Exclusive Excerpt - Beauty Mark

I make my way back outside to my table with my pretentious drink in hand. Hell, everyone who gets coffee at Starbucks is buying hoity-toity shit. I don’t know why she cares what I order. Pulling out my chair, I feel him staring before I see it. The hair rises on the back of my neck. I turn in alarm to see Brainiac’s pastel green eyes gazing in my direction. Without his glasses on, the contrast is even more striking than I realized. I can’t stop staring. My lips part, knowing I need to say something, but words escape me. The world tilts on its axis and time slows as he stands to extend his hand in greeting. “Hey. I’m Davis.” Still standing there like a daft cow, I nod. No words, just a goofy grin. I realize I’m still not moving and I desperately need to say something to avoid looking like a moron, but nothing comes out. I lose myself in his eyes, mesmerized by their beauty; the color is the most satisfying thing I’ve ever seen. They could calm the most vicious of storms and make the darkest day bright. Wow. Then he smiles. A quirky smile. He appears to think it’s cute that I can’t formulate words. I’ve seen this guy every day for months and he never struck me the way I see him in this moment. The chemistry is undeniable. He grabs my hand, still hanging by my side, to shake it. “And your name is?” His teeth are perfectly white, and straight—all but one. It’s just a hint of crooked and somehow makes his perfect smile all that much more. As if he smacked me, I finally come to my senses, shaking my head. “Gah. Sorry. I’m Callie. It’s nice to meet you.” I wait for him to release my hand, but he stands in front of me without letting it go. I can tell by the look on his face he feels something, too. When he finally releases his clasp on my fingers, it’s as if a great wind just swept through and took something that didn’t belong to it. I glance around, looking for what’s missing, but realize it’s only his touch. ~ Coming November 21, 2016 ~