All my previous worries vanished when we hopped out of the car. Her face lit up with excitement when she saw the neon sign flicker outside the club, and she jumped out of the car before I reached her door, letting out the sweetest squeal.
‘This is the first date?’ she questioned, the happiness twinkling in her eyes. ‘I’ve never been to a comedy club before.’
‘I know.’ I rounded the hood of the car, coming to stand in front of her. I held out my hand. Her eyes dipped down, and I saw the faint flicker of uncertainty. It lasted as long as her next breath before she slid her hand into mine. One simple gesture felt like the greatest gift I’d ever received.
‘How’d you know?’ she asked as we walked across the car park, heading into the venue.
‘I’m a master of deduction.’
She gave me a knowing smile. ‘You called Fallon.’
I pressed my fingers to my lips, dropping my voice to a low whisper, ‘Just be impressed, sweetheart.’
‘Oh, don’t worry, I am,’ she giggled, and fucking hell, that sound shot straight through me.
14
There werefifteen minutes before the warm-up act started. We weaved our way through the crowd towards the bar. I kept my hands interlocked with Rosies. Every so often, I waited for her to pull away and sever the connection. She never did.
The venue wasn’t big, meaning people were scattered everywhere, leaning against walls, holding plastic cups of liquor and chatting in raised voices. My hand instantly flexed in hers, a knot of anxiety tightened in my throat. She tilted her head up at me, brow pinched in question.
I flashed her a tight smile. Pulling her a little closer. I didn’t want to admit that I hated crowds, not when I could see the light spark in her eyes at the hustle and bustle. Liveliness and chaos were where she thrived, and seeing her come alive under the low light made it clearer than ever.
We ordered our drinks—Rosie getting shots at the last second—and went to find our seats. Small round tables were dotted around the room, all numbered with tiny lamps on each. A few booths lined the wall; we took one tucked into the corner—a safe distance from the stage. The last thing Ineeded was the comedian deciding to crowd work the front few tables. Sequestered away meant that fewer prying eyes would be on us.
She slid into the seat, shucking off her coat. I placed the tray of drinks on the table, and she immediately took a shot and held one up for me.
I sat next to her, shaking my head with a soft laugh.
‘Shots are a really bad idea.’
Her eyes glistened, and that goddamn smile split her lips. ‘They arenevera bad idea.’
‘I’ve not done shots in a while. Actually, come to think of it, the last time I did shots was with you.’ I pointed an accusatory finger at her.
She rolled her eyes, laughter still shining on her face as she batted my finger away. ‘You saying I’m a bad influence?’ Her body leaned forward, resting one elbow on the table and cradling her chin in her palm.
Copying her movements, I propped my elbow on the table, turning my body to face hers.
‘You’re a terrible influence, sweetheart.’
Her eyes dipped to my lips, and it felt like all the air was sucked out of the room. ‘You want to teach me a lesson?’ Her voice was barely more than a whisper, but she might as well have screamed it for the way my body jerked to attention. Filthy images flickered in my head, each more detailed and depraved than the last.
All the blood in my body rushed south.
I wrapped a hand around her wrist and brought the soft skin to my lips. Her eyes tracked the movement, and her lips parted, waiting to see what I’d do next.
‘And have you lose the bet?’ I smirked.
It took a few seconds for my words to register, and then her mouth fell into an adorable pout. She pulled her hand away, and I chuckled.
‘Goddamn Fallon. I like sex. There’s nothing wrong with that.’ She threw her hands in the air.
‘I agree.’
She gave a coquettish tilt to her head. ‘I’ve heard some stories about you, you know.’
I raised my eyebrows. ‘Have you now?’
