XanderAfter a false start home yesterday due to some stupid storm, I was finally home. The pilot had called me bright and early in the morning. He informed we had a small window to take off. I packed my shit and made it to the small airport by five. In California time, that was two. My body was screwed up. I hoped to go back to sleep but it was impossible.I cracked a few eggs into a pan before popping some bread into the toaster. I wasn’t a chef. I didn’t cook a lot, but I could cook a few things. My eyes felt gritty from the lack of sleep. I made another cup of coffee, thankful it took less than a minute to be ready to drink and sipped it while my breakfast cooked.I sat down at the kitchen bar with my iPad propped up on a holder. I took a bite of the eggs while scanning through the headlines for the day. The world was going to hell in a handbasket, as my father would say. It was depressing to read the news.My phone rang, interrupting my quiet morning. It was still early for a Sat

EvieI was a nervous wreck. I couldn’t believe how nervous I was. I wasn’t sure if I was nervous about seeing Xander or nervous about Xander meeting my father. It was new territory for me. He would be the first in a long, long, long time. I couldn’t even remember when I brought a man home. A boy. I think the last time I was probably sixteen and going to the Homecoming dance with an upperclassman. That had been a fucking nightmare.I stared down at the three dresses I had pulled from my closet and laid on my bed. I couldn’t decide what to wear. I was acting like it was my first date with Xander. It was, but it wasn’t. It wasn’t a date. It was dinner with my dad and Xander would be along for the ride. Not a date.I decided to hop in the shower before it got too late to do it and then I would really be freaking out. I showered, shaved, and slathered lotion from head to toe. I put on a matching bra and panty set that made me feel sexy. I was going through way too much trouble for a date t

XanderI pulled my car up to the valet and got out, handing him the keys. Evie was standing outside the restaurant, waiting for me. I walked toward her, putting one hand on her waist and dropping a kiss on her cheek. “You look stunning,” I told her.The dress she was wearing hugged every curve. It gave her an hourglass figure, a la Marilyn Monroe. I liked it. If only we weren’t having dinner with her father. My imagination was running wild. There was so much I could say to her that would get her juices flowing and get her into that bathroom stall with me pounding deep inside her.“Thank you.”“You are meeting me outside,” I commented. “Does that mean your dad isn’t here yet?”“No, he’s here. He’s always early.”I grimaced. “And I’m always late.”“You’re not late tonight. At least, not that late.”“Sorry,” I murmured.“It’s fine.”She didn’t move to go into the restaurant. I could sense her discomfort. “Is everything okay?”“Yes, of course. Great.”I touched her cheek, being careful no

EvieI was stunned—speechless. I didn’t know what to say or think. I turned my head, half-expecting Xander to come back to the table. He was joking, right?My dad and him had gotten together beforehand and came up with a practical joke. That was the only explanation my brain could come up with. I looked around the restaurant, wondering if Nelle had a hand in this. She knew how stressed out I was about introducing Xander to my dad. This was something she would do.I didn’t see Nelle, though. My father looked like he had just dined on glass. Xander wasn’t coming back. It wasn’t a joke. No one was going to jump out and laugh at the fact I had been pranked. This was my real life. All my fears about introducing a man to my father had just come to life.I turned back to look at my father. His cheeks were red, and his eyes were flashing with anger. His hands were clenched in tight fists resting on the table. For a brief millisecond, I stopped to notice I had never seen him so angry. No one w

XanderWhen she pulled into a parking lot that was half gravel, half blacktop, with weeds growing through the endless cracks, I wondered if she had lost her mind. There were some rather unsavory characters sitting at one of the outdoor tables. They were looking at us like we were the enemy.We were invading their territory. I wasn’t really up on the gangs in the area, but I didn’t want to step onto anyone’s turf. Could she be setting me up? Was she pissed at me and thinking to drop me off in a bad part of the city and hope I would get my ass kicked?“Um, is this some kind of payback?” I asked. “Are you planning on ditching me?”She smiled and shut off the car, indicating we were staying. “No, this is dinner. I’m not paying you back for anything, nor do I need to.”I looked around the area once again. I looked at the building with the flat roof and rather unappealing appearance. The bars on the windows really gave it that ghetto-chic look. “Is it safe? I mean to get out?”“If you mean,