AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“He said he couldn’t put it off any longer and asked me not to kick him in the balls,” I say quietly, chewing nervously on my bottom lip.
“Which means he’s been wanting to kiss you for a while. Duh!” Belle laughs.
“Fine! Then why in the hell hasn’t he said anything about it? Or, I don’t know, done it again?!” I shout, then quickly lower my voice and glance around, shooting daggers at a couple of people looking in our direction. “Maybe he thought it was a mistake. Or that it sucked. Maybe he hasn’t said anything because he doesn’t want to embarrass me. Or maybe he realizes I’m more trouble than I’m worth after having to witness that shit show with Sebastian and what it did to me.”
Cindy reaches across the table and pats my hand.
“I think you’re not really seeing what’s right in front of you,” she tells me.
The opening notes to a song that sounds strangely familiar start playing through the bar speakers, and I watch Cindy’s mouth turn up into a huge smile.
“Or, what’s right behind you,” Cindy adds when whoever is on stage starts singing.
It’s a deep, raspy voice and it’s horribly off-key. But as soon as I hear the words “kiss the girl,” I know exactly what song it is, and I quickly twist around in my chair, my eyes widening when I see Eric standing in the middle of the stage, holding on to the microphone stand, looking right at me as he sings that damn Disney song about kissing. He sounds absolutely ridiculous as he belts out the song and starts gyrating his hips, but my eyes still start tearing up as I shake my head at him.
All of a sudden, PJ and Vincent step forward from behind him, chiming in at the “sha-la-la” parts, and I’m full-on crying now, but with laughter. Cindy and Belle get up from their seats and come around the table to stand next to my chair, the three of us clutching our stomachs as these men make complete fools of themselves, with Eric singing all the versus, the other two screeching the backup parts just like the animals in the movie, and all three of them attempting to swing their arms and move their hips in sync with each other and failing miserably.
Everyone in the bar is laughing and booing, but it’s not done in a mean way or I would be slitting all their throats. It’s good-natured ribbing, and the fact that Eric chose this song reminds me once again just how well he knows me.
The three idiots on stage finish their act, taking a huge bow as the audience whistles and claps for them. My heart starts beating faster when Eric jumps down off the front of the stage and walks towards me. He’s dressed in jeans and a slim, navy blue wool sweater that’s tapered to all of his lean muscle and looks amazing on him.
“Full disclosure: The karaoke bar was Eric’s idea. He told us we needed to cheer you up and bring you here for a night of drunken debauchery and fun,” Cindy whispers in my ear, pulling back when Eric gets to me so she can run across the room and launch herself into PJ’s arms.
I slide off of my high-back bar chair to stand in front of him. As usual, the smell of his cologne makes my arms break out in goose bumps, but this time, I don’t really mind.
“So, what do you think? Do I have what it takes to make it in Hollywood?” Eric asks, his dimples showing up when he smiles down at me and grabs my hips, pulling me closer.
“I’d say don’t quit your day job,” I laugh, bringing my hands up between us to rest on his chest.
“It seems I might have a problem,” Eric says softly, sliding his arms completely around me and tugging me closer until we’re pressed together.
“You do. That singing voice is atrocious. I could hear dogs howling from miles away. I’m pretty sure I even heard a few glasses shattering back at the bar.”
I’m making jokes because my heart is threatening to beat right out of my fucking chest. I don’t know why I’m suddenly so nervous around him. Maybe it’s because he’s looking at me so seriously. Maybe it’s because ever since he started singing that stupid song, all I can think about is kissing him again.
“Nope. It’s a much more serious problem,” he tells me. “You see, ever since I kissed you the other day, I haven’t been able to get that kiss out of my fucking head. I was afraid to say anything because I didn’t want to freak you out. And I realized today that this was the dumbest thing I’ve ever done. I should have said something. I should have told you that was the hottest fucking kiss I’ve ever had. I should have told you I haven’t been able to sleep the last couple of nights because I can’t stop thinking about your taste, your mouth, and the sexy as fuck noises you made when you kissed me back.”
