miller along with some equipment people. I sit at the bar, and I have the perfect view of him in the glass room. The same room where he was on the night we met. “Can I get you something?” the bartender asks once I sit down.
“I’ll have a vodka cranberry,” I say, and the music is playing. I look over and see the guys laughing, and I send him the first text.
Me: I miss you.
I press send the same time the bartender puts down the glass. I see the waitress circle next to Manning and lean over a bit too close for my liking, but he doesn’t even notice. He picks up his phone, and he smiles. I see him typing while I take a sip of the cold drink, and then my phone beeps.
Manning: Miss you more.
My hands get clammy, and my heart starts to pick up speed. Maybe this was a stupid idea. I mean, in my head, surprising him at the restaurant where we met was a brilliant idea. I pick up the phone and send the second text.
Me: I wish you were here.
I finish off the first drink and order a second. The music gets louder and the tables slowly start to disappear as more people enter the club.
The bartender sets me another drink down, and he leans in. “From the gentleman at the bar.” He points at the end of the bar, and when I see him standing there, I throw my head back and laugh. Putting my phone in my purse, I walk over to him. “Hi,” I say to him, and he sees my outfit. The same outfit I wore when we met.
“Hi.” He leans on the bar the same way he did when we met, and my stomach gets the same butterflies, if not more, knowing I get to go home with him tonight.
“You ruined my game plan,” I tell him, and he just smirks.
“And what was that?” he asks as someone bumps into me, and I have to move closer to him. Unlike the first time when he put his hand on my ass to bring me closer to him.
“I was supposed to bump into you at the bathroom,” I say, and he laughs now. “Then I was supposed to lead you to the bar.”