There’s no reason for them not to be interested in Selena. She’s perfect. She struts over to them and I pull Atonement by Ian McEwan from my handbag. When Selena ‘chats’ to boys, it’s never a five minute thing She drags it out as long as she can and thankfully I’ve come prepared. I’m not very far in, but if it’s anything like the movie, I should love it. Giggles pull my gaze back onto the group. They’ve made room for her to sit down with them, she glances at me and I wrinkle my nose up at her. She’s definitely in her element. Her beautiful, pink-lipped smile is in place and to my own shock, she points a slender index finger my way. I shake my head at her while my stomach churns painfully. The guy with his back to me—the one in the hoodie—slings his arm over the back of the chair and sets his dark eyes on me. I gasp inwardly as the blood drains from my face. I stare at the over-confident smile and the familiar pair of chocolate irises.

Seth-fucking-Marc.

Chapter Four

I open my book and pull it up to cover my burning face. My cheeks are bright red, I can feel it. Seth is intimidating with his wide frame, perfect physique and annoyingly gorgeous face. Please, for the love of God, don’t let him remember me.

No such luck.

Two long, calloused fingers curl around the top of my book and pull it from my hands.

The first thing I notice is a baggy pair of dark navy jeans and a blue hoodie that’s pulled up over his black hair. It’s unzipped, resting against his hard torso and exposing a strip of his bare, delicious midsection. I clear my throat nervously as my eyes lock onto his and I try my absolute hardest to keep my eyes on his and not on the incredibly hard, incredibly tempting strip of flesh.

“Is there room for one more?”

I open my mouth to tell him it’s taken, but he drops into the seat across from me anyway, placing my book on the table. A toothpick hangs from his tantalizing mouth and I’ve never wanted to be an intimate object so badly in my life. Seth pushes Selena’s fries out of the way and I lean slightly to look past him. I meet Selena’s green eyes. She smiles, giving me the thumbs up. I fight the urge to scowl and I turn my attention back to Seth who’s watching me, intently. He has the same gleam in his eyes that undid me in the gym this morning. His index finger taps the table and my warm centre pulsates every time his finger thumps against the wood. He doesn’t say anything, but I can feel his eyes penetrating my clothes and licking me everywhere. I drag in a deep inhale through my nose in an attempt to control myself.

“I’m Seth, by the way.” He says, pulling the toothpick from his mouth.

“I know who you are.” I cringe inwardly. I didn’t mean for my voice to come out so rudely.

His head angles to the side as if he’s carefully studying me and one corner of his mouth twitches into a smile. “Is this where you work?”

“No, I, uh, I work as a receptionist for a psychologist.” Under the table, I fiddle with my fingers. I’m so nervous and I have absolutely no idea how to handle this situation. “I’m here for lunch with my friend.” I nod my head towards Selena with his friends in the booth, but he doesn’t turn around to look.

His leg brushes against mine, sending a tidal wave of electricity through my body and I pull away. If it were anyone else, I’d have left already, but with Seth... I can’t seem to muster up the courage to get away. Pleasure flares in the dark depths of his eyes and I wonder if I’m going about this the wrong way. He seems to be drawn to the way I regard him. Problem is, I don’t know how else to treat him. He’s sexy as hell and on one hand I want nothing more than for him to tear my clothes off, but on the other, I refuse to be that kind of girl and not to mention the fact he has a girlfriend.

“If I didn’t know better, Olivia, I’d say you’re repulsed by me.”

I feel my lips purse into a thin line and I think carefully about my reply. “I’m not repulsed. I’m just not that kind of girl.”

Seth pushes the hoodie from his head, exposing his sexy, dark hair and leans forward on the table with his elbows. His hair is short, but messy and my fingers twitch at the urge to run my hands through it.

“And what kind of girl is that?” He asks me in a voice that is so rough it vibrates all my sensitive parts.

I shrug. “The kind to flirt with a guy who has a girlfriend...”

Surprisingly, shock doesn’t register on his face. Instead, he smiles a full smile that exposes his perfect, white teeth and I can feel myself scowling. He leans back against the booth and the arms of his hoodie tighten as he folds his thick, strong forearms over each other. “Who?”

“The pretty brunette with the big fake boobs...”

He glances at my chest before looking back at my face, grinning unapologetically. My scowl deepens because he doesn’t seem to care that I saw him do it. “I don’t do girlfriends.”

His words deflate a balloon in my chest I didn’t even know existed and I glance out the window toward the car park.

“I have girls that I sleep with, but that’s the extent of it.”

I drag my gaze back to Seth’s face, my brows pulled together. “So you’re single?”

He shrugs. “I prefer the term free.”

Free. I like that. As of last night, I’m free too and my God is it refreshing. I stick a chip in my mouth and glance awkwardly around the steakhouse. I feel so out of place having this big, sexy man talking to me.

“Now that we’ve cleared the girlfriend issue up,” His leg leans against mine and he sticks the toothpick back in his mouth. He flicks it subtly across his moist bottom lip a few times, his tongue barely seen behind his supple lips. “What do we do now?”

His tone implies so many things, but I have no idea what he actually means. I watch him as he sits before me with his broad shoulders and a snippet of his chest tattoo sticking out from underneath his jacket. His eyes drop from mine and lock intently on my lips. The playful glimmer that had been in them just moments ago disappeared, and they seem to be burning—smoldering darkly at me from across the table. I open my mouth ready to comply with whatever he wants to do, until Selena clears her throat, bringing me back to my senses. Even if he is ‘free’ I’m still not the kind of girl that has sex with someone I barely know... or at least I don’t think I am. Seth licks his lips in frustration before turning his attention to Selena. I see her chest rise and fall rapidly under his gaze. At least I’m not the only one affected by his presence.

“O,” She says, turning her eyes on me. “We have to go.”

She’s agitated. I can tell by the way she rubs her fingers together at her sides and purses her pink lips. I wonder what those boys said to her.

“Sorry,” I say to him for the second time to day. “I have to go.”

I reach across and grab my book before sliding it back into my handbag. I glance at my plate. I only managed to take one bite out of my burger and I’m still hungry. I shuffle out of the booth, keeping my eyes on the table. When I turn away from the booth I still feel his eyes on me—analyzing me.

“I’ll see you around.” He calls to me.

I glance over my shoulder and give him a slight smile. His words thrill me because it almost sounds like a guarantee. Selena has a firm grip on my forearm as she drags me from the steakhouse. Before we exit she flips off the group of boys and they laugh loudly. When we’re outside and out of earshot I ask her what happened.

“They’re gross.” She states simply.

I don’t press the unlock button on my keys and she stands at the passenger door impatiently waiting for me to unlock it. “Why are they gross?”

“They thought I was a prostitute and they wanted to pay for blowjobs in the bathroom.”

The way her eyebrows pull together, forming a small wrinkle on the bridge of her nose makes me erupt with laughter. I prop my back against the car, leaning all of my weight onto it as my stomach begins to burn.

“It’s not funny.” Selena groans.

Tears squeeze their way out of the corner of my eyes. “I’m not laughing because of what they said.” I manage to say in between deep breaths of air. “I’m laughing because you look so disgusted!”

“I am disgusted.” The wind blows a soft, blonde curl into her face and she swipes at it. “Can you unlock the God damn car so we can get out of here?”

When I press the button, she wastes no time in diving into the car. I inhale a few times before opening the door and sliding in behind the wheel.

“Oh, shit.” Selena swears, dropping her face into her hands.

“What?” I ask, as my chest hiccups with a remaining giggle.

“I left my handbag inside.”

“Well I’m not going back to get it.” No way.

Selena turns in her seat so the majority of her body is facing me. Her big, green eyes hold a pleading gleam as she presses her palms together. “Please, O! Please don’t make me go back in there. I’m embarrassed enough as it is.”

“Do I look like I’m eager to go back in there?”

“You should be. Your guy was a total babe and he was so into you.”

No, he was into the fact that I have a vagina, not me as a person. I squeeze the steering wheel.

“He’s not my guy.” Is all I manage to say.

“Just do it for me and we don’t have to go clubbing tonight. We—”

Before she finishes her sentence I’m out of the car and marching back to the steakhouse. I’d do anything to get out of clubbing. I open the door and the bell rings. I allow myself one deep, uneven breath before lifting my gaze from the floor. Various sets of eyes flicker to me, but the only pair I see are the brown ones connected to such a handsome face. My mouth instantly goes dry and I hate myself for it. He leans against the back of his friends’ booth with Selena’s handbag tucked nicely under his arm. His hands are stuffed into the front pockets of his jeans and inwardly, I shake my head at myself. I really need to man up. I hate feeling so little and vulnerable in front of him—in front of a stranger. I force myself to walk towards him, holding my hand out for Selena’s bag. He glances at my palm with a smirk—it’s more of a corner lip twitch, but I still want to suck it off his face.

I clear my throat. “Can I have my friend’s handbag, please?”

Surprisingly, he hands it to me without a word and I take it. Quickly, I turn on my heel and I head for the door, but before I make it, his friend calls out to me.

“Hey, you!”

I let out a slow exhale and turn, forcing my politest smile. The guy with the lousy moustache smiles at me, exposing his teeth.

“Yes?”

“Tell her we’ll pay her extra if she comes back in and I’ll throw in double if those full, pink lips of yours are willing to participate.” He smiles at me like I’m on the price is right and I’ve just received an awesome deal. I blink at him, repeatedly. What. A. Douchebag.

The man in the red cap looks over his shoulder at me and shakes his head, embarrassed by his friend’s behavior. I look at Seth and his amused expression becomes murderous as he turns to his friend.

“Show some fucking respect.” He demands in a voice that is low and aggressive, startling me.

Moustache-face slumps a little in his seat and when his hazel eyes fall back onto me, I turn my attention back to Seth.

“Thanks, but I can defend myself.”

I storm from the steakhouse and don’t hear the door close behind me as I step down the small, concrete stairs. Dread slithers through my tummy because I just know he’s behind me.

“Olivia!” Seth calls, forcing me to slow my pace. I whirl around to face him. “I’m sorry about my friends. They tend to get a little... stupid in the presence of beautiful women.”

My stomach flutters and I drop my sight to the bland concrete for a split second. I never would have expected him to regard me as a ‘beautiful woman’.

“It’s not your fault. We can’t control our friend’s stupidity, no matter how much we want to.” I say with a smile. “See you.”

Turning away from him is difficult, but I manage just fine. I make sure I keep my gaze low as I climb back into the car and toss Selena’s handbag onto her lap. She watches me as I reverse from the car park and onto the highway. I pretend not to notice her staring at me, but I do and it’s creeping me out.

“Hello?”

I look at her briefly. “What?”

“Um, a hottie chases you from the steakhouse and you’re not telling me anything.”

I shrug. “There’s nothing to tell you. He had your handbag and I got it back. He followed me out to the car park to apologize for his friend’s attitudes.”

She clasps her hand over her chest. “What a sweetheart. Are you seeing him?”

I scoff and maybe push a little too hard on the accelerator. “What? No, we met briefly at the gym this morning and—”

“Shut up!” She squeals. “He is what made you forget to text me back? Did you, you know?” You know? How old are we, twelve? She erupts into a fit of giggles and I feel my cheeks burning.

“No, I didn’t. I’m not you.”

Selena doesn’t have the shortest or cleanest sexual relations record book and she knows it. Selena raises her hands, flashing me her palms in defeat. “Okay, okay, but if you do, you better tell me.”

I roll my eyes. “Whatever.”

***

After the steakhouse Selena and I stay at my house for the rest of the day. We didn’t do much. She helped me clean and prepare dinner then we went down to the store to buy snacks for our movie night. When we were back at home I strangely couldn’t stop thinking about Blade. I scroll to his name on my contact list and stare at it.