Page 8 of Penny & Royce

Thank goodness she was alone.

She slowed when she caught sight of him. There was a flicker of caution in her eyes, but it was quickly joined by something else.

Curiosity?

Intrigue?

He didn’t move. Nothing good would come from scaring her off. And when she straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin, he knew he’d made the right choice.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded.

Her voice was like liquid gold. Soft and sultry while also confident and commanding.

Royce grinned. “Hoping for a chance to talk to you.”

She stiffened, her eyes narrowing. “Why?”

“Because I tried to buy you a ginger ale, and you disappeared before I could introduce myself.”

Her gaze flicked over him, cautious but not unfriendly. “I didn’t expect you to be right beside me.”

“I know.” He dipped his chin. “Sorry about that.”

That seemed to surprise her.

Good.

Maybe he had one useful brain cell left after all.

“Well,” she said, folding her arms. “I’m here. What do you have to say?”

Cocking his head to the side, he shoved his hands into his back pockets. “You felt it too, didn’t you?”

“Felt what?” This time there was an almost indiscernible tremor in the words she spoke.

“This pull between us. Earlier today. Then back at the bar. And now.” He took one small step closer, watching her face carefully. “Or maybe I’m the only one losing my mind over it.”

Her lips parted in surprise, and for a second, she didn’t answer.

Royce kept his hands to himself, though it took more restraint than he cared to admit. “I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable.”

“You’re doing a surprisingly good job of making me unsure whether I should be uncomfortable.”

He laughed under his breath. “Fair enough.”

A tiny smile tugged at her mouth before she seemed to remember she didn’t know him. “Are you always this direct?”

“Usually, I’m worse.”

“That’s not comforting.”

“I’ve been told I’m a work in progress.”

Her gaze dropped to his boots, then lifted back to his face. “And what exactly are you progressing toward?”

He shrugged. “Depends on the day. Today? Becoming the kind of man who can talk to a woman without making a fool of himself.”

Penny blinked at him, and something in her expression softened before she shook her head. “Okay… and on the other days?”