This Man (This Man 1)

He half smiles at my shock, placing his index finger under my chin and pushing my gaping mouth shut. ‘I’ll leave that one with you. ’ He releases my elbow.

I flash him a displeased scowl before I walk back to the table as steadily as my boneless legs will allow. Did I really just hear him right? I slide myself onto the chair, immediately glugging down my wine to try and moisten my parched mouth.

When I look up at Kate, she’s openmouthed, exposing half chewed chips and bread. It’s not attractive. ‘Who the fuck is that?’ she mumbles around her food.

‘Who?’ I look around, simulating unawareness.

‘Him,’ Kate points with her fork. ‘Look!’

‘I saw, and I don’t know. ’ I grate. Drop it!

‘He’s coming over. You sure you don’t know him? Fuck, he’s hot!’ She looks at me. I shrug.

Please, go away. Go away, go away! I pick up a stray piece of lettuce from my BLT and start nibbling at the edges. I’m tense all over, and I know he’s getting closer because Kate’s gaze is lifting upwards to accommodate his height. I wish she would shut her bloody gaping mouth!

‘Ladies,’ His low, throaty voice prickles at my skin, doing nothing to relax me.

‘Hi,’ Kate spits, chewing rapidly to rid her mouth of the obstruction to speech.

‘Ava?’ he prompts. I wave my piece of lettuce at him to acknowledge his presence but without having to look at him. He laughs lightly.

Out the corner of my eye, I see his body slowly lowering until he’s squatting at the table next to me, but I still refuse to look at him. He rests one arm on the table, and I hear Kate cough and splutter on the remnants of her food.

‘That’s better,’ he says. I can feel his breath on my cheek.

Reluctantly, I look up through my lashes and find Kate gawking at me – all wide eyed and yes-he’s-still-there-talk-you-idiot! I can think of nothing to say. Once again, this man has rendered me useless.

I hear him sigh. ‘I’m Jesse Ward, pleased to meet you. ’ I see his hand reach across the table.

Kate takes it eagerly. ‘Jesse?’ she splutters. ‘Oh! Jesse,’ I can feel her glaring at me accusingly. ‘I’m Kate. Ava mentioned you have a posh hotel. ’

I scowl across the table.

‘Oh, she mentioned me?’ he asks softly. I don’t have to look at him to know he’s displaying a smug, satisfied face at this news. ‘I wonder what else she’s mentioned. ’

‘Oh, this and that,’ Kate flips casually, but it’s too late to back track on her previous statement. I throw her my filthiest look.

‘This and that. ’ he counters softly.

‘Yes, this and that. ’ Kate affirms.

Fed up of the pointless little exchange that they both seem to be enjoying, I take the situation into my own hands, turning my eyes onto him. ‘It was nice to see you, goodbye. ’

Our eyes latch immediately, and I’m ruined by his sludgy green eyes, all hooded, dark and demanding. I can feel his breath waver and it draws my eyes away from his, but only to his mouth. His lips are moist, slightly parted, and his tongue slowly creeps out of his mouth, running a leisurely path across his bottom lip. I can’t take my eyes off him. Without any encouragement at all, my own tongue responds with a happy little adventure across my bottom lip. It betrays my effort to appear emotionless…unaffected. I’m so affected.

This is crazy. This…whatever this is…it’s just crazy. He’s over confident and arrogant, but probably has the right to be. I desperately do not want to be affected by this man.

‘Nice?’ He leans forward, grasping my thigh, causing hot liquid lava to flood my groin. I shift my legs, squeezing my thighs together to restrict the pulsation that threatens to break out into a full, hard throb. ‘I could think of lots of words, Ava. Nice is not one of them. I’ll leave you to consider my question. ’

Oh, good Lord! I gulp as he leans into me at half height, pressing his damp lips against my cheek, holding his kiss forever. I clench my teeth in an effort not to turn into him.

‘Soon. ’ he whispers. It’s a promise. He releases my tense thigh and rises. ‘It was nice to meet you, Kate. ’

‘Hmmm, you too. ’ she responds thoughtfully.

He strides off towards the back of the bar. Good God, he walks with purpose and it’s sexy as hell. I close my eyes to mentally gather my wits, which are currently dispersed all over the bar floor. It’s completely hopeless. I turn back to Kate, finding accusing bright blues gawking at me like I’ve just sprouted fangs.

Her eyebrows hit her hairline. ‘Fuck me, that was intense!’ she spits across the table.