Page 37 of Lying Hearts
Chapter Twenty-Two
Brendan
Brain: cracked open. Thoughts: twisted. Eyes: still staring. Cock: wide awake.
As she keeps walking, I realize I’d stopped breathing. What is going on with my pulse? It’s through the roof. “Oooohoooo. Wow. Did you see that?”
Mark glances to her and gives me a knowing look. “I think you may have just met your match.”
I don’t say anything as I glance over at her, wondering why my veins are pumping so hard. It’s unsettling watching her and for a second I consider what he said before I toss it in the trash with all the other bad ideas. I’m not interested in meeting my match, but that doesn’t mean I can’t give her the ride of her life.
I raise my glass. “To meeting new women.” We clink and drink.
“Mmm. That’s good stuff,” Mark says, feeling the warmth.
“Or course it is. It’s Oban.” My mind is still with her though. I glance over again, hating myself for the distraction of her. It’s like I can’t focus on anything but her. I see her leaning gracefully forward to place a glass of wine down for an older gypsy lady, saying something I can’t hear.
Mark gets an email and suddenly ups and leaves. Man that guy is whipped. I wish him luck and look at his unfinished glass. Idiot.
Annie looks my way and our eyes lock again. I can’t look away from her and I’m trying to. She goes to the first bartender and whispers something in his ear and I’m watching every second of it. As she leaves him and heads toward me, everything else disappears. There’s something in her eyes, something familiar. I’ve never experienced this kind of a reaction to a girl before. I don’t like it. I don’t like it one bit. I think you may have just met your match. No way. Not gonna happen.
“Want another?” she asks, placing her hands on the counter between us.
“When do you get off?”
She pauses and her eyes dance. She’s trying not to laugh.
Suddenly, I realize how that sounded, why she’s smiling at me like that. On a grin, I correct myself, “Off work, I mean. When do you get off work?”
She nibbles on her bottom lip through the smile, considering it. “Why do you ask?”
I wait and let the tension build. Staring at her is addictive. “Why do you think I’m asking?”
Surprises flickers over her whole body. I see it. I want to make that body do other things. We stare at each other. I feel like I’m clicking into a groove I’ve been in before, looking at her. Like this is supposed to be happening or something. Like I’m supposed to be here. My pulse picks up speed even as I try to deny it. I have to have her just so I can prove to myself I don’t need her.
Reluctantly, she says, “We close at two, but then I have to clean up. Then I’ll be tired, so…”
The idea of waiting another night is suddenly impossible to me. I can’t do it.
“You need help cleaning?” I hold up my hands. “I’m very good with my hands.”
She leans in and rests her elbows on the bar, her face tilted to the left. “Promises, promises.”
I lean in too, taking the flirtatious cue and running with it. “Why aren’t you jumping on this? I can see you want me… to help you clean.”
She laughs. “You know what, buddy?” She looks at my lips like she wants to suck on them. “I don’t know you! Do you think I allow strangers in here after everybody’s left? When I have no one to protect me?”
I smirk. “I’ll protect you, Annie.”
She tries to look serious. “You’ll protect me from you?”
Leaning back, I exhale loudly and throw up my hands. “Fair enough. Okay. My name is Brendan Clark. Nice to meet you. I’m a Scorpio, I know you women love that shit, so there it is.” She laughs freely, and the sound is like music.
“I’m Annie…” She pauses, looking at me a little oddly. “O’Brien. Annie O’Brien? And I know you hate that shit so I’m not telling you my sign. Besides, it’s lame.”
“Lame! Great. So I’m scoring high on the points already. Awesome.”
We grin at each other. “I like your freckles.”