“A bit.” I’d admit that. A wry laugh followed. “I’m, uh, to be fair, you’re…” I waved my hand at him. “…a lot. And I haven’t been around guys like you in a while. My, uh, husband—”

Stop, stop, stop! I yelled silently at myself. “Guys like him?” What the hell was I saying? And I was about to tell him about Liam? Not first-time meeting material. I shook my head, grimacing, and managed to stop.

“I’m sorry. I’m, I saw you last night in the elevator.” I looked up. He had inched back a step, putting a bit more distance between us, and my chest loosened. “Is your friend okay? He was bleeding.”

He continued studying me, and he seemed more closed off. A wall that hadn’t been there a moment ago was erected between us. “He’s fine. Dorian patched him up.” His half-smile faded, but it soon sparked back up, just another glimmer. “He had a bit too much to drink last night, took a bad spill on the street.”

“That’s good that he got fixed up.”

I was confused. Did Dorian live on the top floors? Jake said the owner did, though Cole made it sound like that wasn’t the case. Cole was obviously connected to the building somehow, but I wasn’t going to figure it out here.

I pointed to the door. “I’m meeting a friend for lunch, and I still have to change. I should get going.”

He nodded. “Do you run every day?”

I started to step around him, but paused. “What?”

He watched me with those intense eyes. The feeling of being exposed to him returned. He was looking into me, through me.

“Uh. No. Ken suggested it today, but I liked it. I’ll do this again.”

“I’ll be here every day at this time, if you want to run together.”

My eyes widened. At the suggestion, my heart pounded against my chest. “Um.” My face was heating up. I averted my eyes, trained them on the door behind him, and lifted a shoulder. “Maybe. I’ll see if I can. I’m not sure, you know, about my calendar. I might have something going on.” My eyes darted back to his, and they widened once again.

He hadn’t moved, but he felt closer to me. His presence was overwhelming. “Okay,” he murmured. “Well, you’ll know where I am, if you want a running buddy.”

Then, just like that, I felt him pull away. He didn’t move, but I could breathe easier again. Now that he’d said what he wanted to, he released me. My legs were unsteady as I forced myself to walk forward.

I spoke over my shoulder, my heart racing, “Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow.”

My heart thundered as I approached the exit. As I touched the metal door handle, I heard him speak. “Yeah. Maybe.”

I sucked in my breath. That voice, those words spoken so softly—they reached inside me and wrapped around my heart. I felt him. He had power over me, and none of this made sense. He’d branded me, claiming me. I looked back over my shoulder, air suspended in my throat, but he wasn’t watching now. His hood was back up, and he kicked off, starting another lap.

My shoulders sagged. I twisted around so my back was against the door and watched him go. This man, whoever he was, whatever kind of man he was, could affect me like no other had in my life.

Something had happened here, and I had a feeling everything was going to change. I just didn’t know if it would be for the better or for the worse.

Straightening from the door, I shook my head. I was being ridiculous.

Gianni’s was already busy when I got there. Nearly every table was filled, and unlike the last time we were here, the restaurant was brightly lit. The shades over the front windows had been raised, and men in business suits, women in suits and dresses had taken over the space.

I gave the hostess my name and went to the booth reserved for us, not knowing what I’d say to Sia. I was kind of a mess. All the while I’d been showering, changing, and getting ready to meet her, my mind had still been back on the running track with Cole. I was pretty sure I’d washed my hair with my face cleanser. It didn’t have its regular volume after I dried it, but then it was too late. I’d wasted too much time in Cole La La Land, so I put it in a braid and clipped it up. It looked messily rumpled, just the way Sia loved it. She went nuts when my hair was like this, calling it “a sexy mess.”

I expected the same reaction this time, but instead, Sia rushed over, a scarf wrapped around her neck, and slid in across from me. Her sunglasses stayed on as she reached for her water.

“Oh my God.” She leaned back and let out a loud sigh. “You have no idea how thirsty I am today.”

“Hung over?”

She nodded, gulping half the water and scanning the table. “Why’s there no coffee yet?”

I raised an eyebrow. “That’s my job?”

She groaned. Her head fell to the table, cushioned by her arm. “I’m sorry. I’m the worst best friend. You’re right.” She sat up and took her sunglasses off, squinting from the brightness. “I’m hung over like no other.”

“You didn’t seem that bad when I left.”

“Oh no. Because I wasn’t.” She shook her head. “But we kept drinking. After the first really hot round in bed, we decided it was a great idea to have shots. So the shots started, and kept going. Then we broke the table. That meant more shots. We did it on his couch.”

My nose wrinkled. “I liked that couch.”

“On his kitchen island.”