“Victoria.”
“I like it.” A classy name for a classy female.
“Can I help who’s next?” a voice said.
Eric turned to find the kid at the cash register—a barista with dyed black hair and black plugs in his earlobes—waiting for him to step up to the counter and pay. He closed the distance with a single stride, set the bottle down, and took a five out of his wallet. “Just the water.”
“That’ll be four dollars and four cents.”
It was a sign of how distracted he was that he didn’t complain about the price.
He twisted the bottle open and drank, while the kid with the earlobe plugs counted out ninety-six cents in change. “Thanks.”
He shoved the change into his pocket and left the coffee shop, stopping just outside the door. Victoria would come over to him. He knew she would.
He raised the bottle to his lips again, finishing it off with big gulps.
From behind him came the clicking of heels and the scrape of suitcase wheels.
“Thirsty?” She stood beside him, iced tea in hand.
He nodded, wishing he’d bought two bottles of water or maybe four. “I spent most of the day working a controlled burn.”
She opened her tea, smiled up at him. “I can smell the smoke.”
“Yeah, sorry about that. I’m picking someone up for a friend and didn’t have time to shower or change.”
“Oh, don’t apologize. I like it.”
Holy shit.
Eric wished he could forget about Woodley and take Victoria out for a drink—and maybe something more. In his line of work, the only relationships he had time for were the casual kind. Still, hooking up with someone he’d met two minutes ago would be fast, even for him. It wasn’t going to happen—not in the middle of the airport with Woodley waiting for him somewhere. Besides, he knew nothing about Victoria—where she was going, where she was from, whether she was in a relationship.
He motioned toward one of the nearby tables. “You want to sit for a minute?”
It wouldn’t kill Woodley to wait another ten minutes.
“Sure.” She glanced at her watch.
“Waiting for your boyfriend?” Eric had to know.
Her little laugh told him she saw right through his question. “I’m not attached.”
Wasn’t it just Eric’s luck? She was beautiful, available, and completely beyond his reach at the moment. Unless she was staying here in Denver…
They walked over to a vacant table and sat.
He tried not to be Captain Obvious. “So are you coming or going?”
“I’m coming.”
The word lingered in the air between them for a moment, and Eric could tell by the flash of color in her cheeks that her mind had latched onto the double entendre just like his had. An image of her lying beneath him, lost in bliss, flashed across his mind, the thought sending a surge of raw lust through him.
Oh, didn’t he wish.
* * *
Victoria Woodley felther cheeks burn. She could see in Eric’s blue eyes exactly where his mind had gone. Her mind had gone to the same place. She wasn’t into casual hookups, but in his case, she might be willing to make an exception.