Hailey

The noise outside my apartment building startles me awake. Groggily rubbing my eyes, I get a glimpse of the sun through the window. Shit. I look over at my cell phone and jump out of bed in a mad rush. My shift starts in twenty minutes. I can’t be late, but I’m so damn tired. I rush to my closet that’s no deeper than a foot in each direction and snatch off a clean uniform from the hanger. My last clean uniform. Another damn thing to get done this weekend. I get dressed as fast as possible, tossing my light brown hair into a boring ponytail. I’m grateful that it’s not all ratty looking.

A shower is going to have to wait. I’m glad I took one before I attempted to fall asleep last night. If it wasn’t for my noisy roommate, I would be chipper and wide awake. She decided to have her boyfriend and a few friends over because it was his birthday.

I’m hoping that my roommate doesn’t bother me before I make it out of the door. I mean when she moved in I thought I would learn to deal with other people, but I haven’t. It’s probably because we have nothing in common other than being female. If I didn’t need her half of the rent, I wouldn’t have gotten a roommate at all. I like my privacy. Having spent the last three years without someone close to me has turned me into a hermit of sorts. I can’t afford cable or anything fancy, so I mostly read. My library card has never gotten so much use.

As soon as I walk out of the room I run into her boyfriend who is naked and hard. Unashamed, he winks at me before strutting into the bathroom. Fucking shit. That’s not what my virgin eyes needed to see this morning. I grab my bag and rush out the door before he comes out. He’s another piece of work. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen him in all his glory. Last time they were fucking on the couch. I rushed into my room, then later told her that shit wasn’t cool. I’m not a prude, but I have to sit there, too. Not anymore though. I’m not ready to date when I feel like I’m constantly looking over my shoulder hoping not to run into my mother. Although…there’s one person I’d make that exception for. Which reminds me, today’s his usual day to visit the coffee shop. I can’t miss seeing him.

The walk to my job is tough but quick. Just as I get down the street from work the sky darkens. Shit. I don’t need this. The rain comes faster than I expected. I make a dash for it, using my spring jacket to cover my head from the sudden torrential downpour. There’s been little rain so far for May, but I forgot to look at the local forecast this morning. I’m practically running blindly through the streaming rain hoping for no accidents, and that’s when I crash into a hard body. I nearly fall to the floor, but strong hands help me up from behind. The one in front of me has an umbrella, holding it up for me and the man behind me. I step back into the wall of a chest to the man I’d do anything to touch. A slight shiver runs through me. I can feel his hands on bare skin as my shirt rode up. A growl emanates from his throat. I quickly try to move away, realizing my uncharacteristic reaction to a stranger’s touch and his immediate displeasure with it.

“Sorry,” I stammer out, moving around them and into the coffee shop and avoiding any eye contact with the guy behind me. I know who it is that saved my ass from hitting the ground, which makes this even more mortifying.

Thankfully the coffee shop isn’t busy, saving me some curious glances, well except my boss. Damon and I have an uncomfortable relationship. He asked me out before he became the manager and of course I told him no. That was two years ago, and he still seems pissed about it. “Damn, you look like a wet cat. If you were on time you wouldn’t have gotten all wet,” Damon says with more attitude than I care for at this moment. He’s lucky I need this job and I’m not a bitch enough to tell the district manager that Damon stares at me like he’s interested and how much it weirds me out.

“That’s because Hailey was busy talking to me,” Mr. Black states behind me, drawing Damon’s attention to the powerful and sexy man.

I shiver from the way he says my name. It’s a lie since I only slammed into his driver, but Damon won’t question him. James Black is a man not to be messed with. He owns the coffee shop I work at and not once have we had a conversation. He stops in twice a week for a cup, but he never leaves the coffee shop happy with my service. My manager told me that Mr. Black always asks questions about me. Damon makes it sound like Black is itching to fire me.

He sits in the corner of the café watching me work; his expression is always intense. I wonder what lies Damon has told him about me. I hate it because I’m so unbelievably attracted to him. He’s about six foot three; almost a whole foot taller than me. He’s got whiskey-colored eyes with dark brown hair and just enough scruff to make him look rugged in his suits. I clench my thighs and feel my nipples harden through my shirt. Shit, it’s not hard to do since a fan is on and my blouse is soaked. And I’m not the only one who noticed. Damon’s brow arches as he steals a glance.

“Hailey, in the back now,” Mr. Black barks out immediately. I only hesitate for a minute before I head to the backroom. He follows behind me, so close that I can feel his breath on my neck. It causes me to stop just inside and he lightly bumps into me. My eyes widen as I turn around and start to apologize for everything.

He steps back giving us a foot of space; his nostrils are flaring in anger.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bump into your driver,” I stutter out, ducking my head, ashamed that I keep making an ass of myself.

His angry expression switches to concern before flipping back to a scowl in a matter of seconds then he lets me have it. “I’m not pissed about that. I can see right through your shirt, Hailey. Which means every hard-on out there can.”

“I’m sorry, sir.”