Page 20 of Mr. Edwards
“The fuck,” I hear the tattooed hottie screech when she realizes her friend is being taken away. My arms automatically come out, snagging her around the waist before she can go after them. “If you value your life, you’ll remove your hands, asshole,” she snarls, making me chuckle.
I spin her in my arms so we’re facing each other. From a distance, I could tell she was gorgeous, even under this subpar lighting, but I’m in no way prepared for the mere sight of her up close.She’s stunning. Her pretty hazel eyes narrow as soon as they lock with mine, and the strangest thing happens… my skin starts to prickle all over, like tiny live wires zinging around underneath the surface of my body. It literally steals all the breath from my lungs, and something my father said to me just before we lost him, plays on repeat in my mind.
“I’ve been looking for you.” The words fall from my mouth voluntarily, and I’m not even sure what they mean, but all I can think is, is this girlthe one? Is she what I’ve been waiting for?Crazy right? Since I’ve known her for less than a minute.
She doesn’t acknowledge what I said unless you count her growl. She actually growled, and that amuses me to no end.
“Feisty and beautiful, my favorite combination,” I say, popping a dimple before giving her my most charismatic smile. I don’t bring out the big guns regularly, usually, I don’t need to, but I feel it’s warranted with this one.
She falters for a moment, and I know my smile has done its job, I’m moments away from having her under my spell. But then she drags her attention from me as her head darts around in a panic, trying to find her friend. It’s a blow to my ego, but I admire her loyalty.
She shifts in my arms, so I tighten my hold. “Relax.” I bring my lips to her ear so she can hear me over the music, and her sweet, flowery scent envelops me. She smells good enough to eat. “Your friend is safe,” I say, trying to ease her concern. “They know each other, and I can assure you that Ashton won’t harm her.”
He can be a sour bastard at times, but he has a bigheart. Underneath all that bitterness is a stand-up guy. He’s just messed up inside.
She draws back to get a better look at my face. I’m not sure if she’s searching for the truth or checking me out. When her eyes slightly widen and that pouty mouth of hers gapes open, I know it’s the latter. I’m used to that reaction from women, and to be honest, being constantly objectified gets old fast. I’m much more than a pretty face. Placing my hand under her chin, I chuckle to myself as I gently push up, snapping her jaw closed.
“You need to unhand me,” she says, wiggling around in my embrace.
I tighten my grip on her tiny waist, drawing her body even closer. “Not happening, sweetheart. I like you right where you are.”
Her eyes narrow and she growls again, making my smile grow. She’s got spunk. I like that she isn’t making this easy for me, but what she fails to realize is, I’m definitely up for the challenge.
We’re still standing in the middle of the dance floor, but neither of us moves. We’re transfixed in each other, but the sudden vulnerability I see in her eyes has my heart squeezing in my chest. Her hazel depths are like a vortex to her soul and for some reason it calls to me on the highest level. They hold an underlying sadness that tugs at something deep inside me. It’s a look I recognize all too well because I’ve seen that same hidden torture swimming in Ashton’s eyes since Anastasia fucked him over. In this woman though, I find it alluring. I want to get to know her, find out all her secrets, and make it my mission to bring that spark back.
My gaze moves down to her plump, ruby-red lips. Her sweet body melts against mine. It’s like she can’t seem to get close enough. An overwhelming desire to lean downand kiss that fuckable mouth of hers thunders through me, but I stamp down the temptation. I can tell she’s feeling this connection too, but the reality is I’ve just accosted her as she tried to go to her friend’s aid; if I make a move now, she’s going to think I’m a creep.
She’s a petite thing, with a cool vintage vibe going on. A rare look for this day and age, but I like her individuality. She reminds me of a pin-up girl from the forties, with her rockabilly blonde curls strategically pinned into place on top of her head. Her tattoos though, definitely bring her into the twenty-first century. I find her uniqueness a total turn-on. It’s only taken mere moments for me to be completely spellbound.
What kind of witchery is that?
She’s straight-up sexy, but the doe-eyed look she’s giving me as she nibbles on her bottom lip has my insides all kinds of messed up. Fuck it, I’m going in, I need to taste her. I inch my face forward, but the moment is broken when a flash zooms past us, and I see Red’s retreating back as she flees. My gaze moves over to where she was standing with Ashton minutes earlier, and he’s watching her leave, his fingers are weaved together, locked behind his head. He looks crestfallen the poor bastard.
“I’ve got to go,” hot tattooed girl says, wiggling her banging body to free herself from my hold.No.I want more time with her, I never even got her name.
“Wait.” I reach into my back pocket and pull my phone out in a panic, handing it to her. “Can I get your number?” If she walks away now, I may never get to see her again, and that would be a travesty.
She frowns down at my cell, before looking over her shoulder once more. Her friend disappears down the corridor that leads to the restrooms.
“Please.” I’m not above begging. I don’t know the first thing about this woman, but I want to get to know her better.
Reluctantly, she takes my phone and punches in her digits. “Here,” she says, passing it back to me when she’s done, and a sense of relief washes over me.
Only then do I release my hold on her, letting her slip through my fingers as she retreats. My eyes flicker down to the screen and I see a bunch of numbers there, but nothing else.
“Wait,” I call out. “What’s your name?” But she’s already too far away to hear me. “Fuck,” I grumble, glancing back at my cell.
I press on the field to enter her name, typing ‘Hot tattooed girl from the club’ in the section allocated. I stare at it for a few seconds before deciding she deserves something better than that.
On impulse I’m deleting what I typed, replacing it with ‘Future Mrs. Edwards.’ I shake my head as I press save contact. It’s a spontaneous, and some might say a ridiculous, move on my part, but fuck me if it doesn’t make me smile. Maybe my dad was onto something all those years ago.
An eerie feeling settles over me…did I just meet my soul mate?
Chapter 3
Grayson
(10 years old)
