Page 2 of Forbidden Fiancé

It wasn’t the right thing to do. I should have closed out my tab, gone back to the Ethan’s place and talked to him. I should have had the balls to tell him what I was feeling, how his actions were hurting me, and that I didn’t think we were going to work out. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Nor, sadly, could I muster the energy to care.

Instead, I leaned back on my stool, taking my drink with me. I looked around the bar, not really seeing what I was around me. My mind went in a thousand directions but I couldn’t hold onto a single thought. I had no idea how long I sat there but I suddenly became aware of a man standing next to me.

I lifted my head to look at the sexiest man I had ever seen standing in front of me.

He was tall, over six feet tall, and towered over me and the stool I was in. He had light brown hair that was a little long and came over his ears. He had high cheekbones and the deep brown eyes. His black long sleeve shirt fit his body like a glove, showing off his toned biceps and wide chest. His stomach was flat and I had a feeling he had six-pack abs. I immediately wanted to find out and thought what it would be like to scrape my fingernails down his chest to his stomach and everything else I would find below.

I slowly lifted my head to see him looking at me. I could feel myself blushing for ogling a man who was just trying to get a drink. I dropped my head down and moved back into my chair, trying to give him room to talk to the bartender.

He leaned onto the counter but instead of getting the bartender’s attention; he turned and looked at me. I had another chance to look at his incredible brown eyes. Eyes that were looking directly at me as if I was the most important and only thing in the room. Involuntarily, I sat up and held his gaze. My whole body reacted to scrutiny of me. Intrigue, pleasure, and instant desire filled me. My heart rate increased and I could feel myself getting turned on by just how he was looking at me.

It wasn’t right, I should have turned away, I shouldn’t have smiled up at him. I shouldn’t have extended my hand. I definitely shouldn’t have said, “Hello, I’m Natalie.” But I did and my life has never been the same.

Chapter 2

Luke

I wasn’t one to go into a bar. I wasn’t one to walk up to a woman and talk to her, but the minute I had seen Natalie, I knew I had to. I needed to find out who she was. There was a compulsion in me that told me I had to know everything about her. Intimately.

The idea of sitting on my boat for the evening held no appeal and I had wandered the streets of downtown Miami with no real destination in mind. Havana Nights wasn’t a bar I would have frequented. I wasn’t much for Cuban food or music but the place seemed to call to me. I wasn’t sure why, but I didn’t question it. I immediately found my answer when I walked inside and saw Natalie sitting alone at the bar.

She looked so sad, so dejected, so lost, my heart ached for her. She wasn’t the first or even the only woman to sit alone in a bar. I certainly never felt the need to be a knight in shining armor to any other woman but I wanted to for her. I felt compelled to know why she looked so sad and to do everything I could to make it go away.

I hardly noticed the music or the patrons in the bar as I walked towards her. It could have been that she was one of the few blonde-haired women in the bar. It could have been that the hair cascaded down her back making her look angelic, that made me want to go to her. Or it was simply that she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.

Her head was turned away from me as I approached. I could tell that she was lost in thought. Wherever her mind had taken her, she wasn’t really seeing or enjoying the bar. It was an eclectic place, full of lights, laughter, music, and spicy smells. If I hadn’t been so intent on her, I might have taken some time to enjoy the scenery, but all I cared about was her.

I stood in front of her, and she immediately noticed me. She was even more spectacular up close. Her body was petite, with curves in all the right places. Her breasts were full and pushed up against her short black dress. Her smooth legs hung over the stool, showing how short it was, and the dress was short enough to make things interesting. I roamed my eyes over her body, enjoying everything that I was seeing. When I got to her face, she wasn’t looking at me but her mouth was open slightly as she took me in.

My body immediately contracted at knowing she was checking me out as I had her. It was only confirmed when she looked up at me and our eyes locked. Desire and need looked back at me. It was so raw, so unfiltered, it took my breath away. I wanted to reach up and pull her to me as I plunged my tongue inside her mouth. I wanted to feel her body pressed up against mine as she moaned out my name over and over again.

It was insane to have such a strong reaction to a woman I had technically not even met yet. I didn’t know her name. I had no idea if she was with someone, why she was there, and if she wanted anything to do with me. My mind raced trying to come up with a witty come on, something that would tell her just how beautiful she was, how intrigued I was by her, and how much I wanted her.

Before I could, she did all that and more by reaching her hand out and saying, “Hello, I’m Natalie.”

The smile she gave me was electric. It said so much, and everything I wanted to hear. It said she was glad I was there; she was attracted to me too, and she wanted me to sit down.

“Luke,” I said as I took her hand and sat in the seat next to her.

I kept her hand in mine and ran my thumb slowly along the outside of her palm. If I hadn’t been looking for it, I wouldn’t have seen the slight quick intake of breath or the shiver that went down her body. The sexual heat and chemistry that was coming from her was palpable.

She leaned back and moved her hand from mine. I was almost offended until she reached over and took a sip of her drink. Her hand shook slightly and I knew she needed the break. Somehow, her retreat was even sexy to me.

I watched her as she finished her drink. When she placed the empty glass on the table, I looked over at the bartender and signaled I wanted a round. I didn’t know what Natalie was drinking and I really didn’t care. I just wanted to sit next to her, find out more about her, and see how quickly I could get her to leave the bar with me.

“So, what brings you here?” I asked as we waited for our drinks.

“Does it matter?” she asked.

I smiled. She didn’t want the small talk any more than I did. It made me almost wish I hadn’t ordered the drinks. If I was reading her right, she wanted to get out of the bar as much as I did.

Slowly, I leaned forward so that my mouth was inches from her ear. The music wasn’t so loud that I had to be close for her to hear me, I just wanted to. I wanted to smell her; I wanted to watch her shiver again as she felt my breath next to her. I wanted to see if I could see and smell how aroused she was by my presence.

“How can I thank whatever God or person brought such beauty and grace to me if I don’t know why you’re here?”

“I brought myself here,” she whispered back.

Her words were soft, edgy, and with a hint of seduction. I wasn’t sure if that was just how she spoke or if I was making her that way. I didn’t care. I only wanted to hear her talk more.

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