Fucking hell. I think I’m in love.

CHAPTER 3

Pandora

“I can smell the grease from here,” Royce says, looking up at the Taco Hut.

I love this place and love it even more when it’s nice out. They have little outside tables, too, so patrons can enjoy the sunshine. It’s nice to get out of the office sometimes and get some sun. I haven’t been doing that much lately. I really need a pool day with my sister.

I look over at him. He’s once again standing too close, and it’s really starting to annoy me, mostly because he keeps brushing up against me, and I don’t like it. Not even a little.

It’s amazing how easily I can lie to myself.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” I go to open the door, but he beats me to it.

He flashes me that perfect smile and brushes up against me again. I hate how short I am. Even in my heels, I still have to look up at him. I walk past, and the smell of tacos fills the air. But then all I can smell is him as he stands too close. He smells woodsy, nothing at all like I would have thought. With that suit that molds to his body so perfectly and a five-million-dollar smile, I was sure he’d have on some pungent, overpowering cologne. In fact, I think the smell coming off him is just the way he smells. Something about him isn’t adding up for me. I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s there. Maybe it’s the things he’s making me feel, and I don’t know how to explain it.

He leans down, and I turn my head, not willing to step back. “You don’t know much about personal space, do you?”

That stupid smile only gets bigger. I shake my head, thankful for my sunglasses still perched on my face, because I didn’t want him to see the childish eye roll I just gave him.

I walk up to the counter. “It’s been a while,” Sam says, coming back from the kitchen.

“I know, I know.” I lean on the counter. “Miss me?”

“Every damn day.” I see a shadow loom over me, and Royce has his hands folded over his chest.

His smile is gone now, and he looks pissed. I ignore him and go back to talking to Sam. Sam has owned the Taco Hut for as long as I can remember. My mom and dad would bring us up here a lot after school when we were kids. Then Penelope and I started coming on our own. We even studied for some of our finals in here while devouring late-night snacks. Sam always gave us homemade churros that were to die for.

“Don’t mind him,” I say when I see Sam eyeing Royce. “He doesn’t know about boundaries. But I just met him today, so he could just be an asshole.”

Sam smirks but gives Royce a glare. I hear Royce grunt something, but I don’t catch it.