***
The knock on the front door startled me out of my sleep. The television was still on, and the crack of daylight through the curtains told me I’d either been asleep for minutes or hours—I wasn’t sure which. Struggling to my feet, I grabbed my phone to check what time it was. Almost five in the evening. I’d fallen asleep for all of sixteen minutes and I still felt like shit. The rapping on the door reminded me of what had woken me.
“Coming,” I grumbled, smothering a yawn. I swung open the door, not even bothering to see who it was. I just made my way back to the couch.
“You look like shit.”
That got my attention. I turned around, sure I knew that voice, but convinced my mind (or my cock) was playing really cruel tricks on me. Angel stood in the doorway, her head leaning against the frame and her lips curved into a s
mile.
Fuck, she looked even sexier out of her work clothes, if that were possible. Her hair hung loosely around her shoulders. She wore a strapless dark blue sundress and a low pair of heels. A silver anklet hung around her right ankle, sparkling as it caught the light. Her necklace hung around her neck, as it always did.
“Angel,” I was surprised, and embarrassed that I hadn’t showered. “Come in. Excuse the mess. I just had some of the guys over. Aren’t you cold?” I asked. Her bare arms were making me feel cold.
She laughed. “I’m okay. It’s warm in here anyway. So you had a big day? Well, that explains the beer cans and the fact that you look like you’re ready to pass out. I can go if you like,” she said, turning toward the door.
“No!” I shouted, loudly. Too loudly. She raised her eyebrows as my face colored. “Some caffeine will wake me up,” I muttered as I filled the coffee pot, sneaking glances at her as she sat on one of the bar stools opposite me. Could I have sounded any more desperate?
“I thought you might’ve dropped past work to see me,” she commented, nodding as I held up a mug. “A coffee would be great, thanks.”
“Well you wouldn’t tell me your name, so I didn’t want to be where I wasn’t welcome,” I shrugged, making out like it was no big deal. It was a huge deal though. The fact that she had been thinking about me sent shivers down my spine. Fucking shivers! The only thing that had given me shivers in the past was the dead spider Alex put in my bed when I was ten.
She laughed, throwing her head back. “We had some pretty mind-blowing sex and you thought you weren’t welcome? Belle,” she added. “My name is Belle.”
Belle. It was such a sexy name, which suited her perfectly. Hearing her describe our encounter as ‘mind-blowing’ made me feel pretty damn good. She looked up at me, her chin resting on her open palm, and her elbow propped up on the counter.
“Do I get to know your name?”
“Jack,” I grinned, pushing her coffee over to her.
“Nice to meet you, Jack.” She took the mug in her hands and brought it to her mouth. I watched her as she brought her full lips together and gently blew on the hot liquid before taking a sip.
God I wished I was that coffee.
“So, why aren’t you out? I didn’t figure you for the type to be home by yourself on a Saturday night,” she commented.
“Well, technically it’s still afternoon, and I’m not alone anymore, am I?” I walked around the island counter toward her as she spun the stool around. Sitting on the neighboring stool, I propped my feet up on the foot bar, making her knees almost flush up against my crotch. Her eyes widened, as though she hadn’t expected me to get so close so soon.
“So, tell me about Belle,” I said, wanting to know everything about this beauty.
“What’s there to tell? I grew up in Manchester, and moved to London last year. I have a sister, I’m studying…There’s not much else,” she shrugged, taking a sip of her coffee, her eyes burning into mine.
“What are you studying?” I asked.
“English Literature,” she replied, her eyes dropping slightly, her long lashes averting my attention. She wore very little makeup, yet her natural beauty was so stunning she didn’t need much. A touch of mascara, and that blood-red lipstick. He cheeks naturally flushed when she was cold or embarrassed. And from memory, when she orgasmed.
“What year are you in?” I asked, trying to gauge her age. At times she seemed so innocent, but then she’d say something and her maturity would really shine through.
“I have one more year before I graduate,” she replied, running her hand through her long, silky hair. I was no expert on styling products, but it looked like she’d straightened it. The wildness wasn’t there tonight; instead, it looked sleek and smooth.
My quick calculations told me that made her twenty-one. My list of past relationships was far from long, but I’d never dated anyone who was so much younger than I was. Four years wasn’t earth-shattering, but it could possibly cause complications. I knew I wasn’t the most mature guy on the block, but I guessed I had much more life experience than she did.
I snorted loudly, causing Belle to eye me strangely. What the fuck was wrong with me? Since when did I think past the next week? Next I’d be planning our wedding.
“Something funny?” she asked dryly.
“No,” I finally replied, gripping the underside of her seat and dragging her toward me. I felt the cool air rush past the tiny space that separated her lips from mine. I was so close to her, all I could smell was her body lotion and the fruity scent from her lip gloss.