Chapter 3 - Brooklyn

Brooklyn glanced down at her phone again from inside the laundromat.

She was hoping her car would last her a little longer, at least until she had to marry Vincent. Now that didn’t seem like a possibility with the way her lights wouldn’t even turn on.

A message came from Vincent. ‘I forgot to tell you. This new guy, Hunter, is coming to jump start your car.’

Great. He wasn’t even coming.

Brooklyn would be naive to believe there would ever be anything between her arranged fiance and herself. Neither of them wanted this relationship, but they were both forced into it.

Brooklyn’s heart still belonged to the mysterious man she met the day she and her mother landed in the hospital. It sounded a bit ridiculous, but she doubted she would ever get past it.

It was the most traumatic day of her life. She was just a junior in High School and Brooklyn finished her last softball game of the year. To celebrate, Brooklyn’s mother had them stop by the store to grab some ice cream.

The robber came in so quick nobody knew what to do. When Brooklyn’s mother refused to give them what they wanted, they were quick to shoot them both and leave them out there to bleed and die.

Brooklyn touched her stomach where her scar was. She had barely handled the pain that exploded through her when the bullet entered before it finally turned numb.

It was then that she saw him.

His golden eyes were the first thing that caught her attention. She focused on them, unable to hear the words he was speaking. His inky black hair was sweaty and disheveled, but his perfect complexion made up for the minimal flaws.

Despite the yearning that pulled at her, she couldn’t stay conscious any longer and the world fell dark.

Ever since she woke up in the hospital alone, she had been thinking about those eyes.

They still haunted her to this day. It was the reason why she hasn’t been in a serious relationship since.

The soft rumble of a car pulled into the parking lot and slid into the spot next to hers. Brooklyn snatched her purse and slung it over her shoulder, assuming it was the new guy here to jump her car for her.

When he stepped out of the car, her eyes went wide.

He looked just like him.

Sharp black hair was styled perfectly, accenting his sharp jawline and perfectly straight nose. Brooklyn watched him climb out of the shiny new car and admired the agility and strength he moved with as he reached into the backseat and grabbed a large toolbox.

She couldn’t take her eyes off him.

Brooklyn watched as he looked into the driver's side window of her car. She finally sprinted out the door, her mind finally snapping back into place.

She felt her heartbeat increase as she walked towards him.

She needed to see his eyes.

He turned sharply and locked his amber eyes on her, their golden color bringing her memory back full-force.

They were the same eyes that have haunted her dreams for almost ten years.

She looked him over again, trying to memorize every detail of his body. Brooklyn felt her quickened heartbeat stutter when his toolbox fell from his grasp, clashing loudly on the ground.

In a second, his arms were wrapped around her, coiling her tightly to his hard body. His broad shoulders towered over her, but he held her firmly against his chest.

She inhaled deeply, loving the clean, rustic smell of this man. She doubted she could describe it as anything other than him. It had her head spinning and her heart doing cartwheels.

After all that time thinking about him, she was starting to think she made him up.

But he was real.

She felt one of his arms slip from around her, allowing for more breathing room. His hands snaked up to her neck, his fingers curling in her thin, blonde strands as he gripped the nape of her neck.

Her eyes connected with his and she lost her breath again. His yellow eyes bore intensely into hers, his gaze drinking her up. His vision was covered with a layer of unshed tears and she watched as one escaped and rolled down his cheek.

Without thinking, Brooklyn reached up and ran her finger along his cheek, wiping the stray tear from his flawless face.

Before she knew what was happening, his lips were attached to hers.

Shock was followed by intense flames as his lips covered hers. She felt her toes curl at the heat that flowed through her at the feel of his warm lips against hers.

Brooklyn let out a breathy moan as he started moving his lips against hers. She followed his actions, melting their lips together. He dominated their kiss and drank her in like she was his air.

The emotion and vulnerability he poured into their kiss fogged her mind. He drank her in like he needed her. Like this was the last time they would see each other.

Her breathing became more intense as he pulled her bottom lip between his teeth. His own breathing intensified and he gently pressed his teeth into her before covering it with his lips again, meeting her own enthusiasm.

She curled her fists into his perfect black hair while he dug his fingers into her waist, pulling her tight and firm against him as they drank each other in.

Goodness, he felt amazing.

The vibration of her phone pulled her from her trance.

She quickly stepped back and her brain snapped back into place.

She was engaged to another man.

Brooklyn backed up to put much-needed space between them. Her phone started its usual chime and she reached into her pocket quickly, answering before looking at the contact.

“Brooklyn, did Hunter find you?”

Vincent’s voice was like a bucket of cold water.

Brooklyn studied the man in front of her. He was breathing hard, his red lips swollen and his face flushed from her their kiss. She felt shame flood over her.

She just kissed another man while she was engaged.

The most embarrassing part was it was the best kiss she has ever had. And she couldn’t find it in her to regret her actions.

Regardless of her engagement with Vincent being purely business, Brooklyn still felt a sense of honor going into their arrangement. It was relatively easy considering she hadn’t felt anything for any other man since this man saved her life.

Every time she thought of holding hands or kissing someone else, his face would remind her of a promise that would never be fulfilled.

Regardless of his sudden appearance, she had a promise to uphold.

“Brooklyn? Are you there?”

Brooklyn snapped her attention to her phone again and turned around, needing to get Hunter out of her sight.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m here.”

“I’ve been calling your name forever,” Vincent’s annoyed voice snapped at her. “If he’s there, tell Hunter that I need him back as soon as possible. One of our lifting machines just broke down and he is on the clock.”

Brooklyn couldn’t tear her thoughts away from the mysterious man. “Yeah, okay. We will hurry back.”

The soft click from her phone alerted her of her fiance’s quick dismissal of their conversation.

“You’re Brooklyn,” a deep voice rasped.

Oh my goodness.

She spun around to face the man that had bewitched her.

His voice. It was by far the deepest she had ever heard before. He spoke with a distinct raspiness that almost put her in a trance.

Brooklyn tried to shake her head from her distracting thoughts. “And you’re Hunter?”

Hunter looked like he was deep in thought. The heat in his eyes told her he was torn between crossing the distance between them again and staying as far away as possible.

“You’re engaged.”

His deep words sounded choked.

“Yes.”

“To Vincent.”

Brooklyn nodded, not able to recover quickly enough from the hypnotizing sound of his voice.

“Why?”

“I don’t think that’s any of your business.” Brooklyn was starting to feel uncomfortable, so she crossed her arms over her chest. “Vincent said he needs you back at the shop as soon as possible.”

Hunter looked undeterred by her notification. Instead, he studied her a while longer until a sexy smile showed his perfect teeth. “So you don’t love him.”

Brooklyn huffed and stepped back, trying to pull back from the trance he had sucked her into.

When did it get so hot out here?

“Are you going to jump my car?”