Chapter 8
Marcus
“How much has she drunk, man?” I ask Kai, my eyes trained on Lily as she sways out of Paddy’s.
“More than she should. I should go check on her.” He looks worried as he stands.
I push him back down, probably a little too roughly, but I’m pissed.
Why did he let her drink so much? He’s on my shit list right now.
First, he takes her out to get under my skin, which he hasn’t.
Let's clarify that I don’t give two shits.
Keep spinning that lie, Diaz.
And secondly, he doesn’t look after her; he gets her drunk and leaves her to get home alone.
“I’ll go.” Brushing past him, I head toward the exit, Lily in my sights the whole time, and ignoring anyone who tries to grab my attention.
“Of course you will,” Harris shouts over the crowd, and even though I’m not looking, that tone tells me he’s grinning like a fool.
“Fuck you,” I throw over my shoulder, flipping him the bird.
As the pub door closes behind me, all the breath is knocked clean out of my lungs as Lily stumbles over literally nothing and into my arms. I steady her and try to ignore the instant reaction my body has to having her this close.
But I know that is feeble as her eyes, eyes that have haunted my dreams, slowly drift up my body, eventually settling and connecting with mine.
I can’t help but pay attention to how her cheeks are flushed, but I can still see every one of her unique freckles underneath the slight pink hue.
I have an urge to count each one and commit them to memory.
The wind causes her vibrant red hair to whip around her porcelain face, framing her; she is just gorgeous.
A natural beauty. Feeling my heart ramp up a few beats, I carefully rub my hands up and down her back, the moment startling me with how my body is glued to hers and how right it feels.
“Thanks for the soft landing, Diaz.” Her voice is barely a whisper, but it snaps me out of my lust filled haze.
“No part of me is soft, Chambers.” The corner of my mouth twitches into a smirk.
“And there he is. You know I’ve missed that this evening.” She returns my smirk as she runs her palms absentmindedly up my chest.
“Missed what?” The way she’s gliding her hands across my pecs is sending ideas to my dick that I really shouldn’t be having. She’s drunk, and I’m not that guy.
“I love a good argument, and you rile me up like no other.” One of her hands is now at the nape of my neck, playing with the strands there. God, that feels so good; it’s sending shivers down my spine.
Joder, Lily Chambers is willingly touching me.
Staring at me seductively, she wets her lips, causing my grip on her hips to tighten.
“It’s because I love to see that fire in your eyes when you look at me like you hate me,” I admit, forgetting that I’m standing outside in a very public place with her wrapped around me, and she isn’t pushing me away.
“I do hate you.” She sinks her teeth into her bottom lip.
“Do you?” Feeling my resolve slip with every moment I’m pressed up against this siren, I pull her lip free with my thumb before I gently cup her cheek.
Her skin is soft and warm against my palm, and her head tilts into my embrace.
My heart is now beating so fast I know she can feel it under her palm that is still stroking across my chest. “The way you’re pressed up against me right now doesn’t feel like hate. ”
“You got in my way.” She looks confused as her gaze drifts to where she has her hands.
“I caught you. There’s a difference.” Tentatively, I move my face closer to hers.
I'm certain I’m holding my breath at this point, and I’ve lost all my senses.
But right now, with how she’s looking at me and how intimate this feels, I know I’m gone.
The sensible thing would be to let her go, but my brain is not in control right now, my body is.
“I’m not falling, Diaz,” she sighs, her breath tickling against my face as she sinks her fingers into my hair.
The slight scrape of her nails against my scalp sends shockwaves through my entire body.
Bringing my forehead to rest against hers, my eyes close on instinct as a soft sigh escapes her lips.
“Falling can be fun, Petardo.” I’ve taken leave of my senses, and I blame her heady scent, which is engulfing me, for what I do next.
Moving back slightly as I open my eyes, they refocus on the vision before me.
She drops her hands from my hair and rests them on my shoulders, the heat from her palms burning through the fabric of my suit jacket.
As I cup her face with both hands, her eyes dilate with lust. The sparkle of mischief has been replaced with longing and a color so deep with swirls of emerald and jade, begging me to take what she’s offering.
“I hate you.” There’s no bite in her tone. It’s like she knows she should be saying those words, but she doesn’t really mean them.
“I know.” I hold her gaze for a few seconds, waiting to see if she pulls away and remembers where she is, but the stubborn woman just holds my stare. Challenging me to make the move. Leaning down, I go to close the distance. She still doesn’t move, but her eyelids flutter shut.
“AHHH!” She jumps back as we’re both soaked from a passing car speeding through a puddle, showering us both with cold, muddy water and a dose of reality.
“God damn it. I’ll never get this out of this shirt.
” She’s busy flapping the drenched material against her body, and I can’t help but stare. It’s white.
Joder.
“Erm, Chambers?”
“What? Jesus Christ, I’m so bloody wet.”
Not helping, woman.
Taking my suit jacket off that’s still relatively dry, I drape it over her shoulders as I try not to look at the way her shirt is literally clinging to her every curve, and I mean every curve. I am really being tested tonight.
“What are you doing?” She goes to fight me and shake out of my jacket.
“Giving you a piece of your dignity back.” I glance down at her chest to prove my point, and she gasps, pulling my jacket tighter around her just as her Uber pulls up to the curb.
“Well, I’ve suitably embarrassed myself enough for today.” She moves toward the car, but I stop her with a hand on her shoulder.
“Will you be okay?”
“This chivalrous Diaz is unsettling. So I’m going to call you a prick, get in my Uber, and forget the last five minutes ever happened.” She scrunches her eyes closed as she opens the car door.
“Prick is the best you can come up with?” I challenge.
“What would you rather me call you? A waffle wanker?” Her tone is playful as she slides into the car.
“Honestly, yes.” I bark out a laugh. “But I know you can do better.”
“Yeah, well, I’m drunk and dripping wet.”
Raising my gaze to the sky, I pray for strength because this woman is testing my patience. When I look back at her, she’s smiling maniacally. Oh, she knows what she’s doing.
“Have a pleasurable rest of your night.” She settles into her seat. “I know I will.” She winks before closing the door, and the Uber pulls away.
Matenme!
“I saw that.” Harris pipes up from behind me. He’s leaning against the wall outside the pub, arms crossed over his chest and a shit eating grin on his face.
“Saw what?”
He pushes off the wall to come and stand with me as I watch the Uber disappear into the distance. “Your almost kiss with a woman you apparently don’t have feelings for, and also the fact that said woman also left with your coat. Diaz, you’re in trouble.”
Shoving my hands in my pants pockets, I look over at my best friend. “Yep, I’m completely fucked.”
Marcus - Make it home okay?
Lily - Why are you texting me?
Marcus - I thought the question made it pretty obvious.
Lily - Yes, but why?
Marcus - I just wanted to make sure my suit jacket was still in one piece.
Lily - Safe and sound, dickface.
A picture comes through of her fresh faced, hair piled on top of her head, wearing a strappy vest top, my jacket draped over her shoulders as she sips on a cup of tea.
I stare at the photo for longer than is healthy before I read the caption and can’t stop the grin that spreads across my face. This woman is like no one I have ever met.