“I’m sorry if I am making you uncomfortable. I shouldn’t stare at you so much. I’m just… I don’t know. I can’t believe you would want go out on a date with me.” I burst out laughing.
Funniest. Epiphany. Ever.
“What?” He looked legitimately confused and I took another sip of wine.
“Have you seen yourself?”
“Every damn day.” He still looked confused.
“Let’s just say that I was thinking the same thing.”
“Really?” He took another bite of his steak, chewing it slowly. He was obviously rolling my words over and over in his head.
The waiter came over and refilled our glasses of wine for what seemed like the fourth or fifth time. I lost count. Even with the surf and turf in my stomach, the alcohol was starting to hit me pretty hard. What can I say? I was a lightweight. I was beginning to feel brave and a little less inhibited.
“So how did that beautiful face of yours get bruised up?”
He quirked an eyebrow at me. “You want the truth, or do you want some version of it?”
“I would love the truth. I’m all about being honest.”
“Right. Well…it’s kind of not pretty.” I raised my eyebrow. “You drive a hard bargain, my love.” I was briefly stunned when he called me “my love”. I had to shake it off.
“That I do,” I murmured.
“I got into an altercation at the gym.” Again, with the eyebrow. “He was an ass. I was defending myself. The ambulance took him away, and I wasn’t arrested. The end.”
“Hmm. Well, if it was self-defense…” Then I shrugged. He smirked and I could see the relief in his eyes.
When the waiter came back to refill our glasses once again, we ordered dessert. We ended up sharing a chocolate pot de crème. If it was just me, I would have inhaled the entire thing myself without blinking. He confessed that he had a horrible sweet tooth. Likewise, my friend.
After the delicious, outrageously priced dinner, we sat back and had a few more glasses of wine. We talked and laughed a lot. I was feeling so comfortable around him. It could have been all the wine, but we connected. Kismet? Quite possibly.
As embarrassing as this is to admit, I invited him home with me that night. I’m sure all the excess of wine had something to do with it. It made me ballsier than usual. Believe me when I say I never did that. I can count on one hand how many times I have had sex, but I couldn’t help myself. He was stunning, and I was in desperate need of him.
The entire ride back to my apartment was full of nervous laughter and small talk. When we made it to my door, I hoped Claire wasn’t there. I opened the door, and the lights were off. I thanked her silently, and flicked them on.
As soon as I closed my apartment door, Henry grabbed my face with both of his hands and began kissing me with a passion that I had never felt before. He pulled me close into his stellar body and moaned into my mouth as his tongue took over. He broke the kiss.
“It’s getting warm in here.” The rasp in his voice made my knees weak. A slow, sexy smile spread across his lips.
When he shrugged off his jacket and turned to lay it on the chair, I saw the faint lines of a tattoo across his upper back through his white button-down shirt. We took up residence on my couch. He pulled me onto his lap and I straddled his hips. His hands traveled up and down my sides. He was kissing me hungrily, and then he reached up and pulled the clip out of my hair.
“I like it down,” he murmured in my ear as my hair swept down around my shoulders. He pulled back and looked at me for a moment. “Jesus Christ, Elaina. You are so beautiful.” He dove in and kissed me some more. He was an amazing kisser. I’m sure he had tons of practice. He must have had to beat the women off with a stick. Still, I was in shock that he wanted me. I hoped I wasn’t the last single woman in the area that he hadn’t slept with yet.
He ran his hand over my small breast. I let out a slight moan and began unbuttoning his shirt.
“Maybe we should head into my bedroom?” I said, between his kisses.
“That’s up to you,” he drawled as he kissed my neck. I shuddered in excitement. I stood up and took his hand, guiding him to my bedroom.
I yanked his shirt out of his pants and finished unbuttoning it. He was deliciously fit and, from what I could see, quite aroused. I was a little nervous because he looked a little larger than I had ever dealt with…and he was still tucked in his pants!
I ran my hands down his sexy, muscled shoulders to his cut abdomen, feeling the hardness of his muscles under my small hands. He groaned as he kissed me. I traced the lines of the V that was like an arrow, directing me to the place I wanted to touch.