Page 5 of All That Glitters

By the end of the month, I finally understood the lessons my mother had taught me. But it would be years before I reached the crossroads she warned me about.

Chapter One

Midas

Ten yearslater

I’m about two seconds away from ripping this motherfucker’s arms off when I spot her.

Everything stops. It’s like someone hit mute, and all the bullshit pouring from this guy’s mouth cuts out.

My brain short-circuits, and for a second, all I can do is stare as she looks around.

She has her back to me, giving me ample time to eye fuck her without getting caught. She has long blonde hair, a tight body that she obviously takes care of, and legs that seem to go on for miles. I’ve never been jealous of a pair of shorts before, but the way the denim cups her ass and shows off every inch of her tan legs has me practically drooling.

Then she turns, and I get a look at her face.

Fuck. Me.

I’m not going to pretend I’m a saint. I like tits, ass, and legs, and this woman looks like sin sculpted just for me. But it’s her eyes that have me swallowing. Dark, inky blue pools I could see myself getting lost in as I pound into her?—

“Are you even listening to me?” the fucker in front of me snaps.

I drag my eyes away from my walking fantasy back to the prick who clearly wants to feel my fist in his face.

“I’m not the one with the fucking hearing problem. Like I told you three times already, you had thirty days to pay back what you owed, or we’d keep the item you used as collateral. You agreed to that, so don’t act all fucking surprised.”

“You don’t understand. It’s my mother’s engagement ring. My dad’s dead. He died last year, and it’s all she’s got left of him,” he says, like it will change my mind.

“Not my problem.”

“Come on, man… this’ll break her fucking heart. Look, I can get you the rest by the end of the week. Two weeks, max?—”

“No.”

“You fucking prick,” he snarls, and I reach under the counter for my gun. But before I can pull it out and aim it at this guy’s head, the blonde goddess walks over and looks the guy up and down.

“You pawned your mama’s engagement ring?”

He whips around, ready to throw down, but stops cold when he sees her. His eyes drag down her body—from the swell of her ample breasts in the cropped Led Zeppelin T-shirt to her long, lean legs in those tiny fucking shorts.

I grit my teeth the longer he looks.

She clears her throat, and his eyes snap back up to her face.

“I needed the money,” he mutters, trying to defend himself.

“You need her more, trust me. And by the sounds of it, she needs you too.”

He runs his fingers through his hair, dejected. “I fucked up.”

“Just tell her the truth,” she says. “She’s your mom.”

He looks over at the display case where his mother’s ring is, gritting his teeth hard enough for me to hear them crack. Thenall the anger drains out of him, and his shoulders slump. He turns to Blondie, nods, and walks out without a word.

She shrugs and looks up at me. “Sorry for jumping in like that. It’s just you looked like you were two seconds away from kicking his ass. And I’m not sure that would’ve been good for business.” She smiles.

Fuck.