Page 107

Hildy toldme to walk right into Turquoise Crown before she left, but I can’t do that. I won’t surprise Opal because I shocked the hell out of her last night, and I’m trying to gain some ground with her. Walking into her bar unannounced won’t help me.

I knock softly on the glass in the center of the door. I see her approaching with her face buried in her phone.

She looks like a vision.

As soon as her head pops up, she spots me.

For some reason, I give her a small wave. I regret it almost immediately. It feels too trite, given what’s happening between us.

I’m surprised when her hand jumps into the air, and she waves back. There’s no smile to back it up, but she’s not frowning, either. She’s focused on me, and the last few steps until she reaches the door.

She swings it open. “William.”

I didn’t realize how badly I was craving that sound. Hearing her say my name almost brings me to my knees in gratitude. I didn’t know if I’d ever hear it again.

“Come in.” She motions for me to enter. “Please come in.”

I step over the threshold and enter the bar. I only take a few steps before she scoots around me to lock the door.

“I was planning on sending you a text,” she tells me as she moves around me again, this time headed toward the bar. “Do you want something to drink?”

A glass of scotch would hit the spot and curb my nerves, but I opt for a safer choice. “Water would be great.”

“I can do that.”

She doesn’t glance in my direction as she fills a tall glass with water. Her focus is solely on it with each step she takes before she hands it to me. Our fingers brush, sending a pulse of awareness through me. That’s only ever happened to me with her touch. I want to feel it again and again, so I need to clear my thoughts so I can say what I have to in order to convince this beautiful woman that trusting me with her heart is the right move.

As I swallow from the glass, she taps the face of my watch. “You have thirteen and a half minutes left, so start talking.”

64

Opal

William tugson the back of one of the wooden chairs next to the table that is home to the vase of beautiful violet roses. I studied each one after I got back from meeting with Percy.

Every single rose is perfect, from its shape to its fragrance.

For a time, I thought the man facing me was perfect, but I know better now. He’s human. He has flaws and makes mistakes. For some reason, those imperfections make me love him more.

I do love him, and I believe with all of my soul that he loves me too.

“I was wrong to take Percy on as a client without a thorough understanding of his motives.”

I nod. “I agree.”

William takes a deep breath. “Often, when a man contacts me, he’s not looking for me to act as a link between him and a woman. A lot of what I do is counsel men. I help them uncover what they believe their full potential is, and we work together so they can reach that.”

“I understand,” I say, although the details are still a little murky. I want to talk specifics, not generalities, so I bring up the name of the elephant in the room. “It was different with Percy.”

He scratches his jaw. “I sought you out to see if I could determine if you were a good fit for him. I intended to befriend you and gather information on what you liked and didn’t like.”

“So you could tell if I had anything in common with him?” I ask.

“That was a big part of it,” he admits. “The other part is that sometimes men are clueless about how to approach a woman. If I hand them a few facts about what she might be interested in, that can help break the ice.”

I take in those words as I replay our early interactions in my mind.

“The day we met, I was walking by to get a sense of where you set up shop.” His hand circles the air above his head. “I didn’t know it was a game bar at the time. I had no idea how it connected to Turquoise Crown.”