Saviour (Saviour #1)(6)
“Don't be daft” Jo says, “You have just given us a legit excuse to get totally hammered, not that we really needed one. But no matter what state we end up in tonight, we will meet up tomorrow and hit the agents and see if we can't find you somewhere to live, then, we'll know what sort of money we are gonna need, but remember Loz, as Jemma just said, there's always a bed for you with one of us”
Lulu gives me a cuddle and asks if I'm okay, I shrug, no I'm far from okay but I'm so over talking about it.
“Let’s be really mature and get f*cked up and dance our arses off” shouts Jemma, lightening the tone.
Heading back inside, we order two rounds of shots for each of us, and then head straight back to the dance floor.
I have a quick look around for Mr. Hot Stuff and see him chatting to a woman so decide now wouldn’t be a good time for me to thank him for my drink. I feel a little stab of disappointment and maybe even a pang of jealousy as I watch them for a few moments, she seems to be pleading with him, and he's shaking his head. Oh well, it’s none of my business. Go home Lauren you’re drunk…but before I look away, our eyes meet and he raises his bottle to me, as if to say cheers, I do the same with my glass and give him a small smile as my insides do backflips and forward rolls, the young woman looks at him, looking at me and turns and walks away, he doesn't follow her, doesn't even look in her direction, he shrugs his shoulders and smiles again at me. A full on, beautiful, million dollar smile. Cart wheels and handstands have now joined the gymnastics floor show going on inside me and every flip ends with a little clench, a delightful, little sensation, right between my legs, he is making me horny, just looking at him smile is making me breathe heavy. I have to force myself to look away. Shit I hope I haven't caused a domestic, the last thing I need is to get caught up in someone else's problems, I've enough of my own to keep me busy for a while. Half hour later as I'm returning from the ladies, I notices Jo is talking to him again. As I pass them Jo puts out her hand and calls,
“Lauren, come here” Oh shit, how embarrassing, don’t do this to me Jo, please.
“I was just going to the bar Hun, you want another?”
“Forget that and come here”
I walk over to where she's standing
“Lauren, this is Gabriel, a client of mine, Gabriel, this is Lauren, a very good friend”
“Hey” I say, “Thanks for the drink” feeling ridiculously self-conscious as I put my hand up in a stupid sort of little half wave…..What was that? I must have looked like a T Rex trying to catch a ball, shoot me now!
He smiles at me, not a big smile, just a small smile, his head slightly tilted to one side but it’s not the smile, it’s his eyes but not just his eyes, it’s just him. My hand goes up and touches my hair….Really? Classic flirting move. Could I be any more obvious? My cheeks are burning; in fact my whole body is on fire, embarrassment, alcohol, menopause, desire? I haven’t had sex in well over a month and I must admit, it has been on my brain constantly this past week or so, there is only so much pleasure a girl can get from a kinky romance novel and BOB. Its intimacy I crave, a kiss, a cuddle, skin on skin. I realise this is all running through my mind as I stare blankly at him, Gabriel, Gabriel Wilde, even his name is just, sex, everything about him is sex, everything about him is….Well whatever it is, it’s obviously affected my ability to think straight, or is that the Vodka?
“Lauren, you’re welcome, Jo was just telling me you’re an interior designer, I will have to take your card, I have a couple of rental properties I will be renovating after Christmas and will be looking for someone to work on the interiors”
“Well yeah, I would definitely be interested, I don’t have a card on me at the moment, but I can always give one to Jo to pass on to you”
I swallow, well at least I managed to make that make sense, if that makes sense?
“Yeah do that, please. Can I get you another drink, Jo would you like a drink?”
“No. No thanks Gabe, Lauren, have a drink with Gabe, I am just going to have a dance with the girls”
What is she doing? Leaving me here with him, forcing me on him. Thanks Jo, I’m so embarrassed, my stare must be burning a hole in her back as I watch her walk away.
“Drink, then, what would you like?”
“No, no you got the last one, I will get these, what would you like?”
He looks at me, intently; I think he’s debating whether or not to argue so I look at his glass.
“Bourbon please, with ice, thank you”
I head to the bar and he goes to follow when a girl approaches him, a different one to earlier, I hear her say “Hi Gabe” And I can’t help but mimic in my head ‘Hi Gabe, take me now Gabe, you’re so hot Gabe’…….Then I catch my reflection in the mirrored wall behind the bar and realise I’m pulling faces as I talk to myself, and I’m tilting my head side to side as I carry on with ‘Outside Gabe, now Gabe, Gabe, f*cking Gabe’
I stop and almost laugh out loud….Ohhhh I really need to make this my last
“Hi” is all he says back to the girl …. “Yeah Byyyyyeee” I say under my breath as he joins me at the bar. We get our drinks and head over to a space by the edge of the dance floor, I put my drink on the table and he leans against the wall, sipping his, he crosses one long leg over the other, I feel so self-conscious, aware of every move I make, his eyes are the most intense blue and he hasn’t taken them off me. His tongue flicks out and licks his top lip. I close my eyes for a second too long to be claimed as a blink as I think about where I would like those lips to go. Was that his intention? Did he do that on purpose? Shit, I’ve got no chance.