“That’s settled, then,” he says, moving his hand from my arm to my lower back as he leads me back out to the main area of the bar with a gentle shove in the right direction.
“I don’t remember saying yes.”
He laughs, and the vibration from it travels through my body, lighting me up like a Christmas tree. I’m thankful he’s behind me because I know what I’m like when I’m under the attention of someone I deem far out of my league. I can feel how hot my cheeks and chest are, and for him to see me respond like that to him would mortify me.
Get yourself under control, Holly.
I’ll blame it on not having great sex in years. Really, I haven’t even had good sex. Josh and I started off sort of strong in that department, but after a year, I couldn’t be bothered anymore. I’ve been worried I have low sex drive, but maybe that isn’t the case if how I’m responding to this complete stranger is any inclination.
“I promise I don’t bite unless you ask me to,” he says, his mouth suddenly very close to my ear. So close, in fact, I felt his hot breath flutter across my skin. I flinch, the sensation startling me. He chuckles. “What’s your name, Red?”
“Holly,” I tell him, pretty proud of myself for managing to say it without my voice breaking.
“Festive,” he answers. “I’m Nick. Here, come over here.” He directs me through the crowd and to the very end of the bar, where he pulls out a stool for me. Making his way around the bar, he looks at me and winks.
“What do you drink, Holly?” he asks. I try not to look around to see if Josh and his friends are still here, but I can’t help myself. I look out of the corner of my eye, trying to make it look like I’m just getting comfortable, but all-knowing-Nick calls me out.
“They’re in the corner,” he says, leaning across the bar and grabbing me by the chin. This time there’s no escaping it—he sees my skin turn a horrifying shade of pink under his gaze. “You wear your emotions on your sleeve, don’t you, Red?” he asks, brushing the back of his finger across my cheek before leaning back.
“How do you even know who they are?” I ask him.
“You think I didn’t notice you the second you walked into my bar?”
I swallow, and his eyes follow the movement.
“What’ll it be?” he asks, his smile showing off a dimple in each cheek that I didn’t notice before. Was this man chiseled from the dreams of a thousand women or what?
“Rum and Coke,” I tell him, pushing my hands under my legs to stop myself from fidgeting. “Dark rum, please. Spiced, if you have it.”
“What kind of bar would I be running if I didn’t?” he asks before turning his back on me to make my drink. I try to resist, but I can’t. I glance over to the corner and find them all laughing and joking, cozy in their little corner bubble.
Josh must feel my eyes on him because it isn’t but ten seconds and he turns, locking eyes with me from across the bar. A sick feeling forms in my gut all over again, making tears threaten my vision. His gaze is empty and uncaring, and that cuts me all over again.
But then there’s a mouth on my cheek, warm and a bit scratchy from a beard. I swing my head toward it, and Nick catches my mouth in a kiss before I can protest or ask him what the actual fuck he thinks he’s doing. Not that it matters because his lips are soft and, God, I want him to keep going. I don’t care that he’s a stranger and that I met him while I was crying over my ex because this kiss is everything. This is the kiss. This is the kiss that makes you realize you’ve been missing out your entire life on having the shit kissed out of you.
His mouth opens, and our eyes meet. It’s the most erotic thing I think I’ve ever done, kissing a stranger while my ex watches, with my eyes open. His hazel eyes are on mine, and his pupils are blown, sending a bolt of lust down my spine. His tongue swipes over mine, and I let him, relishing in the way he tastes like whiskey and the slightest hint of peppermint. He takes my bottom lip between his teeth gently, and I stifle a moan.
“There,” he says, pulling away abruptly, leaving me to fall forward in my chair. He winks again and slides my drink in front of me. “Now the last memory he has of you will be watching you melt for someone else.”
She looks at me with shy but hooded eyes that turn my already hard dick to stone. I heard her through the bathroom door, saying mean shit about herself while she cried, and while I told myself it was just a fatherly instinct kicking in, that was clearly not true. I didn’t want to kiss my kids the way I had just kissed Holly. The way I want to kiss her again, and again.