Page 15 of The Billionaire's Kiss
“We’ve barely begun our tour,” I said with disappointment.
“We’re getting it to go. What will you have?” We stepped up to the long bar, and I saw loads of frozen daiquiri machines swirling about on the wall behind it. “So, we can walk around with these drinks then?”
“Yep. I’m gonna have a beer.”
“Me too, then.” It seemed like it would be easier to carry around than some fancy cocktail.
With beers in hand, off we went to see more of the sights. It all amazed me. And the people did, too. I saw faces from India, China, Middle Eastern countries. I heard a lot of different languages too.
A hard beat with plenty of electric guitar and bass pulled at me, and I dragged Warner into a club. He came willingly, and we made our way right up to the bandstand where a live rock band was playing. People bobbed their heads and held up their drinks as they sang along with a song I’d never heard before. But I loved the sound.
People kept coming up to stand in front of the stage, and Warner moved behind me, draping his arms around my waist, hugging me from behind, and swaying to the beat. It was surreal to be a part of this scene. I felt as if I were in a movie. And it felt great.
Moving from bar to bar, Warner simply showed me the way and let me take in everything. His presence was unceasing, his interest and amusement palpable. He often smiled as he watched my reactions to everything.
I loved the fact that he wasn’t trying to hold my attention. He was letting me enjoy our surroundings without any interference at all. He merely lent me his company, and that wasn’t a thing any man had ever done for me before.
Towards the end of the night, we strolled hand in hand along the opposite side of the street. “You love what you do, don’t you?” he asked.
“I do.”
“I could tell that because you looked over each bar we went to—sometimes extremely thoroughly. And you smiled a lot while you were doing it. What’s it like to have a job where you get to interact with so many people on a daily basis?”
“I love people. And I love mixology. It’s an art form to me. I can bring together flavors in ways that often tell a story to the drinker’s taste buds.” I was aware that not many people understood how passionate I was about my job. “My parents think I should use my artistic nature in better ways. But I adore getting to talk to so many people—I don’t know that I’d be able to do that if I followed a more traditional artistic career.”
“So, you are a real people-person.” He chuckled softly. “I’m sort of in the middle. I like to be around people, but I also like my alone time. I didn’t have much of that growing up with four brothers. I cherish it now. Maybe too much. It has kept me closed off at times in my life.”
“I don’t mind being alone. But I like being around people much more. I’m an only child, and I had many lonely times when no one was around, and my parents were too busy to play or talk to me.”
“It was rarely quiet in our home. And I never knew when one of my brothers would be in a bad mood and punch me over something for no good reason. I wasn’t that way at all. I wasn’t about to go up to any of them and punch them—whatever the reason. But they had quick hands and short tempers. It was a relief when they all finally outgrew that crap.”
I made a bit of a face at that. “I always had trouble understanding boys growing up. I have lots of boy cousins. But I have lots of girl cousins too, and they’re who I hung out with during family parties. Boys have always been a mystery to me. Men, I understand. Boys—you know, in their younger years—I don’t know much about them.” It seemed to me that I’d missed out on a lot being an only child.
“Most of them are little monsters. Not me, though. I was one of the good ones. Not that it helped me get out of any fights.” He changed the way he was holding my hand. Instead of clasping it, he threaded his fingers through mine, which gave me a warm, intimate feeling.
Warner was easy to get along with. That hadn’t always been the case with me and men in the past.
Leaning my head against his arm, I wished we had more time. I wished we didn’t live so far apart. And most of all, I wished that my heart wouldn’t break when I’d have to leave him.
