“You think I’m pretty, huh?”
I wrinkled my nose. “That was meant for my head, but yes, you are. Not sure how you manage the rugged thing you have going on while still being pretty. It’s hard not to jump up right now and climb you.” I closed one eye, hoping it would make me hear better, because I was sure I just said those words aloud. “It doesn’t help,” I mumbled to myself. Maybe if I tried the other one.
His eyes widened comically, and I grinned, liking his smile and wondering if I was the reason for it. With the eye thing going on, which I was almost sure didn’t help me tune in and focus, my head remained fuzzy. But at his smile, my chest warmed and tingled.
“I’ve only had two drinks,” I said, smiling up at him. I held up my hand and aimed to hold up two fingers. I crinkled my nose, seeing four. “Huh.” I shrugged, leaning slightly.
“The equivalent of six” came from over my shoulder. This time I looked back and squinted again. Lenny stopped moving from side to side when I did so.
“Huh?” I pursed my lips and bobbed my head. “It’s why I want to climb you like a tree.” I also wondered how I’d managed to drink so much in such a short span of time.
Elijah’s laugh was loud and seriously made me consider doing just that. I pulled my gaze away, reminding myself I was in public, but even more importantly, his bar. I let that thought hold me down and in place.
“On second thought, perhaps a water for Seb, please, Lenny.” Elijah leaned down a little, moving his face closer to mine. “Why don’t you sit back at the bar, drink some water, and if you get sober enough, we’ll look into the tree climbing?”
I shifted quickly. “The stool moved,” I said, clinging onto Elijah’s arms, aware I had been close to face-planting. “Did someone move the stool?”
Soft eyes looked down at me, and Elijah helped get me settled, turned me to face the bar, and placed the water in my hands. He was looking after me. The knowledge hit me, weaving its way through my fuzzy head and double vision. When I picked up the water, I felt a touch to the top of my head. A kiss. Grin stretching wide before I took a sip, I focussed on drinking plenty and diluting the booze in my system.
Mission Sober coming right on up, I thought, gulping back the contents while already wondering if Elijah would stop for a burger on the way home.
“It won’t stop.” I winced. “Hush. Don’t speak so loud.”
A not-so-soft snort had me side-eyeing the man to my right. “Just let me know if I need to pull over,” he said.
I shuddered at the thought, still drunk but sober enough to finally realise what was going on and that any sudden movements would have me hurling. My grunt was all I managed in way of answer as I leaned against the cool metal of the car door and eased the window down further. The cooler night air helped calm the swirling in my gut a fraction, but I didn’t know if it would be enough.
In my defence, I’d had a hell of a week. Between the whole paint shitshow, knowledge that some dodgy dudes were responsible for it, and said dodgy dudes were possibly up to no good where I worked and that I was the tattletale, it was no wonder I’d got hammered. Even though it was Lenny who’d been topping up my drink without me realising.
“If I puke,” I said, eyes closed and staying as still as possible, “make Lenny clean the car.”
“Yeah, I just may do that.” The sound of his shifting reached me, but I had no energy to check. “You don’t have a pet or anything, right?”
My brows scrunched at the question. “No.”
“Okay.”
Why was on the tip of my tongue, right alongside a build-up of saliva. Instead of speaking, I swallowed, then exhaled.
“You good?”
Another grunt escaped my mouth.
A touch on my arm, along with my name spoken softly, jerked me upright. I blinked rapidly, becoming aware that we were parked, the engine was off, and that I’d clearly fallen asleep. Quickly, I touched my mouth, not quite sure if I was checking for drool or vomit. But finding neither, I was able to breathe a little steadier.
My gaze then connected with Elijah. His seat belt was off, and he was angled towards me, leaning slightly in my space. “Hey,” I said, pleased that my nausea seemed to have calmed.
“Hey,” he said, his mouth curving upwards. “Listen, I’ve brought you home, as you were never really clear about where you lived, and honestly, I wasn’t sure if you’d be okay.”
“Oh.” I supposed I could have reminded him of my employee file, but he’d probably just assumed I could show him the way. Once that thought fizzled away, warmth slowly swept over me. Once again, he was looking out for me. “Thank you,” I finally said. “That was nice of you.”
A flicker of relief passed through his eyes, and he bobbed his head. “Come on. Let’s get in the house, get a drink, and head to bed.”
I nodded, wishing that my head was clearer to take everything about this moment and about his space in. But since I’d be staying over, there was always tomorrow. After I managed to clamber out of the car, I closed the door behind me, taking in the bare minimum to see he lived in a single-level home, and while he had neighbours, they were far enough away to signal he had a bit of land.
“Need help?” Elijah’s voice made me jump in the darkness of night. Other than two small lights shining from the neighbouring properties, and the one porch light on his home, the night was ink black. It made losing myself so very easy, especially with the fuzziness still making it difficult to think straight.
“Think I’m okay. Thanks.” I followed his movement, my eyes having adjusted a little, hoping a step didn’t jump out at me or something. Relieved when I reached the lantern on the porch without stumbling, I did a mental fist bump and quickly checked my hands were by my sides and I actually wasn’t doing it. It wouldn’t have been the first time.
Elijah flicked the entrance light on, bathing the room in bright white. I winced, preferring the dark so I wouldn’t have to squint so much. Focussing on putting one foot in front of the other, I followed Elijah into the kitchen, grateful when he switched on a small table lamp against the wall on a sideboard. “Water and paracetamol?” he asked.
“That would be great, thanks.” I waited, feet firmly planted, remembering how to not sway. It was too late to even pretend to act sober, and while I supposed I should be embarrassed, I figured I hadn’t actually done anything to humiliate myself. So I’d gotten drunk? It wasn’t the worst thing in the world.
A moment later, he was in front of me, handing me a bottle of water and two tablets.
I smiled gratefully and immediately swallowed the painkillers, hoping they’d fend off the hangover I could already feel brewing. Enjoying the cool water chasing them, I took another gulp before forcing myself to stop. My mission was not to vomit.
“Let me show you where to crash.”
Surprise flittered through me when he not only said those words, but he took my hand too, leading me to what I assumed was where I’d be sleeping. We stopped at a closed door. Elijah pointed at it, saying, “This is the bathroom,” before continuing on. Two doors later, he opened the door and led me inside, turning on a bedside lamp. It was positioned next to a queen-sized bed. Other than the two bedside tables and the bed, the room was sparse, though there seemed to be a built-in wardrobe. “You gonna be okay?”
“Where’s your room?” The question escaped. Something that seemed to happen a lot when I was in the presence of Elijah. It would be easy to blame booze alone, but I knew that wasn’t true.
“Next door,” he said, his fingers flexing a little, drawing my attention to the fact he was still holding my hand.
I twisted my lips, thinking. It was a good thing, surprising and sweet actually, that the assumption I’d be sharing with him wasn’t made. A quick bob of my head followed, and I knew I should simply say goodnight and thanks and proceed to pass out. Apparently, I was destined to not know when to shut the hell up, though.
“I’ve had too much to drink, but I don’t think I’m g
oing to puke.” I grimaced, more than aware I wasn’t being exactly sexy, talking about spew. “So yeah, um, thank you for driving me home, well, to yours. I like your place, or what I saw. The room’s not spinning anymore, so that’s a bonus. But, um, you can kiss me goodnight, if you want.” I finally stopped speaking, a little breathless and a lot aware I should have stopped speaking after my first word. But my words were out there, and there was no taking them back.
My focus adjusted so I could take in Elijah’s reaction fully. I didn’t need to squint and took that as a good sign.
Amusement flickered in his eyes, and a smile curved his lips. Those two tells made my shoulders relax. Since I still pulled that smile from him even with all that had passed between us since the night we’d met, I took that as a win. Before me stood a man, so incredibly gorgeous, who had the ability to turn my world upside down, and for the first time, I figured that was just fine by me.
Silence filled the space between us for a couple of beats before Elijah angled towards me. My breath hitched, and then finally, his mouth pressed against mine. It was the slightest of touches before he pulled away, a small curve on his soft lips.
“We’ll revisit this tomorrow. Best you head to bed now, Seb.” He gave a chin lift towards the door, and with my heart beating like crazy, I simply bobbed my head, stepped into the bedroom, and shut the door behind me.
I leaned against the closed door, my fingers going to my lips, a goofy grin spreading.
Revisit this tomorrow. How on earth was I to sleep with a promise like that?
I stripped out of my clothes, leaving my briefs on, and took another gulp of my water, which I somehow had managed not to spill when my mouth had run away with me and I was kissed.
With the thought of tomorrow on my mind once under the sheets, I smiled, and surprisingly, fell into an easy sleep.
Eleven
Elijah
I yawned around my coffee as I gazed bleary-eyed at the waking world happening outside in my garden. Yesterday had been exhausting. Discovering Tom had passed his phone number to the guy at the bar was a relief. But him admitting that the guy out back, the same man who’d attacked Seb, was his younger brother left me seething and concerned. It had meant long and difficult discussions with both Tom and Drake, who I’d called in when Tom had confirmed it was his brother and his brother’s friend.
There was no way I wanted to be involved in family shit, but I couldn’t not be. Not only because of the impact on my bar and staff, but also because Tom had explained he wasn’t out to his family, nor had they known he worked at Bar QK. It was by chance his brother had found out the truth. Tom confirmed his whole family would disown him should they find out, and his brother was currently using that knowledge to blackmail him while causing shit. His way of making it clear he meant business.
The problem was, I couldn’t have this near my customers or my staff, and especially not Seb. And while the knowledge of me all but outing Tom when I’d taken this to Cole and then Drake last night filled me with guilt, it had been the only way to proceed. I was just thankful Tom, between his heartbreaking tears, had given me the green light to call Drake in and was willing to make an official statement.
Drake had indicated it was likely that only a warning could be given, due to the nature of the crimes and assault. But we all hoped that would stop things from escalating, though what it meant for Tom, I didn’t know.
Cole had agreed to look out for Tom and had slept over at his place last night. He thought that simply disappearing wouldn’t stop anything and hoped that should any retaliation occur, it would likely be at Tom’s house and Cole would be able to stop it and scare the pricks away for good.
Only time would tell.
But I was all for it ending.
It would be an excellent exchange for finally starting something up with Seb. Just the thought of him sent a jolt of heat flashing through me. Yesterday, while our kisses had been brief, they’d sent enough awareness through me to know I wanted him. I was tired of denying myself. And more than that, his trust in me, coming to me immediately about Tom, his whole inability to keep a lid on his thoughts, all of it solidified that Seb was worth dropping my guard for.
For the first time in a long while, I wanted more.
No more second-guesses or cold feet.
There was still so much to discover about him, a whole history to share. But more importantly, a whole future to look forward to.
I heard movement and light footsteps heading towards me where I was situated in the dining area of the open-plan space of my home. I was at the table, coffee before me, laptop open. Seb entering had me pulling my gaze in his direction and my smile forming.
Squinty-eyed and messy-haired, he looked particularly dishevelled and equally gorgeous this morning. The bright sunlight poured in through the large, open patio doors to my side, the rays catching the blond in his sun-kissed hair. He was tanned and toned, no doubt from time out in the surf, and so trim and together that an image of me picking the man up and literally carrying him to my bed rushed to me.
I’d never hooked up with a man like him before. Not only a guy with his smaller frame, but also with a man who held my attention so completely.
“Morning,” I greeted. “Coffee?”
He brightened a little as he nodded, a smile curving his lips. “That would be great. Thanks.”
I stood and indicated for him to sit. He did so, briefly looking down at himself, his cheeks pinkening.
I had no regrets or shame that I’d placed a clean tee out for him this morning in his room. I may have hovered a little too long, peering across at his sleeping form when I’d put the clean T-shirt on the end of the bed. But in my defence, I’d never seen him look so peaceful. While Seb had had a few moments of quiet since we’d met, those times were usually shrouded in upset or contemplation. The majority of time he was a force of nature, virtually buzzing around as he navigated through his tasks. So a sleeping Seb, completely at ease, was a glimpse at a version of the man I didn’t know yet.
“How you feeling?” I asked as I flipped the kettle on before grabbing the ground coffee from the fridge.
“Surprisingly okay. Those tablets and water helped.” He surveyed the room, taking in the space, and I wondered what he thought of my home. My pad was a labour of love, and with almost every room finally refurnished and modernised, my next focus would be on my garden.
“That’s a relief.” His eyes connected with mine, and I was happy to see he didn’t seem peaky. “Did you find everything you needed in the bathroom?”
He nodded. “Yeah, thanks.” Seb’s focus moved to the open patio doors.
“We can drink these outside if you want?”
His eyes brightened at the offer. “Thanks. I don’t have an outside space, so that’d be great.” He stood and ventured over and outside. Meanwhile, I willed the jug to boil so I could join him.
“You want something to eat?” I called out to him.
He glanced over his shoulder back at me and shook his head. “I’m fine, thanks.”
I bobbed my head in understanding and turned back to the steaming kettle, happy it finally clicked off.
“You need a hand?” Seb’s voice floated over through the doorway, making me smile. It was quite possibly weird that I liked the sound of his voice in my space, especially in the morning, but having his company was nice, and something I could happily get used to.
“Do you want to grab yourself a mug from the glass-fronted cabinet and my half-empty one from the table?”
Immediately, he went to task, collecting the mugs, asking, “This it?”
“Yeah,” I answered, pouring the hot water into the coffee carafe and picking it up, along with a spoon and the milk from the fridge.
Once settled outside, sitting on chairs around the small table overlooking my large yard, I relaxed and topped up my mug after filling up Seb’s.
“Thanks for letting me crash.”
I glanced over at Seb, offer
ing him a smile. “No worries. Thanks for handling everything so well yesterday,” I offered.
A tentative smile appeared on his lips. “How’d it go? Did you get everything sorted that you needed to?” Seb blew on his coffee and took a small sip, wincing slightly on contact.
“Yeah, or as much as I can. Tom’s innocent—”
“Oh, that’s great. Shit, I feel bad for—”
I shook my head, saying, “No, it’s all good. The guy’s his brother.” Seb’s eyes widened. “Yeah, took me by surprise too. There’s a whole shitshow of bigotry and bullshit in his family.”
“Christ, is he okay?”
“I think sort of relieved that things are out in the open, but I think he’s shit scared too.”
“Well, his brother didn’t bash me, but what he did was pretty violent.”
My brows dipped low. My anger at the memory at the forefront. “It was, and I don’t know just how far his family would push it, but Cole’s looking out for him.”
A huff of breath escaped Seb. “That’s good. I know how shitty it is to have no one.” I stilled as he spoke, hearing the traces of hurt in his matter-of-fact tone. “Cole seems like a good guy.”
I bobbed my head, saying, “He is,” while my concern for Seb and all he’d been through ate at me. He’d previously told me about his parents, about his whole family turning their backs on him. There were too many shitty excuses for human beings in this world.
“Just let me know how I can help, and I’ll do it. I know how important the bar is to you and would hate for anything to ruin what you’ve built.” Kind eyes peered over at me. “And maybe I’ll get to know Tom better.”
The man before me was one of the good ones. He brought out a tenderness in me no other man ever had managed before. “I appreciate that, thanks, Seb.” I bobbed my head, my eyes drifting to his hand on the table, wishing I had the nerve to reach out and hold his hand, and not sure why I was doubting myself. Instead, I continued, “Tom’s not due in again until early next week, so I need to figure out what’s going on with him and how the police plan on handling the situation.” I expelled a heavy sigh, the tiredness from yesterday and my poor sleep catching up with me, despite the early hours.
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