Chasing Him (Dark Love 4)

Eric ignores me, raising his hand to grab our attention. “I have one more question, and this goes to Adriana.”

I let out a drawn-out sigh, waiting for his inappropriate question. “If you saw Julian again, right now, would you tell him you love him?”

Taken aback by his question, Charlie and Eric wait impatiently, their eyes on me making me self-conscious.

“If I had the chance, then yes, I would.”

They both remain oddly quietly, then change the subject back onto Tristan.

“So, Tristan’s thinking about getting a Prince Albert,” Eric says casually.

The conversation does a complete one-eighty. I try to drown out their warped discussion about genitalia piercings and switch my attention to the crowd. The bar is dimly lit with spotlights hanging off the walls pointed at the various artwork. They are gorgeous, and I can’t help but be mesmerized by the painting of a man and woman entwined naked in the forest. My mind doesn’t need to go there, nor does my lady bits. It’s time to refocus on something else, and the bearded lady walking past me seems to throw cold water over me. Wow, now that was a beard! I’d hate to think what’s growing down below if she can’t trim her face.

I inform Charlie and Eric that I’m heading to the bar, bored by their conversation. At the bar, I take a seat and stare at the menu wanting to venture out and order something new. I’m not alone for long as a young, good-looking male slips in beside me. He is cute, and I use the word cute because he looks like he’s Eric’s age. I’m surprised by his forwardness as he begins chatting away, and so as not to be rude, I listen intently.

His name is River, and he just moved here from Texas. His accent is okay. I hate to admit, it’s downright sexy. As is the way he licked his lips every time he mentioned the word rodeo. Wait until Eric catches wind of this. He’ll be visualizing chaps and naked ass cheeks riding bucking bulls.

Perhaps this is my problem. I jumped straight into a relationship with Julian and never played the field. Maybe I need to date, let loose, and have fun, except I’m not that type of woman. I have a son to think about, plus I’m madly in love with Julian.

Okay, stupid plan.

For a brief moment, my eyes wander and quickly do a double-take. Is that? No, Adriana, you just miss him, and it’s all in your sad imagination. So, one more time just to be sure, I turn around and look again. It’s him standing in the corner dressed in a dark gray suit and black collared shirt. There isn’t enough light to see the features of his face, but all that flies out the window when I notice a woman with long ebony hair standing alongside him, chatting animatedly as he laughs and smiles along with her. I wait for him to tu

rn around, and the second he does, my heart is beating crazy and has fallen into the pit of my stomach.

We’ve only been apart for less than two weeks and already he has moved on. I don’t walk over to him, it’s pretty obvious he is seeing this woman. Body language is a dead giveaway. I turn back around and re-focus on River, but for the life of me, I can’t comprehend what he’s saying. The fan that’s positioned above the bar blows air into my eyes, and I catch a whiff of his scent. Fuck, your imagination is going nuts. River slides me over a drink, and just when I go to grab it, a hand slides between us. I recognize his fingers immediately.

Those fingers. My body has officially gone into meltdown mode. Remember where those fingers have been? Do you remember how you screamed from the top of your lungs when you came all over them? I shake my head trying to drown out my inner dialogue. My head doesn’t want to face him, but my body does on its own accord. Just be civil, you’re a strong woman and can handle this situation maturely.

“Hey, buddy, how ‘bout you keep this drink to yourself?” Julian grits his teeth waiting on a response.

Don’t make eye contact.

River is annoyed. “If the lady wants a drink, then who are you to stop her?”

“How about I tell the club owner, Mitch, about how you’ve just slipped a roofie into this glass?”

What the fuck!

River raises his hands before him, standing up and walking away leaving us alone. Julian’s face is dead serious. His nostrils are flaring in rage, his eyes are wild and ready to pounce.

“I wouldn’t have drunk it anyway,” I mumble.

“Yes, you would have. What were you thinking?”

I turn to face him this time. His eyes have softened, and they reflect back at me. For a moment, I think I see love, but it disappears as his eyes turn back to the lady with the ebony hair.

“I’m not thinking,” I tell him honestly. “And maybe you should go back to your date.”

It cut like a knife, deep and straight to the base of my heart. Here is the man I love with another woman at a bar. Everything we had that I fought hard for, means absolutely nothing. I can’t fight the pang that’s wildly spreading throughout me, and any ounce of strength I’ve gained in the past week is crumbling at a rapid rate.

“Adriana. It’s not a date. I’m sorry if it looks like that.”

“It looks like you need to get over me, so you’re fucking any slut you can your hands on,” I respond bitterly, maturity out the door while the jealousy dominates and has taken hold. I’ve had enough of this bullshit, and slide off the chair to escape him, but his firm grip on my arm holds me back.

“Tell me, weren’t you doing the same thing a minute ago?”

It’s laughable. “So what if I did? I don’t belong to you. I can fuck whoever the hell I want to.”