Chapter Three

Lauren hurried through the entrance of the Corner Bistro, her eyes fixed on her phone as she checked the time. She was already running late, and the thought of missing her appointment made her stomach tighten.

Unfortunately, she didn't see the man approaching from the opposite direction.

“Watch out!" a sharp, irritated male voice barked at her.

The collision happened so quickly that neither of them had time to react.

"Ouch!"

Lauren stumbled backwards as a cup slipped from the man's hand. The next second, hot coffee splashed across the front of her cream blouse, spreading down towards her waist.

"Ah! Oh my God!"

She jumped backwards, her hands flying towards her chest. The heat made her skin sting, and she quickly pulled the wet fabric away from her body.

For a moment, she could only stare at the brown stain spreading across her clothes.

"Are you kidding me?" It was him again. That same low, irritated voice.

She looked up at the man standing in front of her.

He was tall, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, with a silver wristwatch peeking from beneath his sleeve. His dark hair was neatly styled, and his expression suggested that he had just experienced the greatest inconvenience of his life.

"I'm so sorry," Lauren blurted out, reaching for a tissue in her handbag. "I didn't see you coming."

Ryan glanced down at his suit. He frowned as he noticed a few drops of coffee on the sleeve of his jacket. He brushed at them with his fingers, his lips pressing into a thin line.

"Watch where you're going!" He didn't even look at her when he said it. His eyes stayed fixed on the stain on his sleeve, his voice low and frigid.

Lauren froze.

"I'm sorry?" She choked out, taking a half step back like he'd shoved her.

"Are you blind?" he snapped, holding the empty cup away from his body. "You can't just walk around bumping into people without looking where you're going."

Lauren blinked, momentarily taken aback by his tone.

She looked down at her shirt again. The coffee had soaked through the fabric, and she could still feel the uncomfortable heat against her skin.

"I said I was sorry," she replied, her voice sharper than before.

"Well, saying sorry isn't going to fix this, is it?" Ryan glanced at his sleeve again, brushing it impatiently. "Do you have any idea how much this suit costs?"

Lauren stared at him.

Was he actually serious?

She looked at her stained blouse, then at his jacket. As far as she could tell, he had barely a few drops of coffee on him, while she was standing there with half her shirt ruined.

"I'm really sorry about the collision," she said, taking a slow breath. "But you were walking too. You could have watched where you were going as well."

Ryan's hand stopped moving. Slowly, he lifted his head. His eyebrows rose, and he stared at her as though he hadn't heard correctly. "Excuse me?”

Lauren swallowed, but she refused to look away.

"I said we both should have been watching where we were going. I apologised because I know I wasn't paying attention, but that doesn't mean you get to speak to me however you like."

Ryan let out a short, humourless laugh.

His eyes travelled over her face before moving down her body and settling on the stained blouse. He shook his head, a mocking smile slowly forming on his lips.

"Unbelievable."

Lauren instinctively crossed her arms over the stain.

"What is?"

"Your attitude." He slipped his free hand into his trouser pocket. "You walk around carelessly, spill coffee on someone, and somehow you still have the confidence to stand here arguing."

She let out a disbelieving laugh and shook her head.

"Are you listening to yourself?" The words rushed out, her hands dropping to her sides in exasperation.

He finally stopped staring at the stain and slowly dragged his eyes up to hers, that mocking smile still in place.

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Well, that's interesting coming from someone who thinks the world should stop moving just because he's wearing an expensive suit."

Ryan's smile disappeared. His jaw clenched as he stepped forward, his voice rising. "Watch your mouth."

Lauren's fingers tightened around the tissue in her hand. Her heart was beating faster now, but she refused to let him see how uncomfortable he was making her.

"Or what?" she asked, lifting her chin. "You'll shout louder?"

His eyes narrowed.

For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.

Ryan wasn't used to being challenged. People usually listened when he spoke. They agreed with him, apologised when necessary and moved out of his way.

But this woman?

He was about to say something when he found himself looking at her properly for the first time.

Her eyes caught his attention.

They were a beautiful shade of brown, warm and surprisingly striking. Long, dark lashes framed them, making her irritated expression even more noticeable. There was something about the way she looked at him, as though she had absolutely no intention of being intimidated, that held his attention.

His gaze drifted briefly down to her lips. They were naturally pink, with a soft, delicate fullness. Her lips were slightly parted, and he caught himself wondering how soft they would feel beneath his. For one reckless moment, he imagined leaning closer, brushing his lips against hers and silencing whatever sharp remark she was about to throw at him with a kiss.