Chapter 1

Zazie

This day was the worst.

It had all started this morning. My alarm hadn’t gone off like it was supposed to, which meant that my grandmother woke me gently.

Ha. I didn’t have that sort of grandmother. She tolerated laziness like a germaphobe tolerated a dirty toilet. She’d used a pitcher of cold water to wake me up.

After I’d finished screaming in anger about it, I’d realized that we’d run out of coffee filters and had to improvise using a paper towel. Then, like a true fucking klutz, I’d spilled my coffee on my white blouse as I walked out of the apartment when I tripped on several stairs on the way down.

Grandma was going to let me borrow her car, and I had planned accordingly. Then those plans were fucked because I saw the flat tire on the back axil.

Great, just what I fucking needed.

Fumbling with my phone, I realized it was almost out of battery, and there was no way to call my brother, or his boyfriend, to bail me out of my current crapsicle of a predicament. With a sigh, I started to walk to my job interview, hoping that I wouldn’t arrive too late and miss my slot entirely.

I wasn’t even surprised by the sudden downpour. Honestly, I thought it was the royal jewel in the shitcrown that was my morning.

It was a good southern rain, so needless to say I was drenched down to my socks within about three seconds. Now not only was I dealing with a flat tire and a coffee-stained blouse, but I also looked like I’d just taken a dip in a pool.

To add insult to injury, I realized I’d left my wallet at home, which meant I couldn’t even buy myself a snack to make this day even a bit better. I was shivering despite the fact that it was a humid eighty degrees outside, and a hot coffee that was not filled with coffee grounds seemed like it might hit the spot.

Good coffee was a dream that was going to have to die. It was probably raining too hard for me to handle a paper cup, anyway.

Yeah. This was the fucked-up sort of day where I just wished I hadn’t gotten out of bed and had stayed snuggled up in the covers, watching reruns of Criminal Minds until it was time to go to sleep and start all over again the next morning.

The problem was that I had done that all summer, and my grandmother was getting concerned. So now I had to find a job.

Not that I even had a chance of getting this job. Was it perfect for me? Probably. It was a rare-gem jewelry store, and gems were my bag. In fact, anything shiny was my bag. Still, I looked like a hot mess. A cold mess? I was shivering, but also sweaty… So hot/cold? New Orleans style, baby!

I had a feeling there was a ninety percent chance that not only were they not going to allow me to interview, but that they’d chase me out of the store like a racoon with mange.

When I finally made it to the shop, my feet were long past sore. The rain had stopped and so the sweating had begun more heartily, and I had to wring the water out of my hair so I wouldn’t look completely like a drowned rat.

I stared at the door to the jewelry store with a heavy sigh. In the window’s reflection, I noticed that I was still wearing the coffee stain, which I had honestly hoped had been washed away by rainwater.

Well, hopefully my potential boss wouldn’t judge the stain or the rip in my tights from my tumble down the stairs, or my pink cheeks from the mile walk from my grandmother’s apartment.

At least I looked committed as fuck.

Seriously, I looked like I had crawled through hell to make it here on time. Maybe they’d think, ‘Oh! No matter what, she got here!’ and applaud me? Because that wasn’t wrong—I’d do anything for this job. Hire me. I need the money.

Let’s see if commitment meant anything.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed open the door, the tiny bell above tinkling and announcing my entrance. The store was chock full of sparkling gems that caught the light in mesmerizing patterns, and for a moment I forgot all about my chaotic morning as I found myself staring at a gorgeous sparkling sapphire for a bit too long, until I realized that probably wasn’t a normal thing that people did, despite how sexy that sapphire was.

Apparently, people liked gems… But not like I liked them. Both my brother and my grandmother assured me that the way I liked them bordered on ‘unseemly’ and that it would be wise to hide that about myself.

Covering up my blunder with a smile, I walked forward and lifted my head, looking around the shop for anyone that might know where I was supposed to go.

As I approached the counter, a busty blonde jewelry attendant with what looked like an impeccable sense of style looked up from arranging a display. Her eyes widened slightly, perhaps noticing the coffee stain on my blouse or the residual dampness of my hair, and I smiled, trying to cover up my embarrassment as best as I could.

“Good morning! How can I help you today?” she greeted with a warm smile, seemingly unfazed by my less-than-perfect appearance, at least at first glance.

Good. Maybe I didn’t look like a bum after all. Maybe I actually looked human.

I mustered a smile in return, trying to ignore all the self-conscious thoughts creeping in.

“I’m here for the job interview,” I said, my voice a bit hesitant, but I held my ground.

Suddenly, she shot me a judgmental look, her expression turning icy. “Seriously?” She looked me up and down again as if I was not human after all. “Urgh. Take a seat,” she instructed, her tone devoid of the warmth she had initially displayed now that she realized I wasn’t a customer she was going to sell to, and she gave me a once over that made me feel like I was no better than the coffee stain on my shirt.

Feeling a bit taken aback, I found a chair near the entrance and sat down, my mind racing with uncertainty. As she disappeared into the back, I couldn’t help but wonder if my chances of landing this job were slipping away with each passing moment. Maybe I should just go home and save myself the misery and indignity of going through the interview at all. I was just standing up to go run and disappear right out the front door when a big burly man muscled out from the door leading to somewhere in the back of the shop.

“Zazie Henderson?”

“That’s me,” I squeaked, before I turned my head and looked up to find the most intimidating man I’d ever met. The man loomed over me at more than six feet tall, his authoritative presence almost suffocating. Dark brown hair framed his chiseled face, giving him a rugged yet undeniably handsome look. A five-o-clock shadow covered his angular jawline. His very bright jade green eyes bored into mine, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. This was a man who commanded attention without even trying, and he most certainly had mine.

I looked up into his eyes, expecting them to be locked onto my coffee stain, but was surprised when I gained full-blown eye contact.

Not just a little bit either, like a lot of eye contact. An overwhelming amount. Almost like he was into me.

I didn’t really know what to do. I hadn’t really ever dated, and I’d only just turned eighteen. This man was most certainly almost twice my age and then some, but I couldn’t tell for sure.

What was wrong with me?

This could be my potential boss, after all. Maybe he was just being friendly, and I was just being crazy about imagining that he could ever be interested in a girl like me. Yeah, that was it.

He was just being friendly. Yup.

He wore an expensive leather jacket that seemed to enhance the air of mystery surrounding him. It hugged his broad shoulders, and the intricate details suggested a level of craftsmanship that matched his seemingly no-nonsense demeanor. Designer jeans completed his ensemble, adding a touch of sophistication to the overall rugged look.

For a moment, I was at a loss for words, caught between the intimidating aura and the possible attraction that emanated from him. I opened and closed my mouth, trying to find something to say, but nothing came out.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as his gaze met mine.

He didn’t look away, and I couldn’t either.

The intensity of his jade green eyes held a power that drew me in like a moth to a flame.

It was the first set of eyes that I thought could rivel any gem. The vibrant hue resembled emeralds in the sunlight, capturing the essence of a lush green forest. They pulled me in as though they were enchanted jewels all their own, each colorful facet sparkling with an ethereal brilliance that made me want to reach out and touch him.

“She’s here for the interview,” the woman said, seemingly bored after reemerging to stand behind him. He didn’t even glance her way, having only eyes for me, which was weird and intriguing at the same time. It was as if the room had narrowed down to just the two of us, and I didn’t know what to make of that.

“I know, Sasha,” he muttered, his gravelly voice rolling down my spine like a breath of fresh air. After another long moment, I glanced in her direction, only to catch her glaring at me, almost like she was jealous, but that didn’t make any sense.

Who would be jealous of me? Especially when I looked like this…

“I’m Murtagh Rails. I’m the owner. Come with me. I’ll conduct the rest of the interview in my office,” he murmured, his gaze roving up and down my body for the briefest of seconds before his eyes settled back on mine.

The rest of it? Did that mean I’d already passed the first part?

Hell yeah.

Maybe I was finally having a little luck today after all.