Chapter Sixteen
Lucy
The longer the night goes on, the more comfortable I feel. Riley is an amazing guy. He hasn’t been too forward, hasn’t attempted to make any moves, and has kept me company whilst the other two have been sucking face for the last hour.
“Do you think they can breathe?” He asks, rolling his eyes.
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen them come up for air in a while.” I giggle before stifling a yawn. “I’m sorry, I have had such a long day travelling.”
“Well, it is one o’clock in the morning.” He smiles.
Glancing down at my phone, I suck in a breath. “How is it so late already? The night has gone faster than I thought it had.”
“Time flies when you’re having fun.” He winks. A panty-melting smile took over his face.
Fuck me, this man is gorgeous.
“I'd better head back and get some sleep. But, I’ll see you tomorrow?” I ask, more inclined to the idea of seeing him again than I thought I would be.
“Yes, if you want me?” He side-eyes me cheekily.
I laugh, but I think I do want him. For the first time in forever, I want a man that isn’thim. I’m not forward enough to say that.
“I’d love it,” I reply shyly.
“I’ll walk you back to your hotel. I have a feeling these two won’t be sleeping anytime soon.”
I glance back at the others, and they’re still a ball of tangled limbs. Sara is practically sitting on Leon's knee now. “I agree.”
After saying a quick goodbye and arranging times for tomorrow, we leave the lovebirds to it. With the mischievous look Sara gave me, I’m pretty sure they’ll be going back somewhere soon, too.
When the fresh air hits my skin, a shiver runs through me. The temperature has really dropped since I came out. Thank God it’s a quick walk back to the hotel. Riley must notice as he shrugs off his denim jacket and wraps it around my shoulders. The deep, manly scent of his aftershave surrounds me. What is it about a man that smells good? Is there anything wrong with this man at all?
“You don’t have to do that,” I look up at him and catch him gazing down at me.
“I know.” That's all he says, taking my hand to guide me through the crowd outside.
It feels nice, holding his hand like this. His fingers are threading through mine. But that jolt of electricity that I was hoping for never came. Just the same as always. The spark I’m hoping will finally stop this dry spell I’ve had for years. Am I broken? Max has spoiled me for anyone else. I stare down at our joined hands, willing for something, anything, to happen.
“What do you do for work, Riley?” I ask.
My interest in him is growing. There is something about him that seems different than the other men I have tried to get to know.
He smirks at me before answering. “I don’t know if you’d wanna know.”
“Trust me, I need to know now.” I laugh. I raise a brow, intrigued by his reaction.
“Okay. But you asked for it. I own a strip club.” He replies nonchalantly.
I choke on a laugh. “Excuse me?”
“I own a bar. That has women. That takes their clothes off…”
“I know what a strip club is,” I laugh some more. “It just isn’t what I expected you to say!”
“What did you expect? A postman?” He wrinkles his nose at the thought.
“No. Like a marine or something. Or maybe a wrestler. But definitely not that.”
