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Lacey discretely walked in the diner, hoping to delay for a couple of minutes the moment her friend Ruby would tell her off. Yet, by sitting at the far away booth instead of the bar like she usually did, she betrayed herself and the red haired woman directly came to her.
“I told you he was a dick.”
“I haven't said anything yet!”
“It's never good news when you sneak in and try to hide yourself. So spit it out quickly before granny notices I'm not working.”
The brunette looked down at her fists on her thighs and sighed. Of course her friend was right, but the fact that she already knew her relationship was a disaster didn't help her to confess.
“Okay, you were right. Dating Keith was the worst idea of my life, and I won't get caught ever again.”
“You do realize that's what you said about Felix and Walsh, right?”
“I know!”
Just like after all her break ups, the guilt was too much for her to stand. Lacey raked her hand through her hair and tried for once to think straight about her problem with men.
“It's like I'm addicted to assholes. I know it's going to end badly but I can't help myself. They all look so lonely, and sad, and in need of a good hug... And the danger is just so exciting.”
When Lacey looked up, Ruby was watching her with a deep compassion. The two of them had been friends since the brunette came in town to reopen the public library and stopped here for her lunch break. They cared deeply about each other, so it was only logical for Ruby to be worried about her. Without her comfort, she would have gone through several long depressions.
“You know what?” Ruby asked her as she leaned toward her to get all her attention. “You're too nice for these douche bags. They don't deserve you. Why don't you ask Gaston out?”
Lacey snorted at the mention of the man who kept flirting with her. Though he came to the library at least once a week to borrow books, she seriously doubted he ever read one of them, based on the answers she got from him when he returned them. Sometimes she pitied the poor man. He really was nice and neat, so them being together could work for a while. But he was also dull and stupid. She knew she would get tired of him eventually.
As she tried to find the right words to make Ruby understand once and for all why dating Gaston was out of question, Lacy's eyes wandered to the diner's opening door. Mr. Gold walked in, looking as smug as ever with his designer suit and golden handled cane. He send his usual general glare at everyone in the diner, and caught Lacey staring.
It wasn't the first time she saw him. Though he never came to the library, his shop was close enough that they often crossed paths. Like each time, the sight of him made her quiver despite herself. That mystery of a ruthless man had mesmerizing eyes from which she couldn't look away. Thrill and fear squeezed her heart at once, making it skip a beat. It was so wrong, but she wanted it badly. She couldn't let it stop here.
Instead of looking away, Lacey send him a sensual smile. Gold frowned briefly, eyed her suspiciously for a couple of seconds, and took a seat at the bar. Ruby glanced behind her, spotted the reason why Lacey was biting her lips instead of answering her, then scowled at her.
“Lacey, no.”
“Lacey, yes.”
“You can't be serious!”, Ruby yelled low enough that the bastard couldn't hear them. “He's the worst of them all, the king of assholes. He's going to eat you up in no time. He's a wolf and you're a sheep, you're not supposed to want him, Lacey.”
“How can you be so sure about that? Have you ever talked to him? Like, in a real conversation?”
“I'm not listening your 'he's not that bad' speech. You defended the other dicks you went out with too, and look where it lead you. Crappy guys lead to crappy relationships, you should have learned the lesson by now. Why are you so keen to get devoured by yet another monster?”
Lacey knew that question all too well. It was that one she asked herself every morning. She still had no answer, though. Maybe that explained why she made the same mistake over and over again. When one relationship ended, she always promised herself not to get trapped by her feelings again. But each time she did the exact opposite: she looked for trouble and found it.
“I don't know. I know it's wrong. I'm wrong. But I can't help wanting them. I could have Gaston the knight in shining armor, but I want Gold the dark sorcerer.”
“Do you remember what you said just a minute ago?”
“Yes. I'm a dysfunctional human being. I'm aware of that. Anyway it's too late for me, now. All you can do is wish me luck and hope that he won't kill me for flirting with him.”
“Or I can poison his food to kill him before you get the chance to waste your life on another jerk.”
“Too late for that too.”
Mr. Gold snatched the brown paper bag containing his lunch from Granny's hands and made his way to the exit. He opened the door, but before going out, he glanced back at her. Lacey jumped at the intensity of his gaze. She didn't even dare to breathe for fear of breaking whatever spell made him notice her. Too stunned to do more than bite her lips, she breathed in sharply when he grinned at her. Before she could do anything, he was gone.
“You're going to regret this, Lacey.”
“Not this time. I think... I think he might be the one.”
Without waiting for her friend's reply, Lacey gathered her things and ran out the diner as fast as her high heels allowed her. She couldn't explain it, but Gold made her feel something different from other men.
With one single glance, he could set her whole body on fire. He had a particular charm that belonged only to him, something both dangerous and vulnerable. Lacey knew herself all too well, there was no way for her to keep the distance between her and this mysterious dark man. She wanted him body and soul, no matter the consequences.
From afar, she saw him going inside his shop. Good, if they had some privacy, he was more likely to accept her offer. The little bell rang when she opened the shop's door. Gold's eyes immediately captured hers in a tantalizing gaze. He send her an amused grin she didn't know if she should welcome or fear. She bit her lips to repress a shiver and walked to the counter behind which the smug man was standing.
“Can I help you, dearie?”
His voice did things to her that almost made Lacey close her eyes in delight.
“I hope so,” she said with her most seductive tone before licking her lips. “You see, I realized we've been working close to each other for years and I still don't even know your first name. So I wondered if you were free tonight. We could have a drink or two at The Rabbit Hole, to get to know each other.”
The bastard laughed at her. Lacey didn't give up yet. She knew he would be hard to get and she was prepared to face whatever he was going to throw at her.
“Ah. I wondered when my time would come.”
“What do you mean?”
Gold grinned at her confused face for a couple of seconds, like he enjoyed a joke she didn't get.
“People talk, dearie. I know about your past relationships and what your suitors had in common,” he explained with disdain. “I even heard talks about bets of when you'd come to me.”
For a moment, Lacey stupidly gaped at him. That was unexpected. When Gold raised his eyebrows, she closed her eyes and sighed before looking back at him.
“Does that mean I'll have to go drink alone tonight?” she asked with defiance.
Gold scrutinized her for one more moment. At least, he seemed to hesitate. Everything wasn't lost yet.
“I'm nothing like the morons you dated. If you just want to have some fun tonight and be gone before sunrise, you'd better go find yourself a young stallion.”
So his prejudice was his only reason to turn her down. She could work with that. Without breaking eye contact, Lacey walked round the counter to get closer to him. He didn't stop her.
“I'm done with young stallions and relationships with no future. I want something real with a man who makes me shiver with nothing but his gaze.”
She stopped only a breath away from him, so close that she could feel his labored breathing on her mouth.
“No. You don't.”
For a moment, she feared he might physically push her away. His expression kept changing from intimidating to reluctant and frightened.
“Why not?” she whispered.
“I'm a difficult man to love,” he murmured.
There was so much sadness in his deep brown eyes, so much fear of rejection... How was she supposed not to fall in love with him?
“We'll see about that.”
Slowly, Lacey rose up on her toes to reach for his mouth. Gold didn't move, neither to push her away, nor to bend down. She captured his lips between her own and tasted the salt on his mouth along with something bitter like almonds. When it was clear he wouldn't kiss her back, she let him go. His eyes were full of disbelief, and looked into hers as if the answer he longed to find was hidden there.
“Why?” he asked, completely lost.
“Because I want you.”
She could have given him a hundred reasons why she was so attracted to him, but only this one mattered. Gold seemed to think the same. He smirked at her and devoured her with his eyes. Lacey trembled under his gaze. If he wasn't the one for her, then no one was.