He laughed. “I’m sorry. I just know that’s it’s an intense type of fighting. You’re so…” his eyes traveled down the length of my body and I was left with the smoldering heat.
“I’m holding my own thank you very much. I’m sure I could take you down.” I said defensively planting my hands on the flare of my hips.
His blue eyes burned brightly. “I’m trying to decide.”
“What?” my voice came out breathy as a side effect from his smoldering gaze.
“Whether I want to perceive that as a threat or a promise.” His body swayed toward mine and I wondered how we managed not to be caught in a blaze of flames.
I swallowed hard, and my body grew hotter under his intense stare. “I’d take it as a threat if I were you. Muay Thai is no joke and neither am I.” I tried to make the conversation light, hoping to extinguish some of the heat he created.
“I believe that.” I tried to control the tremble, but failed.
Epically.
“Have I told you how much pleasure I take in the way you respond to me? If not, I do. Immensely.”
“I hadn’t realized I responded to you in any particular way.”
Liar
“Liar.” He didn’t skip a beat and he seemed to be in complete sync with my mind. “Haven’t we played this game before? I mean don’t get me wrong, I’d be more then happy to play it again. Like I said, I enjoy the way you respond to me.” He suggested enticingly.
“Playing games with you is like playing with fire.”
“Dangerous, but exciting as hell.” His grin was slow, teasing, sexy. “I guess that makes us two of a kind. Fire playing with fire.”
“More like ice playing with fire.” I countered.
He laughed. “And which one of us is fire and which one of us is ice?”
“I think that’s obvious.”
“Are you sure about that? Because you burn pretty hot.”
“I forgot what we were talking about.”
He smiled. “Why does Andres have you learning Muay Thai?"
“He says its ‘good for me to know’, but I don’t believe him.”
“Why not?”
“Because of everything that’s happened-” I stopped short.
Crap!
He looked concern. “What happened?”
“It’s nothing really. He just wants to make sure I can protect myself.”
“That doesn’t sound like nothing. Does he think you’re in danger or something?”
“No it’s nothing like that.” I quickly tried to change the subject. “You can put me down now.” I told him. He didn’t seem to be struggling, but I was starting to feel self-conscious now that I realized I was still in his arms. “I’m sure I’m starting to get heavy.”
He laughed at me. “Right. You’re avoiding.”
“No, but I’m no longer suggesting. Can you put me down now?” I said ignoring him.
Slowly he let me slide down the front of his body and it was like match being struck. My body started to smolder and burn. “Only, because I wanted to do that.” He let me go and I swayed a little. He held on to me until I had regained my balance.
“Thanks.” I said pulling away avoiding eye contact. “We should be heading back now.”
Before I could turn away he had a finger under my chin lifting my face to look at him. “Promise me something?”
“What?”
“Promise me that you will tell me if you’re in danger.”
“Adan-” He stopped me before I could protest.
“Promise me.” He said firmly.
“Okay.” I agreed.
“Promise me.” He said softly.
He didn’t play fair. “I promise.”
He looked pleased. “Thank you. Now let’s get you home.”
He twirled me around, nudging me toward town.
It didn’t take us long to get back to my car.
I was far from ready to let the night be over, but I was already dreading the confrontation I knew would be waiting for me at home. I wanted to ignore my cell, give Andres a little more worry time, if he didn’t want to tell me what there was to be worried about, why should I make it easier on him. I knew how that sounded, I knew I was being a brat, but if it was something that he had me training to take on an army for, why should I be the last one to know?
When we reached my Jetta, I hit the button to unlock the doors and pulled it open.
“I need to check my cell really fast.” I explained bending over and pulling out the thin mobile phone from my bag.
“Take your time.” I heard him mutter behind me. I chose to ignore his suggested tone.
Hitting the button on the side, the phone lit up and I slid my finger over the screen to unlock it. Groaning, I ducked out of the car and turned to lean in the crook of the open door.
“Worse then we had thought?” He asked leaning against the car as well.
“Way worse.” I said showing him the lit up phone.
He made a face and whistled. “Ouch. Someone is in trouble.” He said reading the sixty-two missed calls.
“Thanks.” I said with a pout. “It’s your fault.”
He laughed. “I hope you plan on leaving that part out when explaining your where a bouts tonight. Here’s an idea,” He held up his hand placing his finger against his temple, “let’s blame it on Scott.”
“Ha, ha.” I said sarcastically. “Geez, I’m so glad he doesn’t know how to use text.” The phone went off in my hand, buzzing wildly, as Andres’ number displayed across the screen. I hit ignore, annoyed, before shutting off the screen and tossing the phone into the driver seat.
“So it’s really that bad?” He asked observing my behavior.
“What?”
“Whatever he did to deserve this punishment.”
“Are you taking his side?” I said shocked.
“Easy.” He said hold his hands up. “How can I take sides when you won’t tell me what’s going on?” He asked innocently. “I just sympathize-”
I opened my mouth to defend my actions, but he was talking over my attempted interruption.
“I’m just saying- I would hate to be on the end of your cold shoulder.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Let this be a lesson then. Beware.” I had meant it as a joke, but Adan suddenly looked regretful. “I was joking.” I said.
“I’ve been officially warned.” He said softly, his smile almost sad.
“I don’t think you have anything to be worried about.” I was hoping to lighten his mood. I didn’t like seeing him upset, even if I didn’t understand why.
“Why is that?”
“I just couldn’t imagine anything you could possibly do, to make me that upset with you.”
He looked hopeful. “Let’s hope I can keep it that way, but just in case, can you do me a favor?” He leaned away from the car and closing the small distance between us, until the tips of his shoes touched mine.
The way he was looking at me, I would have agreed to anything. “Your favors seem to be stacking up, but tell me and I’ll think about it.”
He grinned. “Remember this feeling,” I gave him a puzzled look. “Remember what is feels like to not imagine being angry with me. Can you do that for me? Just on the off chance that I may need it on my side in the future. Insurance if you need to label it, collateral damage.”
“That’s a pretty big favor.”
“I know, but I’m good for it. I promise.”
“Okay.” I agreed. I was going to pretend that his irresistible way with words had nothing to do with my decision. “I better go. I have major damage control to do.”
He nodded, but made no attempts to move. ”I guess that means having to say goodbye.”
“That is what’s customary in most situations.” I said. “Or we can say goodnight.”
“I like goodnight better.”
“So do I.”
“So it’s decided. We’re saying goodnight.”
“Not goodby
e.”
There was nothing left for me to do, but the actual leaving part, which neither one of us wanted to do.”
“Will you be-“
“Do you need me-“
We started at the same time and then laughed.
“What were you going to say?” he asked.
“I wanted to know if you needed a ride home?” it occurred to me then that I didn’t even know where home was. “Do you live close by?”
“I’m actually staying at the hotel down the street for now.”
“Oh, how long do you plan on staying there?” I hoped it didn’t sound like anything, but curiosity.
“I don’t plan on leaving anytime soon if that’s what you’re asking.” He said sticking his hands in his pockets and lifting his shoulders.
“Oh,” I said remembering. “Here’s your jacket, thanks for-” He stopped me before I could pull it the rest of the way off to give to him.
“You keep it.” He was already pulling it up around me again. He tugged the ends together in place pulling me toward him. “I know where you live if I need it.”
“Thank you.” Why did I sound breathless?
“You’re welcome.”
We stood there, delaying the inevitable.
“Will you be okay?” He finally whispered, breaking our silence.
“Yes. Andres will be more worried then he will be angry.”
He nodded. “Will I see you tomorrow?”
“I have to work.” I wanted to say yes.
He nodded again, not saying anything this time.
He continued to stare at me, his eyes always seemed greedy when he looked at me. Like he was trying to remember every detail about my face and the realization of this made my stomach flip. I was relieved to know that he seemed to take as much pleasure in looking at me as I did him.
“Damn,” he said frustrated.
“What?” I asked confused.
“I really want to kiss you.” His eyes were all over my face and I forgot how to breathe.
“Sara,” his hand came up and his thump brushed across my lips, slow and tantalizing, back and forth, over and over. I couldn’t help and think how delicious his touch felt, “breathe Sara.” He whispered softly and slowly I let out the breath I had been holding. “That’s my girl.”
“Adan…” I bit my lip not wanting to have to finish my sentence.
He closed his eyes tightly, letting out a loud sigh. “I know.” He said. When he finally opened his eyes I was watching him closely. “Don’t worry,” he was staring at something over my head, “I’m not going to…” he said finally looking at me, “yet.”
The back of his fingers trailed slowly down my throat and he reluctantly dropped his hand away and I could feel his disappointment. He took a step back, holding his hands behind his back and I frowned instantly confused.
“Sara?!” I heard from behind me.
Scott!, I froze, panicking at the tone of his voice.
He was angry.
I looked at Adan, but he was staring over me again and everything made sense. I turned around hoping I didn’t look as guilty as I felt. I tried to calm my racing heart as much as I could before I spoke.
“It’s okay Sara.” Adan said low enough for only me to hear. He had stiffened after hearing Scott’s anger and took a protective stance next to me. “He’s not going to hurt you.”
Before I could respond Scott was coming around the side of my car, demanding answers. “What the hell are you doing here?” He hissed at Adan.
Okay he was very angry.
Adan ignored Scott glaring right back at him, never once showing any sign of backing off of their intense stare down.
Scott was the first to look away and he turned his stare on me. “Where the hell have you been?! Where is your phone?!” He pushed himself between Adan and I, leaning into my car and grabbing my phone from the seat. I caught a glimpse of Adan’s face over Scott’s body. He was still glaring at Scott’s back and I could see the tense muscles in his jaw as he gritted his teeth together.
The minute he picked up my phone I could see the screen was being lit up with another call from Andres. Scott slid his finger over the screen, answering the call and bringing it up to his ear.
“Andres, its Scott, I found her.” I couldn’t hear anything Andres was saying on the other end, but I was able to fill in blanks by Scott’s end of the conversation. “No, she fine. She didn’t have her phone on her.”
I was suddenly very irritated by Scott and Andres’s conversation about me as if I wasn’t standing right there. I could understand Scott being upset with me, but he had never talked to me that way before and I was not about to let him talk to me like that now.
“Give me my phone Scott.” I said sternly and held out my hand waiting for him to put it there.
“Hold on Andres.” Scott said before handing me over the phone.
“I’m on my way home Andres.” There was silence on the other end, before Andres gave a terse ‘okay’ and I hung up the phone without saying another word. I took a deep breath, mentally preparing myself to deal with Scott.
“Scott calm-“
“What the hell are you doing with him Sara?!” He demanded, talking over me. “It’s almost 1 in the morning! I’ve been trying to call you for two hours!!” He yelled.
I hadn’t actually checked the list of missed calls and realized that I had just assumed they had all been from Andres. I could see Adan’s jaw clenching and unclenching and could almost hear him grinding his teeth together.
“I suggest you watch the way you talk to her.” Adan’s voice was low and almost deadly as he spoke his threat.
He turned toward Adan. “I’m sorry, please tell me how any of this is your business.”
“Sara. Is. My. Business.” He said slowly, biting off each word.
Scott turned toward Adan fully, his face bright red and fuming at Adan’s fierce declaration. Quickly I grabbed Scott’s arm pulling him back and getting between the two of them.
“Stop it!” I held my hands up between the two of them.
Please Adan, please, I thought to myself and looked at him, my eyes doing all the pleading my voice couldn’t do with him. I silently begged him not to take this further. I could feel the anger vibrating off of him against my hand even though I wasn’t touching him, he was furious, but he backed down.
“Will you be okay?” He asked.
Scott bristled behind me. “Are you freakin kidding me?! Of course she’ll be okay!!” he snapped. “Tell him Sara.”
Adan ignored Scott, his eyes never leaving my face.
I shook my head. “I’ll be fine.”
He seemed reluctant to go, but we both knew he didn’t have another choice that probably wouldn’t end in a fistfight with Scott.
He stood there for another minute before finally nodding. There was a look in his eyes I couldn’t explain and then he left me stunned. “Goodnight spitfire.” He turned off in the direction of his hotel.
I stood there for what seemed like forever. Remembering that Scott stood behind me, I took a deep breath trying to gain some composure before having to face him. The only thing my mind wanted to concentrate on was Adan’s parting words.
“What’s going on Sara?” He asked quietly behind me, all traces of his anger gone the minute Adan was out of earshot from us. “Is there something going on between you two?”
Finally I found the courage to face him. “I would never cheat on you Scott.” I said sincerely, doubting that I hadn’t already been doing that.
“Then explain to me what’s going on. Explain to me why you’ve been ignoring my calls –Andres’s calls. Tell me why you’re out in the middle of the night with him. I don’t understand what’s going on with you lately.”
Without the intense pull that I had toward Adan, when he was so close to me, there to cloud my ability to separate myself between right and wrong, I felt the guilt that I had managed to ignore, all too clearly. I reached up hugging Scott and pus
hing away the nagging voice inside my head that wanted to point out to me how wrong this felt and how incredibly empty I felt without Adan there.
“I’m sorry Scott, nothing is going on.”
“Nothing? You call being out with another guy in the middle of night nothing?” He was waving his hands around and his voice was getting louder.
Okay, maybe it wasn’t entirely nothing.
“How did you even end up with him tonight?”
I didn’t know how to answer his questions that wouldn’t further piss him off, but I knew I couldn’t just stare at him either.
“He came to the book store when I was closing.”
“He knows where you work?!
“It’s not like my job is top secret Scott, yes he knows where I work. I ran into him before work.”
“What is he seeking you out now?”
“I was walking through town before work, it’s not like he was waiting in the shadows.”
That I know of, but I kept that part to myself.
Scott made a sound that said he didn’t exactly believe that.
I thought of something then. “I introduced him to Elli and the girls.” I blurted. “He seemed to hit it off with Jasmine.” Just saying the words left a sour taste in my mouth and I swallowed trying to get rid of the feeling. I hoped that would be enough to put his mind at ease.
“What have you guys been doing all night? Why didn’t you answer any of my calls? Or Andres?”
I sighed; it didn’t seem to work as I had hoped. I knew I owed Scott all the answers he wanted and more, but I was starting to feel the fatigue sinking in again and I didn’t feel like being grilled anymore.
“When you didn’t show up tonight, we went to get something to eat-“
His eye nearly bugged out of his head and his hands balled into fists. I glanced down at the muscled twitching throughout his body and for a moment felt a little bit of fear, but it was quickly pushed aside. I had never seen Scott this angry before, but I was positive he wouldn’t hurt me.
“You went out with him?”
“Calm down Scott.” I said watching the fingers curl and uncurl into a fist over again. He looked down at his hands too and loosened his fingers. “I did not go out with him.” I said when he finally seemed to simmer down. “We just went as friends.”
Flutter (The Discover Series) Page 31