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What the heck was wrong with me?

It had been a month since he asked me out to dinner. I was surprised he was still friendly instead of keeping his distance. Maybe I was just one of many women he’d wanted to date. So my rejection meant nothing.

I shouldn’t wonder what would have happened if I had said yes. It didn’t hurt to wonder, right? According to the relationship column in one of the magazines in my office, imagination was a healthy way to overcome difficulty or any sort of inner barrier.

Arrow got brownie points for respecting my wishes. But right now, it was awkward standing next to him, knowing what had transpired between us.

Arrow grabbed the bottles of CheckMate Red and CheckMate Black, placed them into a bag, and handed it to me. “Try them. Let me know what you think. They’re new to the market.”

“Oh. Let me pay you.” I took the bag from him, and our fingers touched.

A zap of energy sparked, and my body heat increased a few notches. I wasn’t sure if he noticed it because he grabbed a postcard and wrote his number and email for me. “It’s a gift. In return, I’d love your honest opinion. Share it with the girls. I’d like to know what they think too.”

It would be a great reason to meet up with Audri, Michelle, Kiera, and Natalie. I’d canceled on them twice this month.

“Thanks. I’ll share these with them.”

Something told me not to accept the wine, but I blamed it on my overcautious mind. How could I not suspect people? A smart girl stayed away from trouble, right? And Arrow Holt had trouble written all over him. So why wasn’t I returning the bag to him?

“What brings you here tonight?” he asked.

It was a simple question, but the words caressed my face and neck. A seductive shiver slithered up my spine, but I willed myself to appear unaffected by his presence. His voice. His eyes. This man was like a King Cobra—a threat to my sanity.

“Saw it advertised and thought I’d swing by to check it out.” I smiled.

His gray eyes considered me, probably weighing how much truth was in my statement.

Ten percent truth.

“If I had asked you to join me at this wine convention back then, I would’ve gotten my yes, correct?”

Oh, God.

CHAPTERFOUR

ARROW

I knew Vivian was lying,but seeing her flustered turned me on more than it should have. In this public arena, where I should mingle with people to boost my new bamboo wine, I was more enthralled by her sudden appearance than anything else.

Something was obviously wrong with me. Perhaps because I’d been working nonstop for months trying to complete the campaign for CheckMate. My mind and body weren’t functioning properly. But if I were to admit, I hadn’t been myself since laying eyes on her.

I’d always been drawn to mysteries, and Vivian was exactly that—a uniquely shaped box wrapped with an enticing dark velvet fabric. What treasures was she hiding?

In the Navy, I’d been tasked with dangerous operations that required my investigative skills to complete the missions. With my experience, I should also know when to abandon a mission, especially when it wasn’t safe or beneficial to me. And yet here I was, still trying to unravel a truth that could hurt me.

She rejected you, asshole. Move on.

No woman had everrejectedme. When I wanted a woman, I always got her. So yeah, I wanted to know why. When I had asked her if she was seeing someone, she said no. If there was no other man, then why didn’t she want to go on a date with me?

“It would have been a no as well.” She looked at me. “I’m not ready to date, Arrow.”

Now that was a truth I could accept. I saw it in her brown eyes. But there was also something else there. Pain? Sorrow? Fear?

“Let me know when you’re ready.”

“There are a lot of beautiful women over there who are waiting for you.” She gestured to the group of women who had surrounded me since I’d arrived. My ex stood with her social media friends.

The first time I met Vivian was at the Krazee Tavern, where she had demonstrated her martial arts skills with precision. I was intrigued and asked for a duel. That was when I got my first no.