Never Been Ready (Bonus Scenes)

Deleted Opening Scene

Is it possible to die of boredom?

As I sat there, listening to my date ramble on about all of the stocks and bonds he worked with on a daily basis, I wondered if I could actually implode from the amount of boredom floating around in my system. I was this close to poking my own eye out with my dinner fork.

"So, Leah. What is it that you do?" my date Neil asked, taking his napkin to his perfectly sculpted lips before tucking it back neatly onto the lap of his expensive looking slacks.

Oh, we were talking about me now?

He had been so busy talking about himself for so long, I'd almost forgotten I was here. I just naturally assumed he had as well.

"Well, I'm a nurse," I began, "I work in Labor and Delivery so I see lots of babies, and queasy men."

I didn't even get another sentence in before he was talking again. This time, it was actually about me. But he was still talking. The voice I thought was sexy and sultry at the beginning of the evening was now the vocal equivalent of nails on a chalkboard. I literally could not wait to get home.

"Do you know what your retirement plan looks like? How old are you? You should stop by the office sometime next week, and we will take a look at it and make sure you are on track. Don't want to save too little and end up short!" he said with a laugh.

I guess he thought that was supposed to be funny. I didn't laugh.

This was the date from hell. It was the first date I'd been on in months. It was the first time I had got off my ass and stepped out of the house in six months. If I'd known it was going to be this disastrous, I would have skipped the wax on my lady parts and spent extra money on a massage instead.

God, my life had really become lame, and there was only one person to blame.

Declan James.

Declan was childhood pals with my best friend's husband Logan. We'd met one night at a bar, when Clare and Logan were dating. Declan is an up and coming star in Hollywood, and well... he's goddamn gorgeous. Tall and rugged, with chocolate brown hair, he has hazel eyes that seemed to take on a life of their own, depending on his mood. I knew who he was the minute he walked in that bar, despite his obvious attempts to hide his appearance. Even with his baseball cap pulled tight against his head, and dark sunglasses, I knew. I'd recognize that rugged jawline and chiseled body anywhere. I'd spent enough hours on the internet looking at him, and even more lying in bed thinking of all the naughty things I could do to him if given the chance.

And suddenly there he was, staring at me from across the bar. My wet dream come to life. His eyes locked with mine, making me feel hot and flustered. I didn't do flustered. Up until that point, I'm not even sure I understood the complete definition of the word. I've always been confident around men. They are easy to control, nice to be around and I'd come to the realization some time ago, weren't worth the trouble. I'd had a long line of men who had failed me, and after the last one left, I was sick of investing my emotions and feeling things for the part of our species who was too inept and stupid to reciprocate. I made the mistake of letting one too many in, and I was done. Done with men and their lies. They never followed through with any promise and they never loved you enough to stay. So, I swore off of them. Until my eyes found Declan James, standing in a crowded bar, and I suddenly forgot how to breathe.

By the time Logan and Declan made it to our table that night, I was nearly panting. My nether regions were on high alert, and wanted to play. It was all I could do to keep from whimpering. By the time the two of us were left alone, I had barely said two words to him. It wasn't that I was star struck. The problem was I was so goddamn horny, my brain wouldn't function. I kept telling myself, "It's just another man. A really hot, yummy man. Stop drooling and say something." But nothing would come out.