Saviour (Saviour #1)(11)
I suddenly feel overwhelmed by the gravity of what I'm doing, I feel very drunk, a little unsteady on my feet and ever so slightly sick.
“Lauren, you okay?” he asks
“I think I need to go home. I don't feel well”
He has an arm around me in an instant and starts guiding me over to the outside seating area and sits me down.
“Sit here and I'll go and get you some water”.
My head is spinning; I really shouldn't have smoked that cigarette!
Is he for real or is he just a complete bullshit artist, Jo said he was a player, was he playing me? He is at least ten years younger than me and drop dead f*cking gorgeous. He obviously has money and the attention of just about every woman in the place... Young, rich, and good looking....... So why the f*ck would he be giving me the time of day? Before I have chance to process any of these thoughts he is back with a tall glass of iced water and a worried looking Jemma.
“You okay chick?” she asks rubbing my back. I take the water from him saying “Thank you” as I do and take a couple of big gulps. My stomach is starting to settle but my head is now pounding.
“I’m okay... Just had one cigarette too many and thought I was gonna green out all over the place and embarrass myself. I'm feeling a bit better now though, thanks”
I smile at her saying “Go back inside and I'll join you for a dance in a minute”
“Okay, if you’re sure. But I'm happy to jump in a cab with you if you wanna go home” I shake my head
“Hell no, that's the last place I wanna be right now, besides we still have a couple of more hours to shake our arses” she kisses my cheek and turns to Gabe.
“Look after her; else I will knock you out”
Ha, I love that girl!
“Oh I plan on looking after her, don't worry about that” Gabe winks at me and I have to close my eyes before my head starts to spin again.
He sits down next to me, his arm along the back of the seat, just brushing against my shoulders, his thigh pressed against mine, I am so acutely aware of him, his smell and of that tingle I feel, I try not to look, but I can’t resist. He is wearing a pair of black lace up Converse high tops, his jeans are dark blue, but they’re not denim, they’re more like chino…skinny chino’s, that’s what they are. My eyes travel up his long legs and I can’t help but linger over the bulge at his crutch, he has a V-neck T-shirt on, in a really thin cotton fabric and it’s a light denim blue colour, and accents those eyes, making them look even bluer. I rest my eyes on the hairs sticking out of the V at his T-shirt, at that little nook at the base of his throat, I blow out a breath I didn’t realise I was holding and move my eyes up to his face. He is a classic Aussie Boy, square jaw, covered in at least two days growth. I wonder how that would feel, brushing up the inside of my legs, phewwww, breathe. He has a deep cleft in his chin, full lips and a perfect straight nose, he really is male model material but not in a pretty way. His shoulders are broad and his arms toned, he has a tribal type tattoo on his left arm, which must carry onto his chest as I can just see a hint of it at the edge of his T. His hair is fairly long, parted in the middle, with a long fringe, which continuously flops forward and which he continuously combs his fingers through, pushing it back, sometimes even when it hasn’t fallen forward, habit I suppose, it’s a dark blond colour but with sun bleached stripes running through it, The best hairdresser in the world couldn’t achieve that natural affect. I finally allow myself to look at those eyes, But his eyes are on me, they have probably watched mine roam over his body. I flush with, embarrassment? He smiles ever so slightly, then leans in for a very gentle kiss on my cheek.
“Come home with me Lauren? I really do want you”
Jesus, I want to say yes but I’m a good girl, I haven’t had a one night stand since I was 19 and I… Why am I even debating this in my head?
“You know you want to” He whispers right in my ear; my body feels like liquid, like its running off the seat and pooling on the floor at his feet. I tilt my head back and take in a deep breath.
“No Gabe, I’m sorry” You have no idea how sorry “Don’t get me wrong, I do feel, whatever it is that’s going on here but I won’t go home with you, if you want me enough, you will wait until I have got my domestic situation under control, if you don’t. Well, so be it” His eyes travel over my face, he frowns and shrugs his shoulders and I think he’s going to tell me to forget it.
“I’ll wait. But you do know, this will happen, this …” He gestures between the two of us “Whatever it is, between us, is too strong, there is something there that I have never felt before and I just can’t walk away from it and I won’t leave it, I can’t. Meet me tomorrow and I will show you the place I have to rent, I have a few things to do first thing but I can meet you there at 11 if you like?”
“Okay” I pull my phone out of my back pocket, unlock it and open my contacts and hand it to him. I am too vain to admit that I cannot read the screen without my glasses on.
“Put your number and the address in and if you don’t hear from me, I will meet you there tomorrow at 11”
He types away and then hands my phone back with a smile on his face. I look at him and frown, what’s that look for I wonder?
We go back inside and after ten minutes I feel well enough to have a dance and of course a sing, especially as the band are banging out a version of Dexys Midnight Runners ‘Geno’ What a song, another favourite and unfortunately for the rest of the bar, one that I just happen to know all the words to.