Page 9 of Bodyguard Crush
I shake my head. “I can’t go in there.”
“What? Why?”
“Did you forget? I like my privacy. If I go in there, I’ll be asked for autographs and pictures. Everyone’s eyes are going to be on me.”
“Trust me, Abby. This town isn’t like California. These people understand privacy and respect.”
I don’t move. I can’t.
“Tell you what. We’ll go inside and sit down. If you feel like anything other than just a normal person, we’ll leave, and I’ll never ask you to do this again. Deal?”
I swallow down my fear and nod.
He goes back to pulling me forward.
When he suggested going out for dinner, I thought it would be a nice quiet restaurant where I could pay the server to seat us as privately as possible, just like I always did back home. I wasn’t expecting a very public, very packed bar. He pulls the door open with one hand and keeps a hold of me with the other. We walk in, and the loud music hits my ears. To my surprise, it doesn’t suddenly stop the moment I walk in like it would in a movie. Nobody even notices that we came in. No eyes are on us.
He keeps his hand in mine, and it’s like a lifeline. It’s something to ground me, keep me calm, and let me know I’m not alone. He leads us through the crowded bar and over to a booth where we have a seat. I look around, wanting to be sure that nobody is staring. The people on the crowded dance floor sway to the music played by the band on the stage. The patrons who line the bar are talking to one another or clapping and cheering on the game playing on the TV. Men and women sit at the tables and booths, eating and drinking and talking. Everyone seems to be in their own little world, and it makes me feel even more comfortable knowing that I can be too.
The server comes up to our table, and she sets a menu down in front of each of us. “Can I get y’all started off with a drink or appetizers?”
I look at Kaden.
“I think we’ll start with a pitcher of beer?” he says, but it sounds more like a question as he looks at me.
I smile and nod.
“Okay, I’ll be right back with that.” She rushes off.
“What do you think so far?”
“It seems fun here. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a place like this before.”
“Where have you been?”
I laugh. “Locked in my fortress, I guess.”
The server returns, and she sets the pitcher and two glasses in front of us. Kaden picks up the pitcher and begins to pour some in both our glasses.
“Are y’all ready to order, or do you need more time?” she asks.
“A few more minutes, please,” I request, and she nods before walking off again.
I pick up my glass of beer and hold it in the air, and Kaden taps his against it. “To our first night out.”
I smile and take a sip. “What’s good here?”
“Everything. What are you in the mood for?”
I shrug. “Everything sounds good,” I laugh out.
“I think I’m going to go with the barbecue nachos,” he says, nodding.
I end up ordering some boneless wings and an order of onion rings, and the two of us sit, drinking our beer and people watching while we wait for our food. It doesn’t take long before the food is being put in front of us. With as busy as it is, I expected the wait to be much longer. Kaden is right, and everything tastes perfect. It’s a little loud with the music for us to do much talking, so we’re pretty quiet while we eat dinner. Once the food is taken away, though, that’s when things tend to liven up.
He leads me over to the dance floor, where he spins me in a big circle before pulling me against his chest. The moment we’re eye to eye, a smile spreads across my face, and my body begins to heat. It’s been a long time since I was in a relationship. It’s been a long time since a man’s hands have been on my body in any way. And it doesn’t help that I am unbelievably attracted to him. As we dance, all I can think about is how his hand is only an inch away from my ass, the way his chest feels moving against mine, and how the butterflies in my stomach seem to be fluttering their wings at an alarming rate.
Even though I can’t stop thinking about how his lips would feel against mine, I’m laughing and giggling as he moves us around the dance floor like a seasoned pro. Seriously, he could’ve been onDancing with the Stars. I’m not a strong dancer on my own, but with him, I don’t even have to think. For the first time in my life, the music just makes sense to my body, and I’m able to move about freely.
