Page 33 of Doubting Hearts

He grinned as he pushed me roughly back on the couch, crawling up and over me like a tiger about to devour its prey. His eyes darkened as his hands took mine and pushed them up above my head, pinning me in place. “Toby, this pole of mine is about to get real busy. Lie back and enjoy, lover.”

I did what I was told.

* * *

ONE NIGHT Rain left the hotel to go home after promising me he might swing by later. I couldn’t spend the night at his place tonight—I just had too much on the go. We had a party of twenty people in from the local RAF Wittering air base, a birthday party taking place for one of the medical staff. Tammy stayed an extra shift to help, and Chris was doing his best to manage the front of house while I tried to make sure the party got everything they needed. We were fully booked that night on rooms as well. Tammy winked at me as I passed her, making my way to the kitchen to check on their meals.

I looked at her. “What’s the wink for?”

She grinned. “Mikey is with the party tonight, and I overheard him saying he’s going to ask you out.”

I groaned, feeling a sense of despair. “Oh hell. I haven’t done anything to encourage him, and I don’t want to have to turn him down. What am I going to do?”

She shrugged. “Just be nice to him. Explain to him you have a boyfriend now. That’s all you can do. I just thought I’d forewarn you.”

I nodded. “Thanks, Tammy.”

Around 11:30 p.m. the party was drawing to a close, twelve drunk and exuberant men and women getting ready to leave for the night. My feet hurt, my back ached, and my temper was frayed. I was so tired I wanted to creep into a dark hole and just sleep. Even the memory of Rain’s sexy dancing on his new toy, something he’d done a few times to great effect for me, didn’t do its usual cheering up. I was seeing most of the party out, waving good-bye, and looking forward to my bed, when I spotted an inebriated Mikey making his way toward me. He looked very determined, his cheeks pink with alcohol. God, I don’t need this now. Please, Mikey, just go home.

He continued on his path to where I stood, his brown eyes regarding me with determination and boldness.

“Toby? I was looking for you. I wanted to talk to you.” His speech was slurred, but I didn’t think he was too pissed to have a decent conversation. I smiled at him as he weaved closer to me and stood in front of me. I tried not to wince at the beer blast on his breath.

“Mikey, did you have a good time tonight? You seem to have enjoyed yourself.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I had a good time.” He reached out a hand and stroked my suit sleeve lingeringly.

I smiled and moved away. “What can I do for you, Mikey?” I didn’t know him that well. I’d seen him in the pub now and then again with his mates, and he seemed to be a nice enough bloke. They didn’t come in all that much, maybe every few weeks. Now that he was closer

to me, I could see that he was probably in his early twenties—maybe about twenty-three, older than I’d thought. He had a number-two brush cut, with pale, freckled skin and huge brown eyes that were looking at me with something close to adoration. I felt very uncomfortable being stared at as if I was some delicious morsel on a plate. He was about five six in height, well-built and attractive if you liked that sort of sweet farm-boy look. I was definitely more into the bad-boy persona myself.

“I wanted to see if you would go on a date with me?” There it was, out in the open, and now I had to let the youngster down gently.

I adopted a rueful smile and slowly shook my head. “I’m sorry, Mikey. I have a boyfriend, and I doubt he’d be okay with that. But I’m flattered you asked me.”

He blinked. “You have a boyfriend?”

I nodded. “Yes, we’ve been together a while now. I haven’t seen you lately, so I guess you didn’t know. No harm done.”

He nodded slowly, then launched himself at me, his wet, beer- tasting lips plastering themselves against mine with the ferocity of a janitor fish, one of those fish that latch on to the side of the glass in a fish tank and don’t let go. I stepped back in panic at his unexpected action, and he grabbed me tighter, sliding his persistent tongue into my mouth. I thought he was trying to suction out my insides. I tried pushing him away and disengaging my mouth without being too rough. His hand was now scrabbling around in my crotch area.

Christ, what must this look like to anyone watching?

My eyes darted around the room, and my heart sank when I saw a familiar figure standing at the entrance to the lounge, eyebrows raised and a look of sheer amusement on his face. Rain made no move to help me, just stood against the doorjamb with his arms folded across his broad chest. I finally pried Mikey away from me and put some distance between us. He stood, his chest heaving, obviously very aroused, from what I’d felt when he shoved his groin against me.

“Christ, Mikey, what the hell is wrong with you? What fucking part of ‘I have a boyfriend and no thank you’ did you not understand?”

I thought it best to get that in whilst Rain was in earshot.

Mikey looked at me with those puppy-dog eyes. “I’m sorry, Toby, I just wanted to kiss you so badly. I couldn’t help myself.”

I shook my head, still disliking his beer taste in my mouth. “Like I said, I’m flattered, but honestly, that was a mistake. Now you need to get on home. Did you call a taxi?”

He nodded shamefacedly.

“Then I suggest you go to the front of the hotel and wait for it. Get some fresh air and sober up. And for God’s sake, don’t kiss anyone else on the way out. You could get decked.”

He nodded and muttered again.