Page 36 of No One But You

I puffed out a heavy breath. “You got this. Just act natural.”

I climbed out of Matilda and combed my hands through my hair. Why did it feel like I was back in middle school, and this was our first date? Not that I went on any dates in middle school or had any friends for that matter.

Stop. Don’t go there. Not tonight. I opened the door of the pub and my gaze fixed right on Kora like I was a compass, and she was magnetic north.

She was leaning against the bar laughing at something Trevor said. Her head tipped back a little, and her face sparkled. She was wearing a white button-up blouse tied at the waist and tight jeans which hugged her curves—all those perfect curves. She wasn’t thin but was perfectly thick and muscular, and God, those hips.

I balled my hands into fists to keep from walking to her and filling them with her softness. My fingers itched to touch her. My eyes traveled to her face just as she glanced over. Her large deep brown eyes sparkled under the lights of the bar. I may not have come to Orlinda Valley expecting, or even wanting, to find a relationship, but when I see Kora, I can’t think of anything else.

“Hey.” I leaned against the bar beside her. A small smile climbed her face, and her eyes flicked around me and finally fell on mine. I lightly tucked a strand of hair off her face, and a tingle entered the tip of my thumb when it slid against her cheek before it rested again on the bar.

“Hey,” she answered in a shy voice.

“What can I get you, man?” Trevor asked as he set the pitcher of margaritas and two glasses in front of Kora.

“Just a Coke, thanks,” I answered, never taking my eyes off Kora. “How was your day?” My full attention was on this beautiful woman in front of me, and I nodded to Trevor in recognition of the drink he placed on the counter.

“It was good. I caught up on some work I needed to do with the goats and chicken enclosure.”

“Good. Are Baby Goat’s escape plans useless?”

“Should be. For now, anyway, though I’m sure he’s already thinking of a new way to break out.”

I took a drink of my Coke. “Should we join Bryson and Darlene?” I asked as I reached for the pitcher.

Kora nodded and grabbed the glasses. We walked to the same picnic table we sat at last night. Darlene and Bryson were already there.

I poured Kora and Darlene their drinks, then sat next to Kora. The vanilla and strawberry scent of her perfume and shampoo filled my nostrils. Damn, she smelled good enough to eat. I pulled my eyes from her and focused on the cornhole boards across the yard as I sipped my Coke.

“You don’t drink much, do you?” Kora asked.

“Nope. Not really.” She didn’t need to know that with an alcoholic and abusive father, excessive drinking was something I tried my best to avoid. My past wasn’t good, and I never made smart choices under the influence, so it was better not to partake. “But you go right ahead. I promise I won’t take advantage of you, too much anyway.” I winked at her jokingly, and a blush splashed across her face. She blushed a lot, and it was sexy.

“Don’t worry. Nothing has ever stopped these two from enjoying their margaritas,” Bryson said as he took a bite of a burger.

Kora and I ordered burgers and fries, and our conversation changed to the competition of the night. Bryson explained in detail who each team was and his thoughts on what our competition’s strengths and weaknesses were.

“Good thing is,” Bryson said between bites of his burger, “they don’t have you on their team. None of them are as consistent. I think we’ve got the championship in the bag.” Bryson’s pun cracked him up. “Get it?” he asked Darlene.

She shook her head. “Yeah, we got it.” She placed a kiss on his cheek, and I glanced at Kora. When our eyes met, she smiled shyly and turned away. That wasn’t the first time she’d avoided eye contact. I placed my hand gently on her thigh under the table and gave it a light squeeze. I visibly saw her shoulders relax, and she leaned against me. A simple touch that could easily be seen as accidental shot a needle of electricity through my bloodstream. She seemed to feel it, too, and squeezed my hand. Good. She might be unsure how to act in front of her friends, but under the table, all was well.

“All right, ladies, make sure to cheer us on to victory.” Bryson wrapped Darlene in a hug and placed a deep kiss on her lips.

“Good luck,” Kora told me as she bumped her shoulder against mine and gave me the sweetest shy smile.

“Thanks.” I took a deep drink of my Coke. “As long as my aim is on target, we should be good.” I held her gaze a beat, then winked and gave her shoulder a squeeze. The competition would be a much-needed distraction and give my body time to relax as my mind got settled on the task at hand—winning.

Once we sweep the competition, I plan on spending the rest of the night making sure Kora remembered the feelings she experienced last night—all the feelings—enticing her to want more. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be difficult.

We had to play three games before making it to the final round. It was a tough match which went into extra points, but Bryson and I finally pulled out the victory.

“Yeah, man.” Bryson gave me a one-armed man-hug with a couple strong pats on the back as we thanked our opponents and celebrated our victory.

It felt good to be here. Making friends. Having fun. Winning a competition. I couldn’t remember the last time I enjoyed myself with friends. I accepted the beer that was given to the finalists during the awards ceremony. Bryson accepted the trophy for us; since he had a permanent home, it made more sense. The music was turned up, and the dance floor quickly filled with bodies. Tonight, it wasn’t just grass but an actual dance floor.

“Dance with me.” A pretty brunette caught me off guard but didn’t wait for my answer before she pulled me onto the floor. The music was upbeat, and I enjoyed dancing. I was a little hesitant, but what could one dance hurt?

“I’m Chloe, and you’re Kai,” Chloe stated as we danced.

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