“I don’t think you’d poison me. It would mean damaging military property.”
“You’re not property, though. You’re a person. Not saying I’d poison you. It’s just mead. It feels warm and-”
He takes a drink of it without dropping eye-contact. I watch his throat work and when he sets it down, his tongue drags across his bottom lip. I’d do so many things to taste him. My own simmering lust is going to lead to disappointment, but it’s not like I can stop feeling. I’m alive, he’s amazing in ways I don’t expect and the more I learn about him, the more I want him. I’m only human.
“Very nice. Very you,” he says. The tremor in his voice on the last sentence gives me hope. Just like the way his eyes slowly map every inch of me before focusing on my lips. He swipes his tongue along his bottom lip.
“And now you’re not missing out,” I say breathlessly.
“I’ll save it for special occasions.”
“Is that what you save me for?” I flirt, letting our fingers touch as I take the mead.
“I have yet to save you for any reason or in any way,” he says, blue eyes holding mine until I blush. “Do you have a job for me, Hailey? Enemies I don’t know about? Someone who’s threatening you?”
His voice grows sharper on every assumption and his desire to protect me makes my entire body tingle and spark with lusty fire.
“No, Wes,” I whisper. “I’m not that interesting.”
“You’re the only one who thinks that,” I hear him say even as I’m walking back to the bar.
It takes every ounce of restraint to just let that comment exist between us without chasing it with something much stronger than alcohol. I don’t know when a crush is suppose to wear off, but whatever I feel for him only seems to be burning hotter every day, threatening to roast me alive if I don’t do something about it.
Chapter 8 - Wes
Every day is a new temptation. Hailey’s little touches are like a secret that only we share. If she notices what she’s doing to me, she only lets on with her lingering glances and her blushes. When she sucks or bites her bottom lip, it takes physical restraint to keep me in place. How can she miss the way my fingers tighten when she leans in to speak to me like every conversation, no matter how innocent, is a secret just for us, I have to hold on to something.
When she runs her fingers across my knuckles, or makes sure to hand me my drink so our hands overlap and I can feel how delicate and soft she is, it sends a ripple through my body that reminds me of the one night I’ve let myself go, even if every night has been a battle since. I’m past the point of questioning. Her presence, her touch, her smell, her smile all affect me in a way I can’t define other than a sharp word I’ve never wanted to use with a woman.
As much as I don’t want to admit to what I feel … I can’t exactly ignore the logic behind it. I’ve ruled everything else out. If this were merely lust, I wouldn’t be happy simply existing in her presence and picking her mind.
“Let me guess, a beer with a side of conversation?” Hailey asks, her gaze drifting from my eyes to my lips.
“Just a soda today,” I answer, my voice deeper than it should be.
Disappointment flashes across her face. “Shame.”
I arch an eyebrow. “Need advice?”
She smiles, shaking her head. “No. I just like talking to you.” She hesitates, then adds more plainly, “You don’t make everything about my dad. And you don’t treat me like I’m something to chase or avoid.”
“That should be the bare minimum.”
“Maybe,” she says, unfazed. “But it’s still noticeable.”
“If someone’s bothering you, Melissa won’t hesitate to step in,” I say.
“I know.” Her voice lowers slightly. “But it’s easier when you’re around. You change the room.”
That gets my attention.
“You don’t have to be here just because of work,” she continues, more confident now. “You’re allowed to come in and just… be.”
“I do have an office,” I say dryly.
She smiles, clearly trying to picture it. “I’m sure it’s very neat. Very serious.”
I lean back, amused, and she flushes when she realizes I’m watching her watch me. “The soda,” she says quickly. “Right. I just meant—if you’re choosing places to spend your time, this isn’t a bad option.”
