AllFreeNovel
Share Us
When the footsteps stop, and I open my eyes, turning to see who’s standing there, my heart plummets to the floor.
“Wes?” I choke, wanting the floor turn to lava and swallow me whole.
Our eyes lock, but he says nothing, just stands there with a knowing smile on his face as his hands sink into the front pocket of his black jeans.
“What...what are you doing back here?” I manage to say even though I'm slowly turning a deeper shade of red the longer he stares.
“I wanted to make sure you were okay. You looked upset before…” He trails off, slowly making his way to where I'm standing.
“You were worried about me?” I question.
His head tilts and a slight smile plays at the edge of his mouth, the one I've been fantasizing about for years.
“Is that so shocking?” He leans against the wall with his shoulder while I stay where I am, my back flush with the eighties wallpaper because I know if I look at him head-on, I’ll say something stupid and regret it for the next seventy years.
“Kinda. I mean, you don't really know me.” That's the truth, and the second I say it out loud, I expect him to burst out laughing, but he stays silent, those eyes taking me in. After what feels like hours, his hand rests against my elbow, and I reluctantly look his way.
“I want to.” The sincerity of those words and the kindness reflected in his gaze take my breath away. “Is that okay?”
I don't know what to say. I want to nod, to agree with everything he's saying because I've wanted this for so long, but in the back of my mind, I know it will only end in disappointment. I don't have free time to date, and I know this, especially with the pub so far in the red. I need to concentrate on saving it before I think about any distractions. And Wes would be a colossal distraction.
“Let me take you out for dinner and get to know you better.”
I want to say yes, my heart wants it, my libido definitely wants it, but my brain currently has all the control. “I can't.” I shake my head, pushing off the wall and walking to the other side of the hallway to put a bit of distance between us. “I’m not what you want,” I whisper to myself, but of course, he hears and makes an offended sound in the back of his throat.
“How do you know what I want?” he asks, and when our eyes meet, I expect to see anger but what I see is humor. “Who told you I didn't want someone like you?”
“As I pointed out earlier, you don't know me.”
“Yet,” he interjects and makes me smile despite my resolve to keep a straight face.
I take him in with his dark wash jeans that hug his lower half in a way that makes me want to watch as he walks away again and again. His plain black T-shirt leaves little to the imagination since it sticks to him like a second skin, but none of that compares to the way his eyes bore into mine with an intensity I feel to my bones. I always knew his eyes were green. Most girls in high school commented on how gorgeous they were, but I've never seen them up close, and I know that if I'm not careful, I'll get lost in them. They glimmer with promises of what's to come if I let him in, but I know I can't.
“Wes, I like you.”
He smirks and goes to say something, but I stop him by putting my hand on his chest. I know instantly that I made a huge mistake because my breath catches, and my eyes fly up to his. The heat I see reflected at me causes every cell in my body to catch fire, and I know I need to leave before this gets worse.
“Good,” he mutters as he pushes me against the wall until his front is flush with mine. “Because I like you, too…” he says.
His head dips and I close my eyes, expecting him to kiss me. For the life of me, I can't see a reason not to let him. But when nothing happens, I open my eyes to see that cocky smirk and those gorgeous green eyes.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
And with that, he backs away and heads down the hall and out of sight.
I know I need to stay away from him. I know I need to concentrate on the pub and getting back on my feet, but damn, that man is going to be hard to resist.
