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“I’ve surprised you.” I reached for her hand but stopped myself and instead, rested my hand on my leg. “Do you want to go?” I hated that I was letting my doubts lead me to thinking that she didn’t want to be here with me.
Her face softened at my words and she reached for my hand, clasping our fingers together. “No.” She smiled at me. “I’m just surprised that we’re here. Together. Alone.” She giggled. “Without our bodyguards.”
I laughed loudly when she said that. “I may have told them to meet us at a different place.”
Her eyes widened in surprise before she grinned at me. “You were sneaky. Wanted me all to yourself, did you?” Her tone was teasing but her eyes were serious as they gazed at me.
“Yes.” I brought our clasped hands up to my lips and kissed the back of her hand. “I want to know you,” I spoke against her skin as I lowered our clasped hands down to my thigh. “I want to know what goes on in that head.” She lowered her face when I said that, hiding from me and I fucking hated it. I quickly reached up and grasped her chin, raising her eyes back to me, forcing myself to be gentle with her. “I like you, Isobel. It’s been a long time since I’ve wanted to know anyone.” I blew out a breath, worrying that I was laying it all on too thick and too fast. “I want you to know me. A little.”
“Why?” she asked. “Why do you say,‘a little’?” Her face was so open and honest that it killed me to say what I was about to.
I sighed. “Well…” I waved my hand to my ear where my small hearing aid was. “I’m not exactly the perfect man. After coming home and being discharged…” I closed my eyes, trying to block out the memories of the bad dreams I have. “It hasn’t exactly been easy adjusting to civilian life.”
“Can you hear with it in here?” she asked, gesturing to her own ear.
“No.” I shook my head at her. “Because of the noise, I need to watch your lips.”
Her tongue peeked out and she licked her lips, moistening them. The sight of her tongue wetting her lips went straight to my cock and I knew that being with this woman would mess with my head.
“I like it,” she whispered. “It makes me feel…” She paused for a moment, thinking of the right word. “Desirable, I guess. Wanted.”
“You are,” I whispered. “Desirable. Beautiful. Gorgeous.” I stopped and smiled at her. “Pretty girl.”
She smiled at me as she stepped forward. “I don’t mind beingyourpretty girl.”
I had no time to reply before she was leaning closer and pressing her lips to mine. It was short and sweet but as she rested our hands on my leg I knew I was screwed as she moved them slowly to rest on top of her exposed thigh. I knew that there was nothing further to say. She understood me on some level and I was excited—for the first time in a while—to get to know her.
* * *
Walking with her down the block—hand in hand—I made a deal with myself there and then. It was time to put my past where it was—in the past—and leave it there. I couldn’t let the ghosts of my mistakes and my regrets over what had happened consume me a moment longer. The last girl I had taken a chance on was Lauren but she had belonged with Thomas.
Isobel was different. With Lauren, for the very short time that we were together, had been strained because I knew that she was in love with Thomas. As far as I knew, Isobel wasn’t attached to anyone in her little group of friends. I only knew a little of Isobel’s life and I was desperate to know more.
My phone vibrated in my back pocket but I didn’t bother checking it. I knew who it was as I could see him standing outside the club I had told everyone to meet at. As I squeezed through the crowds of people mingling outside, I made sure to keep hold of Isobel’s hand as we squeezed through single-file.
“Where have you been?” Luke asked when his eyes landed on me. “It’s been an hour and…” His eyes widened in surprise and his mouth dropped open when he saw Isobel trailing behind me. Well, more specifically when he saw her hand in mine and how close she was to me. “Never mind.” He grinned as he stepped forward and leaned down to kiss her cheek. “There’s me worrying about you and you had snuck off with this one.” He gave her a cheeky wink. “So.” He gazed at us. “How long has this been going on?” he asked, waving his hand between Isobel and I.
She giggled at Luke’s mocking. “Well, I’ve wanted to climb him like a tree since I saw him on the video chats when he was wrapped in nothing but a towel with water droplets trailing down his body…”
I couldn’t have wiped the shock off my face if I had tried at her words.
Luke burst out laughing before he stepped ahead and led the way to the doors. “You two are going to be fun to watch.” He held the door open for us and escorted us over to the table that all our friends were waiting at. “Look who I found,” he teased.
I watched as he took a seat next to Freddie and as he whispered something in his ear, I stood tall as Freddie’s eyes shot to mine. His eyebrows were raised and I wasn’t sure if it was in shock or anger that I had stolen Isobel away.
I helped her remove her coat and watched as she went over to Freddie and gave him a hug. I tried not to watch their interaction but as she spoke to him, I could see him relax a little. Not much but a little. He nodded his head at me in a polite way but I knew that he may want to speak to me later when we got back to the apartment. I was feeling nervous about that but as Luke grinned at me, I knew that whatever he had to say would be okay.
I wanted Isobel and I had nothing to be worried over. That was what I told myself anyway.
“Are you okay?” she asked me as she took the empty spot next to me. She placed her hand on top of mine that was resting on the table. I stared at her for a moment before I flicked them away, urging her to take a glance at our audience. She looked around, noticing that every single member of the group was watching us. “What?” she asked. They quickly stopped staring at us and went back to their conversations. “It’s not a peep show,” she muttered. She tightened her fingers on mine. “Let’s dance,” she announced.
“Uhhhh…” I stared up at her as she stood, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. I noticed some of the group stand up and move toward the dancefloor. Luke clapped me on the shoulder as he passed. “I’m not really good with the dancing.” I expected her to laugh at me but she just stared down at me with a warm smile on her face.
“It’s okay.” She gave me a gentle tug, urging me to get up. “I’ll show you. We can go slow.” She stared down at me, noticing that I wasn’t taking the hint to stand. “Come on. We’re getting to know each other, right?”
“Right,” I muttered.
“Right.” Another pull on my hand was successful in getting me to my feet. “And one thing to know about me,” she said as she pulled me closer to her, “is that I like dancing.” She turned back around and slowly led me to the dancefloor where a beat was sounding through the club. Feeling it vibrate through the floor was giving me enough of a hint on how to move my body with hers.
