Page 12 of Breaking Free (Guarded Hearts)
“You couldn’t have at leastwarnedme about where we were going? I look like a complete idiot!” I say the last part a little too loud and I can tell he’s irritated.
“You need to keep your voice down. I don’t need the whole damn restaurant knowing my business.” He takes a slow drink of his water, and even with as mad at him as I am right now, I can’t help but stare at his mouth. He runs his tongue along his bottom lip, collecting the remnants of water left on it. It takes every bit of willpower I have not to moan. I have never in my life met anyone who makes me feel the way that Drew Walker does.
He smiles at me and I can tell that he knows he’s affecting me. I clear my throat, trying to make sure my voice doesn’t come out as a breathy whisper of seduction. “I’m just saying you could have told me not to dress like a streetwalker when we were going to be at a nice place.”Wait, did I just call myself a streetwalker?Nice, Holly.
He laughs. “When exactly would I have told you where we were going? When you were throwing your temper tantrum, trying to run from me, or when you were trying to abuse me?” He places his hand on his chest where I hit him, pretending that I wounded him. “Either way, I really don’t give a shit what people think.”
I can tell that he means it. Drew does whatever he wants and doesn’t care what anyone else has to say. I remember the way he took care of the photographer last night and the call he placed right afterward.
The waitress comes up to take our order and I haven’t even looked at the menu. Drew is staring at me and I can’t even form a cohesive thought. “We will both have the surf and turf cooked medium, no rush.” He doesn’t even look her way as he is speaking, but grabs the menu out of my hands and gives them to her. She lingers for a minute, unsure of what to do, then realizes she’s been dismissed and walks away with her tail between her legs.
I can’t believe he just ordered for me. He didn’t even ask first. With every minute I spend with him, I know that I’m getting myself into even more trouble. “What the heck was that? I can order for myself, you know. What if I’m a vegetarian? Or allergic to shellfish?”
He raises an eyebrow at me. “Are you?”
“No.”
“Okay, so then stop being difficult, James.”
I don’t know how to respond to him. His assertiveness turns me on, but at the same time it pisses off my inner feminist. I wring my hands in my lap, feeling uncomfortable with everything.
“Hey.”
I look up.
“If you’re that uncomfortable I’ll pay every single one of these people to leave, then it won’t matter how you’re dressed.”
Seriously? Who in the world would even offer to do that? Drew, that’s who. I don’t respond and he slides his chair back and starts to stand up. “No! It’s fine, just sit down.”
He smirks at me. “Trust me when I say you don’t look like a whore. If you wanna see what a whore looks like, come backstage at any of my concerts.”
Well, that makes me feel just fucking great. What the heck are the two of us doing together? I’m broken, and he’s…well, he’s an asshole. Is it crazy that I want him to tell me exactly what we are? He’s so confusing. He asked me to be his girlfriend, but then afterward told me he really didn’t want one. He said he wants me to be his, but what does that entail? I’m about to ask him when his phone rings.
“Yeah?”Is that really how he answers the phone? What a douche.“I don’t want to go to that shit…I don’t care how much they pay me…Where in the damn contract does it say that?...Fuck, whatever then. I need two tickets…No, Jules, you get me two tickets or I don’t fucking show up…Holly James.”Me? Why did he just say my name?“None of your business.” He hangs up the phone and puts it back in his pocket.
“What was that all about?”
“You’re coming to some stupid ass event with me next week.”
Oh, I am? Where the hell does he get off?The waitress walks up to us before I can respond and places our plates in front of us. Even though I protested him ordering for me, I have to say it looks delicious. The waitress lingers by the table, I think for him to acknowledge her, but he doesn’t. When she walks away I can’t help but smirk.
I take a bite of the food and stifle the moan that leaves my mouth. When Drew looks up, the heat of his gaze makes me squeeze my legs together in search of relief. He can get me excited with just looking at me. Then, I remember what I was pissed about before she came with the food. “What exactlyarewe?”
His eyes grow big. “What do you mean? I thought we settled that already.”
“No, like everything else with you, it was really vague.”
“I want you, James. I can’t explain why, but I do. And in case you haven’t noticed, I get what I want.”
I wait for more but he goes back to eating his food.That’s it? What the hell?!That kind of a response makes me want to smack him in the face and tell him he isn’t getting what he wants this time. I feel a hand run up my leg, and when I look over, Drew is in the chair next to me. His hand travels up farther and his fingers slip under one of the rips in my jeans. Drew makes little circles with his thumb and my whole body is on fire. Not the kind of fire that makes me wince, but the kind that makes me want to find a secluded part of this restaurant and blow his mind.
He retracts his fingers but continues his journey up my leg until his hand cups me. He lowers his head to whisper in my ear. “I can see the fight in your eyes, but just remember what I can do to you. Only me, James.”
He smoothly moves back into the seat across from me. How can he seem so calm when every part of my body is screaming? I look around to see if anyone noticed our exchange and it seems no one did.
“You can look around all you want. I don’t care who is watching.” He goes back to eating his food as I try to seem as unaffected as possible. I know from the look on his face that I’m doing a horrible job.
I try to finish my meal without seeming like I’m about to combust from sexual frustration, but I barely make it. Drew doesn’t even ask the waitress for the check; he just takes out an obscene amount of money, puts it on the table, and gets up. There is no way our meal cost that much. He starts to walk away, but turns back toward me and stares as if to ask me what I’m waiting for. I can’t help but shake my head. I honestly don’t get people like him who just throw their money around.
