Are you kidding me right now? Seriously, what the hell did I do to deserve this continuous torture?

Not only is this man an arrogant ass, but he’s a stalker, too. First, it was the bar, and now, the diner. Andrew Powers is always in my space.

All I want is a burger. A big, juicy double cheeseburger with a little bacon, lots of pickles, and mayo. But, no, I'm once again subjected to the prick who thinks he somehow has some type of control over me and my actions. Like he’s entitled and he deserves my utmost attention. I should be pining for him, following him around like a lost puppy waiting for scraps. I can assure you, that will never happen.

But, here I am, once again dealing with the man I just want to get as far away from as possible. I can feel his eyes on me, practically burning a hole in my side.

At first, I decide to ignore him and hope he gets the hint. From what I’ve witnessed, there’s nothing about him that I care to know. Sure, he’s sexy as sin, and I’m sure he could give me multiple orgasms, but there’s more to a man than his sex appeal.

And I want more.

“Are you ready to order?”

I look across the counter at the eager young server who is smiling brightly. My sour mood has my mind conjuring up ways to sneak away, unnoticed, but I know I can’t escape. Out of my peripheral vision, I can see again that Andrew is still staring, only he’s closer now.

“Do you have any questions?” the young man asks.

“No,” I say. “I’ll just take a number two to go, please.” I don’t even know what a number two consists of. I just chose a number and went with it. I completely forget to tell the server I want lots of pickles and mayo and no tomatoes.

Damn Andrew for distracting me.

“Sure thing!” he says, still smiling brightly.

“Please rush my order,” I say in an irritated manner, waving him off.

For the love of all things holy, I’m wound so tight, I feel like, at any moment, I’m going to ignite and shoot straight through the ceiling.

“You’re even mean to the innocent server.”

I close my eyes at the sound of Andrew speaking near my ear.

“You should really learn to be friendlier.”

“Again, you should learn to respect the personal space of others.” My nostrils flare, but instead of facing him, I continue to stare forward.

“Why are you so angry all the time?” he asks. “Always ready to bite my head off. Your defenses are up, and you never smile.”

“I smile plenty when I’m enjoying the company of someone,” I toss in his direction, still refusing to look at him. “My ongoing dismissal and negative response toward you should most definitely be a sign that I in no way enjoy yours.”

“Feisty little thing.” This time, his words are more of a whisper, but they still infuriate me.

Turning to face him, I fully intend to tell him off right there, in the center of the diner. I don’t give two shits about an audience because this man is on my last damn nerve. Only the words I had rolling around in my mind fade fast.

There, in Andrew’s arms, is the cutest boy with bright eyes and the sweetest smile, his arms securely wrapped around Andrew’s neck.

My earlier annoyance is instantly gone as a smile tugs at my lips. “Hi,” I say to the little boy with a wave of my fingers.

“Hello,” he says in return. He unhooks his arms and thrusts a hand out toward me, all grown-up like. “My name is Dawson Oliver Powers.”

I no longer acknowledge Andrew because, right now, he doesn’t exist. The only person I see is this adorable little boy with the most prominent dimple in his left cheek. He’s so polite that it’s hard to believe he is related to this ass of a man in any way.

I reach out and take his hand in mine, giving him a gentle shake. “My name is Reagan Nicole Halloway.”

I didn’t think it was possible for his smile to get bigger, but I’m so wrong.

“You’re pretty,” he adds.

My heart melts, an instant warm feeling that tames the earlier burn.

“Thank you, Dawson,” I say with a wink, “and you, sir, are very handsome.”

He looks over toward Andrew, and because I don’t want to taint my current mood, I choose to keep my eyes on Dawson.

“She’s thinks I’m handsome,” he states proudly. “You’re right, Daddy. Us Powers men got the looks the ladies love.”

I want to laugh—truly, I do—but I can’t.

The fact that this jerk told his son those very words only solidifies my opinion of him. He’s an arrogant son of a bitch who thinks all women owe him something. Now, he has subjected his son to those same views. It makes me want to snatch this cute little man right from Andrew’s arms and teach him how to be a ladies’ man without being an ass like his father.

I refuse to pay any more attention to Andrew, so I take out my phone and mindlessly scroll through Facebook for something interesting.

“Dawson, stay here. I need to talk to Mommy, okay?”

“Sure, Dad.”

I turn my head a little and see Andrew leaving his son by the counter, so he can take a call. I’m sure that call isn’t important enough for him to leave his son alone.

“Idiot,” I mutter. I walk over to where Dawson is and kneel down. “Hey, do you want to check out the jukebox with me and pick out a song?”

“Yeah!”

He takes my hand, and we walk toward the back of the restaurant, so Dawson can look at the options and pick. We’re here for a few minutes when I hear Andrew screaming Dawson’s name. The panic in his voice makes me instantly feel bad.

“Andrew!” I shout as I wave my arms in the air to get his attention. “We’re right here!”

He hears me calling for him and turns in our direction. Within seconds, he’s next to Dawson, kneeling and looking at me.

“I don’t normally leave him alone. Thank you for watching him. I had to talk to his mother, and the conversation got intense.” He hangs his head, leaving his hand on Dawson’s back. “I didn’t know he was with you.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. Honestly, I didn’t want him to be alone either, so I brought him here.”

“Thanks,” he mutters.

I leave them to head back to the counter.

“Here’s your order.”

I look to my left and see the young server holding out my bag of food. I still have no idea what I actually ordered. I reach inside my purse, pull out the money, and offer it, telling him to keep the change.

As I turn toward Andrew, I see he’s back at the counter with Dawson. I can’t help the smile on my face when I see Dawson peeking over at me.

“You smile at my son, but I only get snarky comments and death glares.”

When he crosses his arms over his hard chest, my eyes instantly shift toward his strong biceps that flex from the movement.

“What would it take for me to earn that kind of smile?”

I take a step toward him, getting as close as I can without feeling uncomfortable. He smirks, and I'm sure he’s feeling as if he has finally broken through my armor.

“A miracle,” I offer in response just before stepping around him and kneeling so that I can talk to Dawson. “It was so nice meeting you, Dawson Oliver Powers. I hope to see your cute face again.”

“I hope to see your cute face again, Reagan Nicole Halloway.”

I give Dawson a smile before walking out without looking back. My hands shake as I quickly move toward the curb and wave my hand in the air. Within seconds, a cab slows to a stop, and I move to open the door.

I’ve been able to avoid men of Andrew’s type for three years with very little effort. But, for some reason, I can’t dodge him. Even with my bitchy attitude and continuous acts of being less than interested, he continues to get beneath my skin.

I feel more unsettled than I have in a very long time, and I hate it.

I hate feeling like this.

I refuse to admit, I notice the way he looks at me and all his efforts to gain my attention. He wants to get to know me. He wants me to smile at him. If I do all of that, then he’ll hurt me in the end, and I’ll be alone. Starting over isn’t on my mind. No. I’ll remain cold and uninterested, and sooner or later, he’ll get tired and move on. That’s what I’ll do.

Andrew Powers will not break me.