Page 7 of The Chance
"Best not wear shoes like that down here in the future." His low-toned murmur echoed from his chest and vibrated through my back. My scalp tingled with the rush. "You better be off now, Lexi. Or your date will have to eat alone." The pressure of his hands fell away and I wasn’t sure if that statement meant he’d distract me long enough to make me late, or if he was truly concerned for my potential tardiness.
My heart bucked wildly against my rib cage like it was trying to bust out of jail. A thrilling swell of arousal mounted between my thighs to such an extent that I thought I’d have to gyrate on his leg like a dog in heat. The feeling was so intense because I fancied the rough and ready farm guy.
Four
After a quick shower and a blast from the hair dryer, I was almost ready. I pulled on the pinstripe dress that clung to every curve like candy stripe paint and held my breasts into place at the top. It wasn't too sexy, but it definitely wasn't boring either.
I cursed the summer sun for exposing my freckles, so I disguised them with a smidge of concealer and then patted on a bold pink lipstick. Lastly, I coated my lashes in black mascara and then fiddled with a set of long false eyelashes. They were the bane of my existence; however, the end look was worth it.
The erratic beats in my chest were flapping like a horde of nattering crows. I wasn't nervous about meeting Blake but I was damn well having kittens about seeing Seb again. This was the oddest scenario in the universe. The guy I was really crushing on was driving me to a date with the guy I’d been set up with. If Blake wasn't a friend of Linda's, I would’ve happily cancelled. Unfortunately, I had to seal the deal and show up, enthused or otherwise.
I heard his car before I even looked out the window. It was seven thirty on the button and Seb skidded to a halt in an old Range Rover. I grabbed my heels and skipped down the stairs before my dad had time to potter in from the garden room.
"That's me. See you later, love you. Bye. I'll be back before midnight. Bye." I heaved open the big white door and came face to face with Seb. He wore the same outfit as earlier, only this time he had dirt smeared over his face and his hands were filthy.
"I'm really sorry to turn up to your house like this, Lexi." He looked to the ground. "We had a disaster with the tractor, and I was trying to get it up and running. I didn't have time to clean myself up."
His lashes blinked slowly over the shame in his eyes, but it was his defensive masculine stance that tilted me forward a fraction. In my head I was hugging him, dirt and all, but in reality, I just smiled and walked towards the Range Rover. He opened the door for me and nodded as I clambered in.
Rounding the car, he bounced in and started the engine. "You look fucking amazing in that dress." His eyes were on the road as his voice carried into my ears and whispered through my skull.
"You look pretty damn good even when you’re dirty, Seb." Holy shit, did I just say that out loud? "I mean, it doesn't matter that you didn't have time to clean up. I appreciate the lift all the same."
"Have you done something different to your eyes."
The flutters had moved from my chest to my belly and were making me feel faint. "I have false lashes on."
The Range Rover pulled out of the driveway, neither of us spoke another word. It's not that I didn’t want to, I just couldn’t think of appropriate words to say other than, stop the car and fuck me.
Hitting the motorway, the rusty old vehicle raced up the fast lane like it had been let loose for the day.
"Are you looking forward to your date?" he asked with a quick look in my direction.
I tugged the hem of my dress, noting the material crept up my thigh. Perhaps the outfit was more risqué than modest. "Yeah. I guess so. Have you got any plans?" I asked, secretly hoping he was going back to the farm to hide away from all female interaction.
"Fixing the tractor. I need to buy a new part, but I have to go out in the morning and buy a printer, so I can keep the invoice on file. The relic my brother-in-law calls a printer won’t connect to my laptop. It belongs in a museum. I’ll buy them an updated model when I get sorted. Their whole system needs replaced.”
"You can use mine. I have a laser printer with coloured ink, and the other good news is that I'm off work tomorrow." The words flew out of my mouth before they connected with my brain.
He looked straight ahead, but his fingers tapped the steering wheel. "Okay. That would be a great help. I've offered to upgrade my sister’s internet connection as well, but she won't let me pay for it. Cooper pride and all that shit."
"Do you live in the same house as them?"
"Yeah. For now. Her husband had an accident on the farm and broke both of his legs. I'm helping out until he's back on his feet."
"Then what?"
“I’ll go back home,” he said flatly.
“And where’s home?” Please be nearby. Please.
"Dublin. I drove up to Northern Ireland after the accident." His eyes flicked to the rear-view mirror before changing lanes.
No... No... "Are you going back to Dublin soon?" I didn't know if I wanted to hear his response, but something told me the news was going to be crushing.
"Yeah."
The one word I suspected to fall out of his sexy mouth, landed in a heap on my lap. "Oh, right." My gut shrivelled up to the size of a raisin. I didn't even know this guy and he was setting off all sorts of emotions like fireworks.
