Fuck. Lilah disappears as the steel elevator doors glide together, blocking my view of her wide green eyes. Running a hand through my hair, I try to lock down the frustration I’m experiencing. I imagined tonight’s outcome being vastly different than this.

Did I think she’d fall into my bed with a snap of my fingers?

No, not at all, but I expected we’d spend the rest of the night talking and maybe if I was lucky I’d be able to steal a kiss. I’ve been wondering what her bow shaped upper lip tastes like for far too long. Apparently, I’m not going to find out anytime soon. As it stands now, I don’t know when I’ll get another opportunity to be alone with her. She’s careful to keep her distance from me and all the other male wrestlers when we’re on the road. Come to think of it, she’s not friendly with the female wrestlers either.

She could prefer to be alone, but I think it has more to do with being Russell Turner’s daughter. There’s a certain set of expectations that go along with that and she handles the pressure brilliantly for someone so young. She’s only twenty-five. I would know; I’m five years older than her and I've been attracted to her since she began working for her father. For three years I’ve purposefully inserted myself in her life to maintain contact and get to know her better. I’ve taken every opportunity I could to ask her out and have kept our interactions briefer than I’d like so she’ll tolerate them. If she forbids me from seeing her, I’ll be lost. I live for the few minutes we get each week even though she’ll most likely never give in and go on a date with me. I know this and yet I find myself unable to give up hope. Hope is a powerful emotion. As long as it remains there’s a chance. And one chance is all I need to make her mine.

There’s so much about her I already know just from the short moments we’ve spent together and my own observations. Her favorite dessert is anything with chocolate. She sleeps on every flight. She likes to follow rules. Corona is her favorite beer. She hates chili and she refuses to try sushi. Her high school boyfriend was her first love. She gets embarrassed when people sing happy birthday to her and she can tell when someone is mad when they post emoticons instead of stickers. I’m not even sure I know what that means, but when I overheard her explaining her “skillz” to her best friend Carly, it seemed like the most interesting thing at the time.

Over the past months, I’ve been wondering how she’s held my interest for so long and there’s no easy answer for that question. No other woman has ever held my attention for a fraction of the time Lilah has. She makes me feel excited and happy every time I see her. My chest gets weak and my heart pounds harder. I feel more alive when I’m with her than at any other time.

Tonight, was the final straw. Sitting next to her, breathing in her scent, and watching her physical reaction to my proximity had me mentally declaring I’m done waiting. All bets are off. I’ve been more than patient with her. Maybe too much?

It’s time to stake my claim and make her mine.

“Hey Jess, what’s up bud?” Wyatt is one of the hardest working wrestlers in the business. He isn’t quite “over” with the crowds yet but it’s only a matter of time.

“Not much. Just trying to decide if I’m done for the night or if I’ve got a few more left in me.”

He slaps me on the back. “Yeah right, me too,” he laughs. “Now let’s get this night started. The sun isn’t out yet so it’s still early.”

It’s hard to argue with an idea that sounds so right. “Works for me.”

As we walk back toward the bar a few eager female fans approach, but my thoughts are still on Lilah. I quietly sign autographs for each of them, answer a few questions about upcoming matches and ignore several of their suggestive comments.

“All hail the king.” Wyatt calls out as we enter the crowded bar. “You weren’t looking for a quiet night were ya?” He smiles, winks and throws his arms over a gorgeous blonde…and her redheaded friend. “Too late now bud.”

The next few hours are a blur of drinks, shouting and raucous laughter as we hold court at a table in the back with a few more of World Class Wrestling’s finest. I sign my name on more than one woman’s tits and pose for copious amounts of pictures, but all that goes along with being Jesse Gunn. By the time we leave, the crowded bar has swelled to standing room only and I’m fairly certain we paid for the majority of the alcohol served.

* * *

Stepping out of the hotel gift shop the next morning, I notice Lilah walking across the lobby toward the main exit. Shoving the ibuprofen I just purchased into the side pocket of my cargo shorts, I move in her direction. She steps outside into the early morning North Carolina air and I know in only a few more hours the temperature will be melt your skin hot. I follow behind her, curious as to what she has planned this morning, but keeping enough distance that she won’t detect me. We’ve been on the road for two weeks now, travelling from one state to the next and she knows no one here.

Why is she sneaking off?

Her flip flops slap and click against the soles of her feet with each step she takes down the sidewalk. I smile as my eyes trail over her bewitching form dressed in cut off shorts and a fitted blue tank top. With her blonde hair pulled back into a neat ponytail she looks younger than she is.

She pauses at the front window of a cafe, presses her nose to the glass, peering inside. Her face lights up with a smile so large I can see it in profile from where I stand. She waves at someone on the other side of the window, before her feet quickly shuffle toward the door. Opening before she can reach it, she’s immediately swept up into an embrace by some guy I’ve never seen before. She giggles and throws her arms around him with complete abandon.

Who the fuck is this dude?

He picks her up, feet clear off the ground and she squeals like a young schoolgirl. My blood thrums with rage.

I want to rip this guy apart limb by limb for putting his hands on her, but she obviously doesn’t mind.

I want to be the one holding her.

He sets her back down and grabs her hand, leading them inside the entrance. Leaning back against the building next to the coffee shop, I run a hand over my face. The rough texture of the brick prods my skin through my black t-shirt. I can’t believe I’m envious of someone I don’t even know. Jealousy is not an emotion I’m used to dealing with.

What should I do?

Should I go in there and ask her what’s up - ask who her friend is? If I deliver the question in a lighter tone of voice it could work. Should I pretend I’m there for the coffee and be surprised when I see her? I’m not one to put on some act and not be up front. Should I go back to the hotel and forget I saw her? Leaving without knowing who the guy is will only drive me crazy for the rest of the day.

Fuck it. I’ll wing it and see what happens.

My feet move purposefully, on a mission to stop this dude from moving in on Lilah.

Yanking the door open, the bell on top clatters loudly and all eyes in the joint look my way. Murmurs of my name reach me, but I pay no mind. My entire focus is on the beautiful blonde seated in a booth on the right side of the room.

Before I realize or consciously think about it, I’m striding in her direction. Her eyes grow impossibly larger with each step I take. When I reach their table, I fear they’ll pop right out of their sockets. “Lilah, I didn’t expect to see you here.”

She licks her lips and nervously presses them together. “Jesse, what a nice surprise.” I grin at her discomfort. If she wasn’t affected by me her pulse wouldn’t be fluttering so wildly in her elegant neck.

“It’s a gorgeous morning. I figured I’d walk around a little, grab some coffee and a breakfast sandwich.”

“Wow, Jesse Gunn, I’m a huge fan.”

My gaze moves to the guy seated across from her. “And you are?” I raise a brow in question.

“Oh, sorry dude. I’m Keith.”

“How do you know MY Lilah?” I inquire, placing a heavy palm on the top of her shoulder. My gaze swings in her direction, catching her eyes rolling. Raking my teeth over my bottom lip, I fight to hold in a grin. She’s annoyed and part of me is immensely satisfied I got that reaction from her.

“We used to date,” Keith replies. My hand reflexively tightens on her shoulder and she squirms. I release my hold and cross my arms over my chest. His answer isn’t the one I was hoping for. I don’t want to think of Lilah ever dating anyone else. Impossible expectation or not, it is what it is. She’s unblemished perfection in my eyes and I’ve had her on a pedestal for three years now. I’ve always quelled any thoughts of her dating other guys before they could drive me mad. I prefer to imagine her at home, reading or cleaning on a Saturday night, instead of the more likely alternative that she’s out with someone else… a guy who doesn’t work for her family’s company.

Studying Keith for a moment, I notice he’s of average height and build. His blonde hair is buzzed close to his head and he’s wearing a short sleeve button down shirt with khaki shorts. He’s the definition of clean cut. My eyes glance down at my beat-up physique before swinging back to Keith. His skin is unblemished. Does he have any ink? I got my rib tattoo at the tender age of twenty. I bet he’s a blank canvas color will most likely never touch. Running a hand over my two-day stubble on my jawline, I notice he’s clean shaven. Shit.

Maybe I’m not her type?

Nah, Jesse Gunn is everyone’s type. I smirk as the thought pops into my head, but both the smirk and the thought fade just as quickly.

Jesse Gunn isn’t me. He’s a persona I’ve adopted - an act I must play. For the first time I want someone to know the real me. The man behind the character. He’s my job, not my life. I’m thirty years old and wrestling takes a toll on your body. I know I’ll be lucky if I see forty without a career ending injury.

What will be left when Jesse Gunn is no more?

“Do you want to join us?” Keith questions, interrupting my deep thoughts. He helpfully gestures at the seat next to Lilah.

I like this dude.

“Thanks, man. That would be great.” She sighs when I slip in next to her. Scooting over, I press the outside of my thigh against hers. When she tries to move away, I hook my foot on the inside of hers, trapping her leg between mine and the bench seat. She freezes as our bare skin comes into full contact - thigh to thigh and calf to calf. Her leg is warm against mine and my fingers twitch, fighting the urge to caress the tan length.

I smirk when I notice Lilah’s white knuckled grip on her coffee cup. She’s affected by me too.

“So, Keith, what are you doing in North Carolina? I’m assuming you must be from Connecticut if you dated Lilah.”

“Yeah, I am. We went to high school together and dated all four years.” He glances across at Lilah aiming a smile her way. She echoes one back and my hand lands on her bare thigh under the table. I lightly squeeze her muscled limb as if to say ‘mine.’

“Why did you guys break up?” I question, wanting to know more about him.

“We went to different colleges and never saw each other. I went to Charlotte University and she went to Yale. But our breakup was friendly and we’ve kept in touch ever since.” He raises his glass of soda to his lips, taking a sip. Placing it down on the small napkin, he continues, “that’s how I ended up living here. I got a great job right out of college with a tech company. One of these days I’m going to convince Lilah to move down, so we can pick up where we left off.” He winks and her cheeks flush pink.

Motherfucker. Over my dead body.

My hold on her leg loosens and my fingertips begin to lazily trace patterns up and down her bare skin as if it’s an afterthought, but it’s not. Touching her is anything but, it’s more like an unconscious habit. Desire fires through me with every slow caress. It’s all I can do not to hook my finger up under the frayed edge of her cutoffs and find out if she’s soft everywhere.

“Jesse,” Lilah huskily calls my name. I smirk and skate my fingertips further up her thigh. “You never got anything to drink or eat. Don’t let us keep you from going up to order.”

“Oh dude, what do you want? I’ll go grab it for you,” Keith offers, jumping out of the booth.

Pulling some bills from my right front pocket, I slap them on the end of the table. “I’d love a large, black coffee and two bacon, egg and cheese on bagels. Grab whatever you guys want too.”

“Lilah?” Keith questions.

She shakes her head. “I’m all set for now, thanks.”

Keith grins, quickly scooping the money up as if I’ll change my mind. He stops to lean down and snap a quick selfie, without asking. “Thanks, man. You just made my day. Now I can post online that Jesse Gunn bought me breakfast.” He takes off toward the front counter leaving Lilah and I alone. My hand continues to glide over her skin. If only we were somewhere private. My dick pulses with blood thinking about the things I plan to do to her.

“Why are you doing this?” she asks.

“Doing what?”

“Sitting here and acting like you and I are friends.”

“We are friends.” My fingers circle her knee before climbing back up her thigh. “I’d like to be more than friends.”

She slaps her hand down on top of mine. “Please stop.”

“Stop what? You need to be more specific.” She runs hot and cold with me depending on the day.

“Stop this,” she grits out. “Stop touching me. Stop talking to me. Stop acting like you’re interested in me at all.” Her hand leaves mine to toy with the edge of a paper napkin on the table. Her indecisiveness is what’s causing her to be short. I can’t help but feel encouraged that I’m chipping away at her walls.

“I am interested in you.” I lower my head, leaning toward her

“Jesse,” her eyes dart to mine, “contrary to what you might think, I’m not naive. I know I’m different than the women you usually spend time with.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Everything.”

“Lilah, just say whatever it is you want.”

“Stick to the women you’re used to. I’m not up for your games. I don’t want to play them anymore.” Her eyes implore me to listen to her words, but I can’t. I want her too much.

“Lilah, I think I’ve proven how much I want to get to know you on a deeper level. I enjoyed spending time with you last night and now again this morning. It’s kind of like the universe is pushing us toward each other.”

“Here you go,” Keith announces, setting my coffee and two paper wrapped sandwiches on the table. He places my change down and I push it toward him. “Consider it your tip.”

“Seriously?” he questions, glancing down at the twenty-dollar bill and handful of singles remaining.

“Sure thing.”

He sits once again and unwraps the sandwich he procured for himself. Releasing my hold on Lilah’s leg, I slide to the edge of the booth and stand. “I’m gonna take this to go. You kids have fun.” I wink at Lilah. She rolls her lips inward like she tends to do when she’s upset or thinking about something.

“Thanks again, Jesse,” Keith says. I give them a quick wave and make my way out the door.