Sonya headed toward the classroom listed on her registration form. The hall was quiet and empty, too quiet, in fact, and she wondered if she was in the right building. Her nerves crackled in anticipation of the evening ahead.
It felt surreal, and a little scary, to be back on a college campus, but it was just one of the many steps she’d taken to create a new life for herself.
When she reached the room, she tried the door, but it was locked. There was no sign posted on the glass, and no one inside. She leaned against the wall and dug out her phone, hoping for a last-minute email informing her that the room had been changed. While she was navigating to the application, the device shut off.
She recalled reading in her information packet that any class changes would be posted in the registrar’s office. She dropped her phone back into her canvas tote bag, dug around and groaned. In addition to forgetting to charge her phone, she had left the hard copy of the campus map at home.
Back outside, Sonya zipped up her lime-green rain jacket, ducked under her umbrella and glanced around. The Bay Point Community College campus was larger than she’d expected, and was bustling with students going to and from evening classes. There was a coffee shop near the parking lot. Maybe one of the baristas could give her directions to the registrar’s office.
She hurried toward it, weaving around puddles and dodging other students. By the time she arrived, the rain was slanting sideways. Afraid of getting her newly permed hair wet, she opened the door and stepped over the threshold into the coffee shop.
“Dumb thing,” she muttered as she struggled to retract her large pink-and-brown-polka-dotted umbrella.
“Hey, watch out!”
A man’s voice, bass-low and heavy with concern, washed over her.
She shook her head to reorient herself, pressed the button a few times, and after a long agonizing moment, the umbrella finally closed.
As she lowered it, her breath caught in her throat at the gorgeous man that stood in front of her, revealed like a game-show grand prize. His grim expression and now-empty paper cup in his hand led her to believe that all was not right in his world.
Her eyes widened at the large stain snow-flaking across the middle of his light blue T-shirt, no doubt caused by her.
“I’m sorry. My umbrella jammed. Are you hurt?”
The man furrowed his brow. “I’m fine.”
But she barely heard his words. Her thoughts were consumed with the desire to allow her fingers the freedom to graze the fabric plastered to his flat abdomen.
As a former ballet dancer, she had a deep appreciation for the beauty and majesty of the human body, especially the male form. And this particular man was ripe for tactile exploration. Faded dark blue jeans, paint-spattered construction boots and rampant tattoos over dark honey arms were all reasons for an extended pause.
He is hot, hot, hot.
He waved a hand in front of her face. “Are you okay?”
She jerked her chin up and her cheeks bloomed with heat at the amusement in his eyes. “Y-yes. I was just worried that you got burned.”
“No. Lucky for me, it was just very cold iced coffee.”
As she exhaled in relief, he smiled, displaying perfect white teeth.
“Lucky for you, I like surprises.”
Before she could think of a response, he pointed down at the floor between them. “Watch out.”
With her eyes still on his, she stepped back from the spreading liquid, and bumped into a pregnant woman trying to exit.
Sonya apologized and stepped closer to the man so the woman could pass. She was so embarrassed she almost joined the cluster of ice cubes melting on the floor.
“Do you come with a warning?”
“No. Do you?” she challenged.
He raised a brow, but it was hard to tell if he was irked or intrigued.
“Yeah, it’s called never argue with a pretty lady.”
Her mouth dropped open and another buzz of unexpected heat rose in her cheeks. The grin on his face seemed sincere, and that was the problem.
She didn’t feel pretty at that moment, just cold and lost, and she had no time for flirtation.
He seemed not to notice her response, and instead directed her with his hand, around the puddle and deeper into the store.
He touched her elbow. “Let’s move out of everyone’s way, shall we?”
Even through her rain jacket, a shock wave of pleasure went zinging through her veins like a ball in a pinball machine. Though she’d never seen this man before, his gentle guidance felt protective. But just as quickly, he released her. She watched as he slid a navy blue backpack off his shoulders and set it down on the counter. His large hands looked as if they could level three men with one punch, or caress her body with ease.
The loss of his brief touch left her feeling unsettled. He pulled out the chair next to his, and the sound of metal scraping against the tile floor brought her out of her daze.
Sonya let out a breath and joined him, but kept her messenger bag on.
Rain pelted the window in a torrential, thunderous downpour. The noise level in the shop elevated as people hurried inside to escape the weather.
“Looks like we’re stuck here