Page 22 of Devoted

“Her wrath can be unpredictable, but I can handle it,” I say, trying to not only convince Ethan of that fact but also myself. I’ve handled her when she was cranky coming off of an eighteen hour shift, but I’m not quite sure how she’ll respond when she’s been taken by surprise. This is definitely a gamble I’m taking by being here. I just hope I cash in on the jackpot.

“Oh, shit. There she is.” Ethan throws his chin in one direction of the room as my eyes follow.

God damn. There she is. And fuck, she looks stunning. Her hair is down, fulfilling that desire I had to see it removed from the ponytail she usually sports. It’s so long and silky and all I want to do is run my hands through it. And her lips are painted a siren red, a color I’ve never seen on her since she barely wears make-up at work.

The curves of her little body are slathered in a black sleeveless dress that dips down low enough to flaunt her cleavage, a full chest that I’ve only gotten a hint of under her scrubs. Her hips still mesmerize me since it was her curves that reminded me she was very much a woman, just in a petite package.

And even though I can see that she’s wearing heels, I’ll never get over how short she is and how much it turns me on, knowing I could pick her up and throw her over my shoulder in an instant and take her away from everything at the drop of a hat. I’d pin her up against the wall, run my hand up the inside of her thigh, and part her like the red sea before I make her scream out my name.

Fuck, what is this girl doing to me? Apparently giving me a hard-on in the middle of the comedy club and I haven’t even spoken to her yet. But she looks sexy and gorgeous and I know I’m not the only man in the room that will notice that.

“Jesus Christ. I don’t know if this was such a brilliant idea anymore, man.” Ethan is the only person I’ve ever felt comfortable expressing my doubts to, seeing as how he’s more of a brother to me than my cousin. I would never say shit like this to one of my buddies in California, but Ethan knows how much my attraction to her has grown and how crucial tonight is. I spent the last few weeks drilling him on any information about Jess and her life here in Emerson Falls. He eventually told me I needed to calm my tits, or he would report me as a stalker.

“Just remember, if you back out of this tonight, some other man is going to swoop in and try to claim her. You want that?” He challenges me, gritting out the honest reality of what will transpire if I leave right now.

“Fuck. No.”

“And wasn’t it you who told me to go after the woman I want?” He says, referring to the nudge I gave him at Tony’s last week with the redhead. Sadly, she shot him down, but at least then he knew where he stood with her.

I give him a side-eye glance. “Yes,” I grit out, pissed he’s throwing my own words back at me right now.

“Then suck it up, grow a pair, and do what you came here to do.” He pats me on the shoulder before walking off, moving to the bar to collect a couple of beers for us. And at that moment, Jess turns her attention towards me and I see the recognition the moment it hits her face, her eyes bugging out and her mouth falling open in shock.

Fuck. There goes my plan of approaching her.

As she takes in my face, her body twists to face her friend and mine goes into hyper-drive. Do I go over there? Bite the bullet and let her know that I came here for her tonight? Or do I wait for her to seek me out? Would she even do that?

With what Ethan’s told me about his encounters with her, she can be gritty and recently has had some unfortunate dating experiences. Maybe that’s why she’s been so hesitant around me? Is she just scared to put herself back out there? Or is she only hesitant because we work together?

But I guess the point of tonight was to let her know I was interested, right? Despite all the obstacles and dating histories we will face, I need to know if she’s as fascinated with me as I am with her—because at least then I can move past this insane attraction if I know she’s not.

I stand up tall and straighten my tie, preparing to make my way across the room and confront my mission head on, but I’m interrupted just as I lift my foot from the carpet, the voice of a woman whom I’m guessing is in charge silencing the room to explain the process for the evening.

“Here,” Ethan quietly addresses me when he returns, handing me a beer as we listen to our directions. I’m going to speak to eight different women tonight when there’s really only one I care to speak to. Fuck. Yup, definitely didn’t think this entire plan through. All I know is that Ethan said he invited Jess to come tonight and she agreed. Then when he dangled the carrot ever so deliberately at Tony’s that night, I saw it as an opportunity to see her in a public setting where we could actually explore the chemistry between us. Now I just need to figure out how to get seated with her.

As I take a seat across from my first date, I stay polite and try to focus on her and what she’s saying, even though the only person in the back of my mind is the woman I came here for in the first place. Janet seems polite. She’s a hairdresser and owns her own salon here in town. We hold a pleasant conversation, but she doesn’t get my blood pumping like Jess does.

I make it through my first three dates before I take my seat at my fourth, sensing that she’s near. It’s a gut reaction that awakens my body and alerts me to her proximity. I can’t tell if I subconsciously catch her scent or if my nerves are connected to hers somehow—but I know she’s close by. I play nice and entertain my fourth date, a woman who seems sweet enough but not fiery enough for me.

Of course I couldn’t be interested in a simple woman. No, I have to fall for one that is going to make this mental tug-of-war damn near impossible.

When the fifteen minutes end, I let out a sigh of relief, but wait to stand, assessing the room to see if I can spot Jess before she spots me. Sure enough, as most people bee-line for the bar, I catch her tiny figure to the side of me as she makes her way down the hallway to the restroom, swaying her hips in that dress and igniting a fire deep in my chest. Watching her walk away convinces me this will be the perfect opportunity to catch her in a position where we can speak far enough away from other people.

“You need another beer man?” Ethan comes up to me as I stand and button my blazer back together. The sweat is back as I assess that she’s completely around the corner now.

“Nah. I just saw Jess go to the bathroom. I’m going to try to talk to her.”

“In the ladies’ room?” His face scrunches in disgust.

“No, fucker. I’m gonna wait for her to come out.”

“You sure that’s a good idea?” He reaches into his pocket to check the time on his phone. “We still have another hour here at least. You can’t wait until the end?”

I shake my head. “Nope. I don’t want to talk to any more women that aren’t her. Plus, she already saw me when you went to the bar before the dates started.” And that piece of information makes his eyes open wide.

“Oh, fuck. Damn it. And you didn’t think to tell me? She’s gonna kill me!”

I slap my hand on his shoulder reassuringly. “I’ll do my best to convince her this is my fault, okay? If anyone should get the brunt of her wrath—if she’s even angry, that is—it should be me.”

---