Forever Winter

His face is all hard edges and lines. He’s not pretty like I’d call Cory. Cory reminds me of the boy next door with his dirty-blond wavy hair and dark blue eyes. Everything about Cory screams good American hometown boy. This man looks almost deadly in his pure black suit. Even his eyes are dark as they bore into the man sitting next to me.

“Now come on, Robert. Don’t be—”

“Don’t make me repeat myself, Richard.” Robert’s hand comes out in offering to me. For some reason I take it. He gives a small tug, pulling me up from my chair. The action makes me unsteady on my heels, and I try to balance myself but end up falling into the mountain of a man. He is somehow even bigger then I first thought he was. He doesn’t even flinch. His hands come to my hip to help steady me on my feet.

“Sorry,” I whisper, looking up at him through my eyelashes. His eyes finally meet mine. Not as dark as I thought they were. A warm honey brown surrounds his pupils, but I don’t think you’d notice unless you were this close to him. “Your eyes,” I say before I can stop myself.

“What about them?” His voice is deep, rumbling from his body, reminding me that I’m pressed up against him.

“They’re beautiful,” I admit. My face warms at the confession and I feel shy, but when he gives a half smile my insides melt.

“I don’t think anyone has ever called me that before.” I glance to the scar that runs along his jaw. It’s jagged and looks to only be a few years old. No, I don’t think he’s what most would call beautiful, but looking at him right now I don’t think beauty is what I find attractive in a man. It’s only his eyes that are beautiful. The rest of him is rugged. His suit fits him perfectly, but somehow, I can tell he doesn’t want to be in it as much as I don’t want to be in this dress and heels.

Our eyes stay locked for a moment. I finally pull mine away to glance back to my seat to see the other man is long gone. “Thank you,” I tell the man who clearly came to save me.

“Why are you thanking me?” His eyes trace my face. Something about him is familiar, but I can’t place it.

“For saving me from the creepy old guy,” I laugh, trying to make light of everything. His face is still so serious.

“Maybe I came to steal you from him.” I let out another laugh thinking he is teasing me back, but still his face doesn’t change. His hands on my hips tighten. He pulls me even more into him. I gasp when I feel his erection dig into me, telling me how true his words really are.

Heat flashes through my whole body at his boldness. The rest of the ballroom fades away. I forget about the crowd and everyone else.

“Are you going to stop me?” he asks in a challenge. I shake my head no. I should say yes, but my mouth won’t move. He lets go of my hip and grabs my purse from off the table. His other hand slides into mine, our fingers locking. “Good,” is all he says as he guides me towards the stage area. I have to almost run to keep up with his long strides. Wherever we are going, he wants to get there now.

He slows, releasing my hands and wrapping his arms around my waist, pulling me close when he sees I have to run a little to keep up with him. I glance back over my shoulder to look for Cory. I don’t see him, and Robert takes me behind the stage area that opens into a long hallway.

“Where are we going?” I ask.

“Did you come with someone?” He asks a question of his own without answering mine.

“Yes.” His hand on my hip tightens at my answer.

“It’s—” I’m cut off from telling him it’s not what he thinks. I’m not here on a date. He pulls me into a room, slamming the door closed behind us. His mouth crashes down on mine as though he doesn’t want to hear what I was going to say.

My hands dig into his shirt. I find myself pushing off his suit jacket as he lifts me from the ground, my heels falling off my feet and hitting the floor.

“Oh god. This is happening,” I moan when his mouth leaves mine, going for my neck as he sucks and licks.

“Fuck, you even taste like sugar,” he growls against my skin. “So fucking soft.” I don’t think he’s talking to me, so I don’t respond. I’m not sure I could if I tried. I let my head drop back as his hands and mouth are everywhere. Everything that comes from his mouth is sweet and adoring like we are two lovers making love and not two strangers who know nothing of the other. It’s such a contrast from the roughness of his hands and voice.