Chapter 9 - Naomi #2
But that thought was erased entirely when I saw an errant smear of cream in the corner of his mouth.
I reacted without really thinking, so mentally engaged by him, that my thumb came up and swiped it away.
My hand was halfway to my mouth, my brain on autopilot about how to clean the mess off my finger, when Rowan caught my wrist and stopped me.
Fuck, there was something so electric about his touch. Like lightning down my spine, the power of it spread out through every single cell in my body. And that feeling only amplified when he drew my hand back to his mouth, his pale, pink tongue flicking out and laving away the cream on my thumb.
“It’s tasty,” he rasped when he finally released me.
I honestly didn’t know if I’d ever been wetter. It was such a simple thing, hardly even sinful, and yet my entire body was alight with desire.
This time, when I leaned in, swept up in the moment and everything I was feeling, I paused at the last second, locking eyes with Rowan to make sure he was on board.
The look on his face and the way he leaned in told me everything I needed to know.
As he began to close the distance, I was confident I was doing exactly what he wanted.
But then, for the second time in a row, we never quite closed that gap. This time it wasn’t because of a freak thunderstorm or him running away. There was a sudden scream right in my ear, then a surprising amount of force smacked into my arm.
“CAW!” the random seagull yelled at me again, almost like a personal accusation.
For a moment, I was completely taken off guard, but then my mind kicked in, and I had the wherewithal to shoo it away.
However, the seagull had either been starved for twenty-five years and my food was the first thing it had seen, or it had a particular hankering for strawberries and cream crepes with peanut butter sauce, because it wasn’t backing down from its conquest.
“Would you get out of here?” I cried, and even Rowan joined in, waving his arm at the invading avian. Little did we know we were part of a coordinated attack, because then another rat with wings materialized out of thin air, going for the unprotected side of my crepe.
The next thing I knew, a horde enveloped us, and it really sounded like they were all screeching and honking the same mine, mine, mine from that one kids’ movie.
It was a real cacophony, and it might have been funny if they weren’t trying to steal my sweets!
Couldn’t a girl just enjoy her dessert and blooming romance in peace?
Had I pissed off some god of romance and affection or lord of the birds without even knowing? Because at this point, I had to wonder.
“This is ridiculous! Would you just get out of here?” While I was literally arguing with birds, that was far more preferable than actually snarling out loud.
But I was so flustered and pissed at being kiss-blocked for the second time, that the animalistic sound tore out of my throat before I could stop it.
If I had fangs, they would have come out right then and there. That was how incensed I was.
I froze, glancing at Rowan in alarm to see if he had clocked me.
But, strangely enough, my date wasn’t even looking at me.
No, his gaze was still turned up to those stars he had been admiring, and I wondered if he saw more seagulls rapidly approaching.
God, I hoped not. Because having a second date ruined by an avarice-fueled avian attack sure did seem to be a sort of divine intervention.
But no, it turned out not to be seagulls at all. Instead, I gasped as a giant wave of literal bats swooped down from the pitch of the night sky and swarmed the seagulls.
I watched, more than a bit incredulous, as the two parties had a short but intense conversation.
And by conversation, I meant a whole lot of honking objections from the seagulls and practically silent, beating wings from the bats.
Our nocturnal friends won whatever the discussion was, because the seagulls beat it like their tail feathers were on fire, and the goth air puppies dispersed soon after.
“Did... Did that really just happen?” I asked.
This whole night was insane enough to have me wondering if I was having the world’s strangest dream.
Usually when I was having crackpot visions in my sleep, I at least got to run like a wolf.
A subtle pinch to my arm proved that no, I was very much awake.
Somehow, Rowan’s tone was nonchalant as he sent me a half smile. “Yeah, the urbanization of wild animals is pretty crazy, isn’t it?”
I blinked at him. Was he serious? I didn’t think urbanization or even domestication quite covered what had just happened.
But I never quite got the chance to verbalize it, because in a mirror of what I did earlier, he gently swiped at my cheek, removing a bit of peanut butter that must have gotten there during my struggle.
But this time, instead of licking it off, he offered his thumb for me.
A true reversal of the cream from earlier.
Don’t mind if I do!
I honestly had no clue where I got the chutzpah, but I opened my mouth and drew his thumb into it rather than just quickly licking at the digit.
Holding eye contact with him, I closed my lips around his finger, swirling my tongue all along it until I had cleaned every last drop of peanut-buttery goodness from his cool skin.
When I pulled away, Rowan was once again looking at me with that same hunger, his amethyst eyes stormy. That moment hung between us, before suddenly he closed the gap for the kiss I’d been waiting for.
It was everything I wanted and more. He gripped my waist, his body twisting to draw us closer together.
Our mouths moved against each other, earnest and seeking, soft in conflict.
While his were cold and smooth, almost like pliable stone, I could feel how heated mine were against his.
The contrast was dizzying, intoxicating, and I had no desire to sober up.
It was like fireworks booming through the night sky, cracking into a kaleidoscope of light that shattered the darkness.
Oh wait. Those actually were fireworks.
Rowan and I broke apart, looking to the sky that was suddenly illuminated with crack after crack of spectral colors. It wasn’t as boisterous or high-flying as a Fourth of July celebration, but it was still most definitely a spectacle.
“Do you think that really happened ByChance?” I asked, laughing in disbelief. Because seriously, what were the odds?
“I suppose it’s gotta be for some sort of big festivities on the other side of the lake, considering how far they are away from us,” Rowan said, equally bemused. “But is it a bit too egotistical of me to pretend that they’re because of us?”
“No, not too egotistical at all. But maybe, just maybe, we were a little rash in our judgment of all those theater kids for liking the drama.”
Another chuckle from my snowy-haired date, and honestly, I was right there with him. “Perhaps. I’m not sure if they’re right or wrong on all of that, but I know they absolutely do have one thing quite correct.”
“And what’s that?” I asked, my body still twisted toward him. I didn’t care one lick. Because I was completely caught up in everything he was, and what we were together.
“All those rehearsals,” he said with a wicked smile, then he was kissing me again. I clung to him as the fireworks continued their display above the water, and I couldn’t help but think that I was entering the best chapter of my entire life.
I felt like I was floating.
I’d thought I was fairly content with my life before, even if I was struggling to come to terms with the fact that I might never find someone who valued me for me.
But now, after dating Rowan for a little over a month, I was acutely aware that there was so much more to life than I ever thought there could be.
He truly was the epitome of everything I wanted in a man.
Kind. Funny. Charming. Engaging. And it didn’t hurt that he was easy on the eyes too.
While I knew some people—some very stupid people, in my opinion—were put off by his pallor, all I could see was the beauty in it.
But even if he was butt-ugly, like rotten-old-Halloween-pumpkin-ugly, I would still be falling head over heels for him.
Because I was falling for him. Without a doubt.
I never thought that could happen in a little over four weeks, but there was no denying it.
Every time we kissed, it felt like we were still on the pier, fireworks exploding all around us, and even though we hadn’t gotten past that stage, every date was a wonderful experience.
I learned all sorts of things about him, but also all sorts of things about music.
He never got bored when I told him about the many personalities of all the dogs I worked with: the troublemakers; the class clowns; the sweethearts; and the ones you weren’t quite sure had room for a single thought in their head.
Rowan: Would you like to go to this new soul food place that’s supposed to be having a grand opening next week? They have a stage for live music, and they say they’ll only be featuring local performers.
I smiled at the text. I loved how he always spoke in full sentences and never abbreviated or used much slang except in jest. Maybe it was a little old-fashioned, but I liked that it was one of his many quirks.
But I should have known better than to acknowledge any sort of happiness, because the next second my phone was out of my hands and my brother was looking at my screen.
“We are far too old for this, Reggie,” I said, trying not to sound irritated.
Because sounding irritated would only entice my middle brother to keep it up.
Despite me being thirty-five and him only three years behind me, he still seemed to take particular pleasure in anything that could get under my skin.