She blushes as I compliment her and the slight flush to her skin and the dropping of her embarrassed eyes actually does something I thought would be impossible, it makes her even more attractive.
“I have no moral objection to one-night stands. I’ve had quite a few of them, but that is what they remain for me. I do not repeat them. I assumed you had experienced one before, although I accept that you hadn’t. It was the following morning that I realised how much I wanted to stay in bed with you, to hold you and see where that might lead and if I hadn’t needed to leave maybe I would have tried to facilitate that but it was more.”
“How?” Her wide eyes and nervous hand wringing suggest she is still unsure of what I am saying.
“I didn’t get it at the time, it wasn’t until I saw you again later. We’d enjoyed a night together; no names, no numbers and no false promises but as soon as I left your flat it felt wrong and although I was tempted to run back in and give you my number or invite you to dinner I fought it because as I said one-night stands remain that way with me. Not because I don’t do girlfriends or date, I do, but I have never dated a one-night stand kind of girl before.”
“So, you figure if I’ll fuck you on the first night that’s all I’m good for. Certainly not the sort of girl you’d date or take home to mother,” she states more than asks and I hate how that must have made her feel, just as I hate the way she sounds, ashamed.
“Yes,” I admit honestly and am surprised when she nods her understanding.
“I really had never done that before and I know I’d been drinking but I wasn’t drunk, not that drunk, it was you,” she admits, and blushes again.
“Seeing you in Christian’s office. I had no idea you’d be there. You weren’t at work when I got there and I was enjoying the view from his balcony when I heard your voice. You sounded so ambitious and full of drive when you spoke about your career, the one that was being unfulfilled by him and although I admired it, I had no intention of intervening—”
“And yet you did.”
“Yes, yes I did.” I smile. “I handled things badly with you, from the morning after if not from the beginning but I won’t make that mistake again. So, what do you say Olivia, do we have something to build on because you certainly seemed to think so in my flat even when you were stoned on pain relief?”
Shit! Why did I just say that to her? She probably doesn’t remember telling me that I smelled nice, or that she properly liked me when we met. If she doesn’t remember telling me that I was an arse then she doesn’t remember freaking out at me calling her darling and her subsequent explanation about someone calling her that before hurting her, the same darling I used just a couple of minutes before. I really am a dick that needs to be kicked, hard.
“Did I embarrass myself?” She looks scared again, no, nervous.
“No, no,” I assure her, choosing not to mention her attempt to strip off in front of me. “We just both seemed to be considering more than work. We almost ended up kissing more than once, didn’t we?” I waffle hoping to distract her from anything else.
“I suppose.”
“So, you and me, how about we try again? We can grab a drink, dance and then I’ll take you home and tomorrow I won’t act like a dick,” I offer, making her smile.
“One night again?” She scowls as she considers what she perceives to be my suggestion that tonight might just be another one-nighter.
“Olivia, I have no clue what this will be, one night, one week, one month or forever.” My total honesty shocks us both judging by my rapidly thudding heart in my chest and her stunned expression. “I am trying to be honest with you and I don’t have all of the answers, but I really want to try this, us.” I’m almost pleading and hope she is convinced because if not I may just have to keep her in this room until she is.
“If we try again, I don’t think we should repeat our having sex on the first night.”
Now I know for certain she is as up for this as I am. “Deal, although I meant escort you to your door, not have sex, not tonight.”
I watch her face and am sure she looks disappointed which adds another layer of conceit to my already self-important ego, but more than that, better than that is the fact that her disappointment means she sees the potential in this.
“Escort me to my door?” she clarifies, and I am in no doubt that she is beginning to question whether she really wants more even if she said differently.
“Yes, although I wouldn’t be opposed to coming in for coffee and I love the idea of sitting next to you on the sofa and kissing you.”
I am doing myself no favours here because every suggestion I make is exciting her, I can see it; the way her eyes are widening, her increase in breathing and the flush I can see crawling up her neck makes me want to fuck her right here, right now. But I said no sex tonight, agreed with her suggestion, however, all indicators suggest that all deals will be off after tonight judging by the little moan she has just let out.
“You’ll kiss me?”
I love the sound of desperation in her voice.
“Mmm, lots. I might even touch you, but no fucking,” I tell her bluntly and I’m rewarded with a low mewl making her desire as obvious as her arousal at my use of crude terms and I haven’t even got started with those. “Are we doing this, sweetheart?” I lean in until my lips are almost resting against hers, my eyes never leaving hers that are changing colour again to a deep green.
“Yes,” she whimpers and although I have a feeling this could be disastrous for us both I have a stronger feeling that this might just be the best thing either of us ever takes a chance on.
“Then let’s go and dance.” I’m already withdrawing, deliberately teasing her so that by the time I do kiss her she will be desperate for it, more desperate than we both are already.
Chapter 12
Olivia
