Chapter 6
Warm, clean, refreshing water drips from my ebony locks and off the tip of my nose.
My hot shower fills my bathroom with steam and fogs every inch of the mirror.
I use my hand towel to wipe it away and flip the switch for the ventilation.
The drinking party should be starting soon and by the time I get dressed I’ll be perfectly late.
No one before has ever had this kind of hold on me, has ever had my mind drift to them every free second.
It’s driving me nuts. I can barely grasp what I want from this guy.
Maybe I can see how far I can comfortably go, get him out of my system, like I usually do, and move on with my life. That would be easiest.
I don’t take long to decide what to wear—t-shirt, jeans, jacket—then I’m out the door.
The walk to the restaurant is surprisingly quick.
So quick, in fact, that I don’t really have enough time to properly gather my thoughts on what I’m going to do.
If a stranger saw me right now, they’d think I was a virgin entering my first hookup bar.
I wipe my sweaty palms on my jeans, take a deep breath, and follow the host to the private room at the back of the restaurant.
I spot Miles immediately and weave my way through the crowd of faceless figures.
As I approach, I catch the end of the conversation he’s having with that guy.
All of my hesitations disappear in a moment when the mild scent of his cologne wafts through the air.
I smirk, “yeah, what do you think of Mr. Ellis?“ I lean over him. His eyes are closed, but at the sound of my voice he lifts his head and slowly opens his eyes, meeting mine. He’s surprised by my sudden appearance, but he doesn’t seem upset by it.
“I’ve had a great first week, sir. Thank you for making me feel welcome,” he mutters after a beat.
I can only smile at his professional response, and kindly kick out the guy in the seat next to Miles and sit down.
I pour myself a beer from a provided pitcher and down it quickly in an attempt to get my nerves in check.
My mind drifts back to what happened in the tent earlier, and I get excited just thinking about it again.
I can’t keep up with conversations surrounding me.
People try to get me involved but as I keep pouring myself beers and keep receiving drinks, I can only partially pay attention.
Every once in a while I check on Miles next to me—still smiling shyly, still drinking, still talking to that guy.
Time passes on like this for a while until I feel cold, slender arms drape over my shoulder, sending a chill up my spine.
I know who it is before she even has the chance to speak, before I even have to look at her face.
“I didn’t think you came to these things.” Her snake-like voice grates my ears, sending a surge of annoyance through my bones.
I keep my eyes fixed on my drink, trying to keep my cool. “You’re being awfully bold, Miss Carter.”
The room starts to spin, and the air turns so hot and thick it’s hard for me to breathe.
Staying in this room any longer feels like an impossible task, and I stand from my seat.
I push Bea into my chair, mumble something, and rush toward the door to escape.
I find myself in an alleyway, finally able to draw a breath.
The air is crisp and cool, and I wander a little further down.
I lean my back against the brick wall and look up toward the sky.
All I can see are streetlights and darkness.
Minutes pass in silence while I gather the pieces of myself.
I’m usually a heavy drinker, so if I’m feeling this pathetic, I must have overdone it.
The clicking and creaking of the metal door opening perks my ears, but I don’t look.
I just close my eyes and continue to take deep breaths so that I don’t throw up.
“It’s loud in there, huh?” The figure chuckles as they approach. It’s the only voice that I’m willing to hear right now, and it immediately makes the nausea subside.
I hum in response as he leans up against the brick wall so close to next me that our shoulders are almost touching.
I hear him shuffle. His clothes rustle as he gets comfortable next to me.
I want to say something to him, to start a conversation that’ll eventually lead to him in my bed.
But the state that I’m in is making it hard for me to think clearly.
He shuffles again, his arm brushing against mine and staying there. Clearing my head enough to say something without gagging takes some time, but I eventually get there. “Why did you come out?” I slowly open my eyes and shift my focus to my new favorite view.
“It’s too loud in there. I’m not having very much fun, to be honest.”
“What about your friend? How would he feel to hear you say that?”
“Don’t get me wrong, I like Declan. But crowds make me nervous. So being in that cramped, hot room with a bunch of people I don’t know exhausts me.”
Declan. That’s his name. I commit the name to memory, only to keep an eye on him. I noticed the way “Declan” looked at Miles—the twinkle in his eye every time Miles spoke or smiled or touched him, even if on accident. And every time, my chest erupted into flames.
I shift on my feet, leaning even closer against him and feel his shoulder stiffen under my touch. “Then why don’t you just go home?”
“I don’t think you’re ready to hear the real answer, so I’ll just lie and say all I want is the chance to talk to you.”
His answer surprises but intrigues me. It’s the green-light we’ve both, apparently, been waiting for. He pulls his hand from his pocket, and it brushes softly against mine, sending waves of electricity through my veins.
“Why haven’t you left?”
I prattle off some bullshit answer and my limbs become more and more restless with each passing second.
So restless that my body acts on its own.
I overtake his body with mine, pressing him deeper into the wall.
He looks up at me with those familiar eyes—the ones he showed me in the tent.
A hand reaches for my face, gently placing an icy palm over my cheek.
I’m taken slightly by surprise but quickly ease into his touch.
“You drank too much.” He glides an icy thumb over my skin and I shake my head, “I’m sobering up. I’ll be okay.”
I lean into him, needing to feel him but not able to get close enough. “Do you want to get out of here?” I place a palm over his and grip him tightly. He hesitates. “Well?”
“There’s only so much time to back out before it’s too late.”
I move his hand to my lips and kiss him softly, “I won’t have any regrets.”