Page 19 of Starlight Salon
Sitting in front of the mirror with Chloe standing behind me was the first time I’d seen the two of us together beside each other. We looked ridiculous. I’m an average-looking guy, and here’s this angel standing behind me, running her hands through my hair. A badass business woman who makes people feel good about themselves, and me behind her.
I wouldn’t add anything to her life. I couldn’t even fix her water on time.
Lying on the bed, hand clean of her, I switch on the TV. My conscience reminds me I have a valid reason I failed to fix her water on time, but it’s just another point against me, another reason for her to forget about me.
She enjoyed herself when I was running my fingers through her slick heat—I know that much—but finding pleasure with someone and wanting to marry them is entirely different.
There’s no way she wants me like that.
The screen clicks to last watched and my chest aches, breath catching in my throat. Friends continues playing where she left it when she fell asleep with me on the bed. Looked after me when she didn’t need to.
I clench my teeth. It doesn’t make sense. Why would she help me when she didn’t need to? She risked getting sick, allowed me to touch her, and then goes on a date with someone else. But did she want to go on the date? She’d tensed on me and seemed confused when Isla showed up.
Chandler hugs Monica on the screen, and I sit up.
Just because she’s going on a date doesn’t mean I can’t try to win her. I’m not what she envisioned for herself, but I can prove to her why I should be in her life. If she says no, well, I’ll figure that out later. Besides, if I was with her, I could fix her salon whenever she needed.
I stride through the kitchen, barely remembering to grab my phone before pulling the door open, and draw up short so I don’t bowl over the woman standing in front of my flat.
“Were you going somewhere?” Chloe asks in a quiet voice.
I clear my throat. “To see you.” She’s in the same clothes she was in when I left. The same skirt she held up for me so I could see my fingers disappearing inside her.
“Oh.” She fidgets with her bag. “Can I come in?”
“Thought you were on a date?” I wish I could bite back the words as soon as I say them. Why am I reminding her of a date she has when she’s here? In front of me. Waiting for me to invite her in. “Never mind. Come in.”
I step out of the way and hold my breath as she hesitates, only releasing it when she steps into my flat, glancing up at me through her lashes.
She’s here. That must mean something. It has to.
Chloe sits on the couch and puts her bag beside her, preventing me from sitting next to her. I swallow the thickening dread and sit on the opposite end. A gulf between us.
Green eyes dart around the room, never settling on me. I crack before her and repeat my stupid question. “What happened to your date?”
Lachlan, I…” She trails off and finally meets my eyes.
Her gorgeous eyes are drawn, a sheen of tears in them. My heart pounds when she pushes her bag to the floor and slides closer to me, her knee pressing into my thigh. I cross my arms to stop myself reaching for her.
“I forgot about the date. Isla set up a double date for us a few weeks ago.” Chloe rests her hand on mine. “I only agreed to go to try and forget about you. I never imagined I’d have a chance with someone like you. So handsome and successful, so I agreed. I forgot about it. I was excited to see you and?—”
Relief flows through me and my hands shake, but I cut her off by crashing our mouths together. Desperate for a taste of her, to get her scent all over me. Replace the smell of soap and fill it with her. I crave it. “You cancelled the date?”
“I came straight here.”
I smile against her lips. Our insecurities were the same—worrying we weren’t good enough for the other, but that won’t stop us.
No. Now that she’s here, she isn’t allowed to leave. I won’t let her.
I grasp her waist and haul her close, devouring her mouth, trying to tell her everything I need her to know. She gasps and I dart my tongue past her lips, tugging her flush against my chest.
She straddles me like she did in the salon, and I groan when she settles her weight on my cock.
My finger brushes across her cheek. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“I don’t want to be anywhere else. You want to be with me as well?” Her voice is smaller than usual. As if she doesn’t believe me. I need to fix it.
“Of course I do. I never imagined you’d say yes to me, so I didn’t ask. But I should have. I should have talked to you the first time I saw you in the bar, pulling a pink scrunchie off your wrist to tie your hair back.” I brush my hair tie, holding her hair in a plait now instead of a bun. She must change hairstyles when she’s nervous. “Or the second time at the bar when you were laughing with your friends. I’ve wanted you since the first time I saw you. You’re so gorgeous. Inside and out.” Should have spoken to her the first time I laid eyes on her, but we’re here now. Together.