Chapter Five #2
Her eyes darted to her hand in mine, and her spine went rigid. She pulled her hand away in a slow, halting movement. “No, I’m not. Thank you for that.”
“Anytime. Really. If you want to get another drink sometime or dinner…”
Her eyes widened, and she blinked rapidly, her reaction bordering on panic.
I backpedaled. “Or a swim. My cousin Niko and I swim every day, right around that same place you ran into us earlier. You’re welcome to join us any time.”
Her shoulders relaxed. “Thanks. We’ll see. I have a lot to sort out.”
“I’m sure. It’s an open invitation. Whenever you’re ready.”
“Would you two like another drink?” The bartender appeared out of nowhere, and my gut clenched in anticipation of Lena’s response.
She shook her head. “No, thank you.”
My mood sank, the extent of my disappointment surprising.
“I should probably get going,” she said. “I’ve had a couple and wouldn’t want to drive into an alligator pond.” Her lips trembled sheepishly, and I adored what it did to her face.
“Definitely don’t want that.”
She got up and slung her purse over her shoulder. I stood with her but didn’t know what to do with my hands—they itched to touch her—so, I shoved them in my pockets.
“Thanks for the chat, Elias. And the song.” She tilted her head. “I didn’t know how much I needed either.”
“Anytime, Lena.”
She nodded, gave me a little wave, and walked off toward the parking lot.
I watched her retreating form and tried to tease apart the battle raging inside me. I refused to believe my interest in her stemmed from anything more than needing to indulge my unanswered song. But I’d finally grabbed her attention, and my compulsion still demanded something more.
The sensation was sure to vanish as soon as I soaked up the adoration of the rest of the crowd. I waded through the sea of devoted fans until I found Niko at a table with two women staring at him like he was a celebrity. Perfect. Just what the siren ordered.
“May I join you?” I pulled out a chair and flashed my most charming smile.
The women glanced up and then at each other like they’d just won the lottery.
“Hey, E,” Niko said with his Southern drawl.
“Just tellin’ Melanie and Veronica here about open mic tomorrow night at Coligny.
If they bring friends, we might be convinced to sing a couple songs.
” He smoldered at them with those dark, Mediterranean features of his, and I swear they melted into their chairs.
“Right on,” I said and took a seat.
“We wouldn’t miss it,” one of the women squealed, nearly bouncing out of her seat. “But we don’t want to bring friends. We want you all to ourselves.”
“Don’t worry about that, ladies.” Niko leaned back in his chair and held out both arms. “There’s plenty of us to go around.”
They devolved into a fit of giggles, and I coughed to cover up a groan. Niko glanced in my direction and winked over his drink. I rolled my eyes. He wasn’t usually this brazen. He was laying it on thick, no doubt because he’d seen me talking to Lena and wanted to make a point.
“Y’all want to take a walk on the marina?” Niko asked. “It’s beautiful this time of night.”
They bounced in their chairs, practically vibrating with excitement, and shared a look for a fraction of a second before blurting, “Absolutely!” and “We’d love that!”
Thank the gods. I couldn’t sit there and stomach any more of Niko’s ridiculous display.
The brunette looked at me with hopeful eyes. “Will you come, too?”
“Sure. Why not?”
I pushed out of my chair and wondered if Lena made it home safely. Had she had a good time?
My instincts revolted against the unwanted thoughts. What I should have been focusing on was the brunette.
Niko offered an arm to his admirer, and the way she watched him, combined with his above-average interest, he was set for an easy hookup. Hopefully this time he’d follow my advice and leave it at that. They started a slow stroll toward the boardwalk, arm-in-arm.
I turned to the brunette patiently waiting for me with expectant eyes, and something unwelcome unfolded across my chest and clawed its way up my throat. It felt wrong. All I could think about was Lena and her sad eyes and the satisfaction it gave me to make them sparkle with amusement.
I held up a hand and pinched the bridge of my nose with the other, trying to shake off the uncomfortable sensation seizing my body and the war the unwelcome thoughts waged against my siren’s compulsion. But the sense of wrongness wouldn’t relent.
“Yo! Niko!”
He stopped and glanced back over his shoulder.
“I’m going to head out, man.”
Niko’s head notched back in surprise, and he spun around to face me. “Really?”
“Yeah. I’m not feeling so hot. I must have eaten something funny.”
He frowned, eyes darting to the woman next to me and back. But then his face cracked into the same smug grin from the beach that morning. I wasn’t going to hear the end of this tomorrow.
“Nice meeting you,” I said to the brunette. “Maybe I’ll see you at open mic tomorrow night.”
She barely squeaked out a “Yeah” before I spun on my heel and took long, quick strides toward my motorcycle, all the while wondering what had come over me and, more importantly, how I was going to fix it.