Chapter Twenty-Seven
Luke
It took Fallon under ten minutes to quickly change, but when she came back into the salon, she looked like an entirely different person.
Her curls are wild, exactly how I like them, loose down her back.
She’s changed out of her uniform and into a shirt and skirt, showing off those beautiful, long legs of hers.
The only thing that hasn’t changed is the sadness in her eyes.
“Can’t get the girl out of your mind?” I ask.
She shrugs her shoulders, “No. I’m just so worried about her, and I don’t even know her. I didn’t even get the chance to find out her name.”
“I wish there was something we could have done.”
“Me too,” she gives me a half smile.
“You look gorgeous, Fallon,” I say the moment she is close enough for me to touch.
I take her hand in mine, pulling her in for a quick kiss before we leave, locking up the salon. I'm taking her to an Italian restaurant that I have heard Maya talk about. I hope she likes it as much as Maya does.
Walking down the street with Fallon's hand in mine doesn’t feel real.
Maybe it's because I know she could flip the switch on her heart at any moment. Even though I know it’s the last thing she wants to do.
I can't stop myself from looking over at her.
I love how her height fits perfectly against me.
All it would take is for me to dip my head slightly to take her lips with mine.
But I can't do that, not yet. I know her mind isn’t with it today, and the last thing I need to do is tip her over the edge. Luckily for me, my food choice is bang on the money. As soon as the restaurant is in sight, her eyes brighten, and a broad grin crosses her face.
“Oh, my god. How did you know I love it here?” She gasps, doing a little happy dance. “I know what I'm going to order already.”
I chuckle, “So I did good?”
“Fuck yes,” she turns to give me a ‘duh’ look.
“Thank god,” I laugh, following her inside as she takes the lead.
Although I have been living in Worcester for a while now, I have never tried this place before. It looks authentic, as though we’re actually in Italy, with orange walls and warm lights. Each table has its own candle glowing, sitting atop a red chequered tablecloth.
We’re greeted by a waiter and ushered over to our table.
I manage to beat him to it, so I can pull the chair back for Fallon.
A guy has to show all of his cards when trying to win the woman he’s falling hard for.
She smiles up at me from her seat, and it takes everything inside of me not to reach down and drag her lips to mine.
I force myself to take my own seat across from her.
At least this way, I don’t have to take my eyes from hers.
She looks incredible. She barely has a scrap of makeup on her face, and she is all the more beautiful for it. The candle between us flickers, a golden light cast over her. She’s a fucking angel. If only no one were here, the things I would do…
“What?” She asks, lifting a brow.
“Just thinking of all the things I'd love to do to you right now.”
She sucks in her bottom lip, biting it in the way I love, knowing exactly what she's fucking doing to me.
“Oh really,” her tone dropping, and she leans closer. “And what exactly would you do?”
Fuck, one sentence from her has my cock straining against the seam of my trousers. Down boy, I mentally tell my third leg. There is a time and a place, but what better place than right here?
Stretching, I place my feet between hers and push her legs open slightly. Her eyes spring wide, her mouth slack as a little gasp leaves her lips.
“The first thing I'd do is run my fingers from your knee slowly up your inner thigh. To tease you, just for a moment. Edging closer, until I can feel you squirm,” her breathing is coming faster now as she readjusts herself in her seat. “And then,”
“Are you ready to order something to drink?” The waiter interrupts, springing out of bloody nowhere.
I can’t help the smugness I feel at seeing the blush growing on Fallon's face. Her legs tighten, trapping one of mine in the middle. She’s adorable. God, as if I couldn’t control myself until we’d even ordered drinks.
Since Fallon seems to have lost her voice, I smirk and order for both of us. I pick the first bottle of wine I see on the list, as well as water for the table.
“Maybe we should wait until we’re out of here before I continue any of that,” I say playfully.
Her eyes are filled with desire as she replies, “Do we even need to eat?”
Laughing, I lean back into my seat.
“Baby, I am counting down the minutes until I can throw you over my shoulder and take you to my bed.”
“I vote for that option,” she says, eyeing me with her lust-filled gaze.
“Not until you’ve eaten, then I promise I’ll do exactly that.”
“Urg, you’re a mood hoover,” she groans, but she can't hide her smile. “It’s been a long few nights without you.”
“Tell me about it,” I groan, wanting nothing more than to bend her over the table and fuck her for everyone to see. But I could lose my job for doing something so indecent. At the moment, looking at how gorgeous she looks, I’m willing to take the chance.
“We really do need to talk,” she admits with her own groan. Breaking my fuck fest of a daydream.
She worries her bottom lip, but before she can say any more, the waiter appears with our drinks.
Showing me the bottle of wine, I signal for her to let Fallon taste it.
She pours a small mouthful into a glass.
And of course, Fallon, being Fallon, she downs it in one.
A small contented moan leaves her before she licks the last drop from her lips.
Fuck me sideways. I need to be good and actually find out what's going on with her, and not think of what else those lips could be doing.
“I take it this one is okay?” The waitress asks with a smile.
“Yes, girl. Pour away, I love it,” she giggles.
Once the drinks are poured and our food orders taken, I raise my glass to hers.
“Cheers,” I say.
“Don’t forget to make eye contact. I would die if I had to endure seven years of shit sex,” she says with a look of complete horror on her face.
I laugh. “You don’t have to worry about that. I could stare at you all day long.”
With our eyes locked, our glasses clink together, and we both take a long sip of our drinks. Is it normal that I find it a fucking turn on when she puts anything near her mouth? Surely I need some medical help, I should know, after all.
“So…” she says, that look of worry back in place.
“You do know you don’t have to tell me anything?” I ask. The last thing I want is for her to pull away even more.
“No, I want to. I want you to know it all. But, are you working tomorrow? I was thinking we could enjoy our meal, then get out of here? Somewhere a little more private?” She asks.
“Baby, you should know by now I’d do whatever you want,” I wink.
“Anything?”
“Anything.”
“So, if I asked you to strip naked and run around the restaurant, right now, you would?” She smirks.
“If it would guarantee another date with you? I’d do it in a heartbeat,” I say. “But I know you wouldn’t.”
“Oh really?”
“I’ve seen you get jealous, I know you wouldn’t want anyone in here to see what you know is already yours.”
Her cheeks flush at that. I know she’s remembering our night at the axe-throwing bar and how the little green-eyed monster came out to play.
“I can't even lie,” she admits. “I’d hate it.”
Yes! It might not seem like much, but to me, that one admission is a lot. Especially coming from the girl who thinks she has a heart of steel.
“I’d punch any man who saw you like that, or woman for that matter,” I say, because I would.
“Doctor Smyth, who would have thought you’d have this mean streak inside, dying to come out?”
“Only for you, Fallon,” I wink.
“Is it bad that I’d love to see it?” She giggles.
“Yes,” I laugh. “I have to behave for my job. But don’t think for one second that I wouldn’t do it.”
Her foot reaches out, stroking the inside of my leg. She is in the most playful mood tonight, and I fucking love it. Though I could do with this food hurrying up so that I can get her out of here. And just like that, my manifesting must have worked, as our waiter makes her way over with the meals.
“Eat up, princess. I think we have one more thing to do before we talk about anything,” I say in a low voice.
“It’s like you read my mind.”