Page 6 of Velvet Varnish
His breath smells of hard spirits and is damp and cloying, surrounding me, trapping me in the booth with no way out.
“No, thank you.” I pull away, attempting to remove his arm. His hand clenches painfully on my shoulder.
“Why not? I’m a good fuck.”
He shoves his face close to mine and I jerk back.
“Leave her alone,” Chloe snaps, reaching across the table to tug him away. He slaps her hand away.
“I don’t think I will.”
I shove against his chest. He yanks my wrist tightly, crushing it in his grip, and wrenches me closer. I yelp and his eyes flare. “Let me go.”
Jerking my head back, I use my body weight to lever myself out of his grip, but he follows and traps me against the wall. He flings a hand across the table to get close to me, glass shatters, and I put my hand on the table, attempting to stand in the booth, to climb across the table. Anything to remove myself from this situation. How it escalated so fast, I don’t know. His hand glances off my cheek and I flinch, clenching my eyes shut. When I open them, he’s gone and I take a breath. There’s shouting. I don’t know where Chloe is, and the creep is on the floor.
Dom’s yelling at him, nudging him with his foot, not quite kicking, but urging him away. Out of the bar. Away from me, thank god. I shudder and collapse in the booth, my knees tucked under me. Dom turns to me and I gasp. He’s panting, chest heaving, and my eyes are drawn to the motion. But his eyes. He looks wild, eyes narrowed and angry with a frown turned towards me.
Dom steps forward and sets a knee on the booth, hovering over me. I don’t move. My eyes are wide as I gaze at him. I think I’m gasping for breath. My hand throbs, and my head tightens with an imminent headache, but Dom’s here. I don’t feel trapped. I feel safe. He’s blocking everything else out, his stormy eyes softening as he analyses me. A finger brushes my cheek, helping to settle my heart rate, to calm my breathing.
“Are you okay?” His voice is gruff but concerned. He tucks hair out of my face and rubs his thumbs across my cheekbones, back and forth in a mesmerising motion.
My body feels numb. “I think so.”
“I’m taking you home.”
“I’m fine.” I blink at him. Sounds blur together, and the walls sway.
“You’re not.” Dom grasps my hand to help me out of the booth, and I suck in a sharp breath. Pain radiates from the base of my pinky finger down to my palm. He lets go quickly and glances at his hand. There’s blood on him. He grits his teeth and takes my hand softly, careful not to touch my palm, and turns it over.
My head tilts to look at my hand. It has a cut along the outer edge of my palm, close to my pinky finger, running towards my wrist. It looks shallow and is small, but it’s bleeding and stings. “Huh.”
He ducks his head to look closely. “I can’t see any glass.”
“Cool.” I press napkins to the cut, hoping the blood will stop and wince at the burning sensation.
“I’m taking you home.” Dom pulls me out of the booth gently with his arms wrapped around my biceps to shuffle me forward.
When I’m standing and leaning against the table to stop swaying, I see Chloe off to the side, pale-faced with her hands clasped together and Lachlan behind her. I’m airborne and cradled against a hard chest before I can check on her. I frown in confusion and tilt my head to see Dom staring down at me. “Oh.”
“I’m taking you home.” He tucks my head against his chest and walks through the crowd to the door.
“Okay.” Tension drains out of my body. Should be dismayed with him manhandling me, but all I feel is safe, having Dom block out the noise and the stares. “Bye, Chloe.” I wave a hand over his shoulder, hoping she sees and snuggle my head deeper into him. I take a deep breath of cedar mixed with salt and oil from his shift and release it slowly, replacing the creepy guy’s scent with Dom.
Relaxing against him further, I close my eyes, surrounded by his scent and his arms holding me close.
3
DOM
Isla’s in my bar.I always know instantly when she walks through the door. Don’t know how, but I don’t question it, it’s a useful tool. It means I know where she is in the bar at all times, and when to avert my eyes quickly so she doesn’t notice me looking at her.
We have a complicated relationship. Not that she knows that.
The relationship is complicated because we aren’t in a relationship and I wish we were. As far as I can tell, all she wants is to practice her nail art, talk about books, and see me monthly for one-on-one time.
I wish I could see her every day.
I brought the book to work with me today on the off chance she’ll come in. Occasionally Isla and Chloe come in on Fridays instead of the usual Saturday, and if Isla’s here, I want to be prepared.