I gasped, stumbling back. I would’ve gone down if a strong hand hadn’t caught my elbow and steadied me.
“I’m so sorry, I—” I looked up, and my apology froze on my lips.
I knew that face.
It had been almost two years since we’d been face to face, but his features were imprinted on my memory. Raven-black hair, deep-brown eyes behind wire-framed glasses, the cleft in his square chin…they were all the same as the last time I saw him.
Tore. A name as easy to remember as the rest of him.
He stepped aside, his expression impassive. “Go right ahead.”
Nothing. Not even a flicker of recognition. In fact, he’d barely looked at me.
That stung more than it should have.
Heart in my throat, I slipped past the only man who’d ever ghosted me, hightailing it out of Nox Cyber without a backward glance.
Chapter Two
Bea
The Past
Ismackedthehandthat had just pinched my ass. “No, sir. You can look as much as you want, but touching is off the table.”
The drunk guy cackled with his friends. “Oooh, she’s mean. I like her.”
I tried to be sassy even though my skin was crawling. "Come on, don’t tell me you go around squeezing women’s asses on a regular basis."
He held his hands up, eyes glassy and lit with trouble. “If a slut with a big ass wears a tight dress, she knows what she’s doing.”
He wasn’t wrong about me being mean. Telling off guys like him was practically a hobby. But damn, some nights a girl just wanted to make a living without having to fight her way through it. I was holding down two and a half jobs, and I was exhausted.
With a heavy sigh, I caught Duke’s eye—the best bouncer in Denver. His answering nod was firm. He’d handle these idiots. I’d put up with them as long as I had because the night had been slow and I was banking on a fat tip. But no amount of money was worth being groped or called a slut.
I spun on my heel, ready to head to the back for a breather, when I spotted a new occupant at one of my empty tables.
Hewas back.
This was the third time he’d been in this week. The first two, he’d been with a friend. Tonight, he was alone.
I didn’t have the type of heart that went pitter-patter over men, but there was something about this man—Tore—that made my chest flutter. It was weird, especially since he’d barely spoken to me. Maybe that was the secret. Surely, if he opened his mouth too much, he’d ruin it.
Break forgotten, I sauntered over to his table. “Hey.” It came out breathier than intended, but it caught his attention.
His brown eyes, framed by impossibly thick lashes, lifted to meet mine, freezing my breath in my lungs.
His lips barely moved as he returned my greeting. “Hi, Bea.” His gaze was steady on mine, so deep and probing, it made my insides feel like slithering snakes.
“You remembered my name.”
“Of course. You’ve been my waitress twice.” He tapped his fingertips on the lacquered wooden tabletop. “With the addition of tonight, three times.”
I glanced around even though there was no need. “You’re alone tonight?” Previously, he’d been in with another guy, Sam. From their conversations, I’d gleaned they were coworkers and friends in town working on a deal Sam was more eager about than Tore was.
“I am. Sam had other plans.” He flattened his hand, ceasing his tapping. “I would like a beer to drink, and if you have time, for you to sit with me. Of course, I’ll pay you for your time—”
“No.” The word flew out before I could think it through. I needed the money, but not from him.
