And this is my one shot. I wouldn’t bet on there being another one.
Sean suspected that what he was about to do could blow up in his face, in a bad way. But he didn’t give a damn. It was either find a way to breakthrough with this woman, or accept that she was never going to take a chance on him.
And while forgetting about her might be the smarter option, it wasn’t one he could stomach. He knew, because he’d tried.
After he’d asked her out a few weeks ago and she’d basically laughed in his face, he’d gone home and told himself it was time to put her out of his head. He threw himself into work, actually getting ahead on his deadlines, and when the weekend started to roll around again, he picked up his phone, thinking it would be a good idea to make a date with another beautiful woman. Since it was either that, or make a fool of himself by hanging out alone at Manolo’s again. Or sitting in his condo like a loser. But as he scrolled through the contacts on his phone, he couldn’t get his thumb to press on a name.
His gut wouldn’t let him go through with it.
Would. Not. Fucking. Let. Him.
As pissed as he was about the way she’d turned him down when he’d asked her out, the memory of her gloating smile still fresh in his mind, Sean had ended up tossing the phone aside, and grabbed a beer instead. Then he’d spent the rest of the night out on his patio, watching the waves crash into the shore, while thoughts of the stubborn, frustrating redhead that was Natalie-fucking-Richards filled his head. Her laugh. Her smile. The way she looked when the sun caught all that red hair and her gray eyes gleamed with mischief. He might not have known her long, but he’d paid attention whenever she’d been nearby. With the way both his and Chris’s condos were placed, with their patios both on the beach-facing side of the building, he’d caught more than a few glimpses of her whenever she’d come over recently to visit with Sophie.
Then there were the nights he’d gone into Manolo’s, since discovering who she was, just so he could try to figure her out. And because he couldn’t seem to keep himself the fuck away.
It was true that he’d noticed her even before their little run-in the night her battery had died. Hell, if he were being completely honest, he’d actually noticed her before that Saturday night she’d taken the check to the table next to his. He’d been drawn to the glimpses of the beautiful redhead he’d get from time to time at the restaurant, though she’d always managed to somehow steer clear of him when he’d been there. In all the months he’d been frequenting the popular restaurant, she’d never served him. Never spoken to him.
Now, he couldn’t help but wonder if that had been by design. A deliberate avoidance, because she’d felt that same strange, exhilarating spark that tore through him whenever he set eyes on her. Had she? And if so, had it shocked her as badly as it’d shocked him?
Had it made her run?
Or had that simply been the fucking string of women she saw me with?
“Sean?” she murmured, pulling him back to the moment. Realizing he’d just been sitting there behind the wheel, completely lost in his thoughts, he cleared his throat and started the truck.
Beside him, Natalie reached for her seatbelt. “I don’t live far from here. Just head down this road, and then take the third left, onto Beachview. My apartment complex is about four miles down.”
“I know. I followed you home that night,” he murmured, pulling into the early evening traffic. He didn’t bother asking if she’d replaced the battery in her car, because he already knew that she had, thanks to Chris.
When they got caught by a red light, he made the mistake of looking over at her. She was so damn beautiful, with all that creamy skin, vivid hair, and those mouthwatering curves, that he could have stared at her forever and been more than happy about it. Sure, it made him sound like a pussy-whipped idiot, but seeing as how he’d never been anywhere close to her pussy, he guessed it didn’t matter.
She was just too goddamn gorgeous not to lose your head over. And her eyes… Christ, her eyes were the kind of thing that could make a man lose his train of thought—dark gray, almost charcoal, and stunning.
He wanted the chance to stare into those beautiful eyes for longer than the length of a fucking traffic light, but knew it would never happen with the way things stood between them now. Not when she’d already decided he was a grade-A manwhore, and not worth her time.
So, yeah…this is definitely my one and only shot.
The light changed, and when the turn to Beachview came up not thirty seconds later, Sean hit the gas and drove right by it. He braced for her to freak out on him, but a quick glance over to his right showed her fiddling with her phone. She was no doubt trying to seem occupied so that he didn’t expect her to talk to him, which was kinda funny, since it meant she wasn’t paying attention. He relaxed back into his seat a bit more and smirked, confident there would be a motherfucking load of hell to pay when she finally clued in that he wasn’t taking her home. But until then, he was going to enjoy the silence…and the way her seductive scent was filling the inside of Paul’s truck, as well as his head.
They were a good five minutes past the turn to Beachview when she finally looked up and realized where they were. “What the…?” Cutting him a sharp look, she demanded, “Where the hell are you going? I thought you were taking me home.”
“Actually, I said that I’d give you a ride. But I didn’t say to where.”
She forced her next words through her gritted teeth. “I want to go home, Sean.”
“And you’ll get there. I just need to make a quick stop somewhere first.”
“In completely the opposite direction from where I live? We’re heading to La Jolla!”
“Yep.”
“Fuck. Just…fuck!”
“Thanks, but I’ll pass.” He couldn’t help but shoot her a cocky smirk. “Believe it or not, I like my women a little less bitchy.”
“I know exactly how you like your women,” she muttered under her breath.
With a wince, he realized that wasn’t the smartest thing he could have said, and quickly lost the grin. “Look, I swear this won’t take long. And then I’ll take you wherever you want to go.”
“Just please make it quick,” she sighed, sounding defeated. He hated hearing her like that, when she was usually so feisty. But, damn it, she hadn’t given him any other choice. And hopefully this would turn out to be the most brilliant idea he’d ever had, and the woman would actually give him a chance to show her what he was really like.
It was a hell of a long shot, but one he had to take. She’d gotten too far under his skin, and he knew he’d have always regretted it if he didn’t at least try to get under hers. To make some kind of connection with her, even if it all blew up in his face.
Thankfully, it wasn’t far to their destination. He got lucky and found a parking space big enough for the truck that was fairly close to the upscale boutique they were headed to, then quickly jumped out so that he was around the truck and opening Natalie’s door before she’d even managed to unhook her seatbelt.
Her curious, still kinda pissed off gaze, swept down the stylish street, the sound of the waves in the cove and the salty breeze both signs that they weren’t far from the water. She pulled in a deep breath, then brought her wary gaze back to his as she slowly let it out. “Sean? What exactly are we doing here?”
Reaching down and taking her feminine hand in his, he said, “There’s someone I think you should meet.”
“Now? Are you serious?” she asked, as he started pulling her toward the sidewalk.
“Come on, Nat, don’t look so worried. You can trust me, I swear.”
“As fucking if,” she grumbled under her breath, though he was still able to catch the words.
Keeping a firm grip on her soft, slender hand, Sean tugged her along behind him, then through the front door of Peyton’s. A bell chimed, signaling their arrival, and Peyton’s smiling face peeked around the open doorway to the back storeroom. “Sean!” she said with su
rprise, shooting him a wide grin. “Give me just a sec.”
Natalie had started trying to yank her hand from his the moment she’d seen the pretty sign that hung over the front door. Then she’d completely frozen when Peyton had come into view. Now, as she stood beside him, he could all but feel her seething with fury. The kind that had made her go bright red in the face, her gray eyes glittering with emotion.
“What the fuck are you doing?” she hissed, finally managing to yank her hand from his grip. She nearly stumbled into one of the racks of designer dresses from the force of the movement, and he was trying to reach out to help her when Peyton came hurrying into the room.
“Ohmygod, are you okay?” she asked in a rush, giving Natalie a worried look when she nearly bent herself in half to avoid him getting a grip on her.
“I’m fine,” she gritted through her teeth, cutting him a deadly glare as she straightened and put another foot of space between them.
Figuring he better hurry up and get this done before she ended up running out the door, he said, “Peyton, meet Natalie Richards. She works as a bartender at Manolo’s. And she hates my guts because she thinks we’re a couple and that I’ve been screwing around behind your back.”
Peyton’s green eyes went wide, and then she burst out laughing. “You actually thought I was dating this doofus?”
Natalie froze again in an instant, her dark eyes so big she looked like someone had just dumped ice down her pants. “Uhh…”
“Doofus?” Sean muttered with a snort. “Nice, Pey. What are you, two?”
“Shut up, you butt-munch. And only Mom gets to call me Pey.”
“Butt-munch? Jesus, Pey—”
“Hold that thought,” she said, cutting him off when the phone beside the cash register started ringing. She shot Natalie an apologetic smile. “I’ve got to answer that, but I’ll be right back. Please don’t leave without giving me a chance to talk to you.” Then she hurried over to the phone and answered it.
To his left, Natalie drew in another deep breath, held it, then slowly exhaled as she turned her head to look at him. There was a crease between her graceful brows, the gray of her eyes clouded with confusion. “She’s your sister?”
“Half-sister. We have the same mother, but different dads. I never got to spend much time with her, living up in San Francisco. That’s why all the dinners at Manolo’s. She’s trying to start a tradition, making sure we get to know each other better. Paul’s actually meant to join us, but he keeps making excuses.”
“Okay.” She wet her lips, then spoke at a careful, deliberate pace. “You could have just told me. You could have just explained that I had the wrong idea and needed to mind my own damn business. Doing it this way—it wasn’t very nice.”
He shot her a shuttered look. “Yeah, well, neither are you most of the time,” he argued quietly.
“You really do think I’m a bitch, don’t you?” she murmured, crossing her arms over her middle, almost like she was trying to protect herself from his answer.
Rubbing the back of his neck, he gave her an honest response. “I think you’re cynical. And I also think there’s a reason…a story that explains why.”
She scoffed and shook her head, her shadowed gaze sliding away. “Of course there’s a story. But don’t worry, I won’t bore you with the gruesome details.”
“You’re a lot of things, Natalie Richards, but boring isn’t one of them.” His voice dropped as he added, “And no, I don’t really think you’re a bitch.”
Almost too softly to hear, she said, “Oh.”
His brows lifted with disbelief. “That’s it? Just oh. No heartfelt apology?”
“Apology for what?” she asked, finally obeying his silent command for her to look at him again. “You’re still a manwhore.”
His next breath left his lungs in a sharp, frustrated burst. “Are you kidding me? You know I’m not involved with Peyton. We’re fucking family.”
She actually rolled her freaking eyes at him. “Come on, Sean. Are you forgetting all the women I’ve seen you with, weekend after weekend?”
“Ah, Christ. Seriously? You’re going to throw them in my face? They’re not…they don’t. Jesus, Natalie, I hardly even know those women!”
Her shoulders rose and fell with her next breath, as she looked away again. “Look, I’m glad you brought me here. It actually makes me feel better,” she said, nodding toward Peyton, “knowing that poor girl isn’t getting her heart broken. But it doesn’t change anything.”
Ready to roar like a damn madman, he muttered something foul under his breath, and scrubbed his hands down his face. Needing some fucking air, he walked over to Peyton, who sounded like she was trying to deal with a demanding customer, and kissed her cheek, whispering that he’d call her. She gave him the death glare she’d perfected at the tender age of three, obviously pissed that he was bailing without any explanation, and he swore he could feel the heat from those green eyes burning against the back of his head until he’d finally made it back outside.
He stopped on the sidewalk, pulling in a deep breath of the sea-scented air, and heard the door open and close behind him as Natalie joined him.
“So what now?” she asked. The words were quiet, but the hesitation in them came through loud and clear.
“I’m hungry. So even though you still think I’m scum, I say you give in gracefully and agree to go out to dinner with me.”
He turned his head just in time to catch her startled look.
“I’m not expecting sex, Natalie. I just want to go somewhere and eat. That’s all.”
“But wouldn’t it be kind of tacky to go somewhere with you when I’m meant to be on a date with Matt?”
“Are you kidding me? Matt the Dickhead doesn’t deserve to be in the same room with you, much less sitting across from you at a table.”
“And you do?”
He didn’t respond at first. Just stood there while the setting sun turned the sky a brilliant shade of purple out over the sea behind her, and studied her face, trying to figure out what he was doing. Why he was still trying to keep her with him, instead of getting the hell away from her as fast as he could. “Just dinner, Nat. It won’t kill you, will it?”
He nearly groaned when she caught that full lower lip in her straight teeth, then let it go with a sigh. “It might.”
“Yeah, well, I happen to believe that you’re tough as nails,” he said dryly. “You’ll survive.”
She didn’t argue. She just rolled her eyes again and walked beside him back to the truck. He opened her door, and as she climbed up into the seat, he couldn’t help the grin that tugged at the corner of his mouth. God only knew it should have been a grimace, given all the shit she kept giving him, but it wasn’t. He couldn’t even get rid of the damn thing as he made his way around the front to the driver-side door and got back behind the wheel.
Yeah, she was ornery and guarded and one hell of a smart ass, but there was something about this woman that had taken hold of him. He couldn’t seem to shake it, no matter how belligerent she got. So for the rest of the night, Sean decided he wasn’t even going to try.
Instead, he was going to dig in and keep fighting to get past her defenses. He didn’t have any other choice, because he needed to know the woman who was hiding back there.
He’d had easy and shallow, and look where it’d gotten him. Natalie Richards wasn’t either of those things, and despite her prickly attitude, he couldn’t stop thinking about her.
And, yeah, she was one hell of a challenge—but that wasn’t what had him so fascinated.
No…it was the idea of being the one who got to see the real her, without all that fucking armor and attitude. Not because he wanted to be the asshole that conquered her, but because—and this was probably going to cost him his fucking man-card to admit—but the glimpses he’d seen of the real Natalie Richards had completely captivated him. The one who snickered at dirty jokes and hugged people who needed it, just trying to put a smile on th
eir face. The one who sang out of tune when cutting up with her best friend, and let behemoth-sized dogs cuddle up on her lap without giving a crap about her clothes and if they were getting ruined.
He needed to know that woman. Needed to somehow find a way to get her into his life, because every instinct he possessed told him she was worth it.
Was it scary? Fuck, yeah. After what he’d been through with Dani, putting himself out there emotionally with any woman was enough to make his blood run cold—especially one who was so unwilling to give him a shot. But despite all of that, cold was the last thing he felt when it came to the fiery redhead. She’d gotten under his skin, and as strange as it sounded, Sean didn’t want to get her out.
In fact, all he really wanted was to get her under him. Then he planned on showing her, in sweaty, explicit, heart pounding detail, just why they were going to be so good for each other.
She might not know it yet, but his family’s motto had always been: If it matters, do whatever it takes.
And that’s exactly what he planned to do.
Chapter Four
As the hostess showed them to a small table by the front wall of glass that overlooked the turbulent ocean, Natalie was relieved that Sean hadn’t taken her to someplace like Manolo’s, where they’d be surrounded by players making plays. She didn’t think her stomach could take it.
Instead, he’d taken her to a quaint, little privately owned bistro—not far from his sister’s boutique—that was famous for its seafood and romantic atmosphere. She’d always wanted to eat there, but had never had a chance to. Now, thanks to Sean, she did.
And best of all, no one in the restaurant seemed to recognize the sexy stud walking beside her, his hand at her lower back again, which meant he hadn’t been frequenting the place with his endless stream of hook ups. It shouldn’t have mattered to her so much, since they were only sharing a meal together—but it did.
It’s just dinner, she reminded herself, as they took their seats. Not the start of a relationship. So chill!
Keeping His Promise: A When It Happens Novella, Book 2 Page 4