Page 2 of Yearning For Her

But that thought didn’t sit well with her. It felt like she was making excuses for Eli when she hadn’t asked much of him. It was such a small request.

Before she could explore those thoughts further, something called her eyes back up. They fell upon a man standing at the entrance of the alleyway on the far side of the nightclub, a man who somehow seemed entirely out of place and exactly like he belonged there.

A man who was looking right at her.

He stood at least half a foot taller than Eli, and his black coat, which hung to his shins, only accentuated his height. The red button-down shirt beneath the coat was only liberally buttoned, revealing his sculpted chest. A necklace with a silver dagger rested at his collarbone, directing the eye lower…but Willow’s gaze rose.

Locks of long, white hair lay over his shoulder, swept aside to reveal the shaved side of his head and an ear with several silver piercings. He was sharp featured, with an angular jawline, a straight nose, and dark, arched eyebrows. His lips were full, sculpted, sensual, the bottom one adorned with two silver hoops near the corners of his mouth—a snake bite piercing. Black eyeliner enhanced the intensity of his ice blue eyes.

Those compelling eyes locked with Willow’s and rounded.

Her skin prickled with awareness, her heart skipped a beat, and heat sparked low in her belly, blazing outward to flood her.

Willow’s stride faltered, and were it not for Eli holding her hand, she might’ve fallen. Thankfully, nearly tripping over her own feet broke the spell the stranger had cast upon her, and she wrenched her gaze away from him.

“You all right?” Eli asked, placing his free hand on her shoulder to steady her.

The heat that had filled her coalesced in her cheeks, and she felt like her face turned so red that even her concealer wouldn’t be able to hide it. She’d been a photographer for seven years. She looked at people all day, found ways to capture both their outer and inner beauty in still images, but never had she absorbed so much of a person in a single glance as she had with that tall, pale man.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Willow said as she looked up at Eli. “My, uh, heel came down wrong.”

Eli’s gaze ran down her body to her high heels. “I’d tell you to wear something more comfortable, but they do look pretty sexy.”

Willow chuckled. “I’ll leave them on for you tonight if you’d like.”

“Mmm, I’d very much like that. But don’t get me started now.” He tipped his head in the direction they were heading. “We have a reservation. Let’s go.”

She made it a point to not look at the stranger as they passed him, but somehow, she felt his eyes on her. His attention was a siren song coaxing Willow to turn her head and behold him once more.

Really, Willow? Getting turned on by a complete stranger while you’re walking to dinner with your soon-to-be fiancé?

Stop it. I have nothing to feel guilty about. It was just a look. I can’t help my body’s reaction, but I can control my actions. Feeling attraction toward someone is natural.

So why had that single fleeting look filled her with more yearning than she’d ever felt with Eli?

Her guilt resurfaced, and she shoved it aside.

Physical attraction. It was a spark of lust and nothing more. Besides, I’ll never see him again after tonight.

Eli came to a stop, breaking Willow away from her tumultuous thoughts, and released her hand. Confused, she watched as he reached into his pocket to retrieve his phone.

“We’re here,” he said distractedly as he tapped something out on his phone. He glanced at her and smiled. “Wait here and give me a minute to make sure everything’s all set.”

Looking past Eli, Willow gaped. “Eden? Oh my God, you got us reservations at Eden?”

The intricate stonework on the restaurant’s front was broken by three tall archways. The windows in the lower half of each arch were tinted dark, but the upper portions were adorned with clear glass and intricate, polished brass that allowed the intimate orange glow from within to spill out onto the sidewalk. The big entry doors were fashioned like gates—the gates of paradise, if local food critics were to be believed.

“Yeah. I just found out about it a couple weeks ago. Ma— My, uh, buddy at work said everyone should experience it at least once. Supposed to be the nicest restaurant in town.”

A slight frown played upon Willow’s lips. “I mentioned this place to you months ago.”

His brow furrowed. “Did you?”

“You don’t remember? One of my clients came here with her partner. They said it was amazing, and that the atmosphere was wonderfully romantic.”

Eli shook his head. His attention had returned to his phone, which had flashed with a message notification. “I don’t remember that, Will. I only heard about this place recently. But hey, guess it works out, right?”

Guess he also forgot that I suggested we try this place when I told him about it.

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