‘Hey, no fair. I didn’t ask you what that douchebag, Darren, looked like. A little irrelevant don’t you think?’ He briefly raised his eyebrows but continued to smile.
‘He was tall, skinny and hairy with big ears. Nuff said. Humour me, Sam. I’m just curious.’
Sam chuckled after she gave him a vision of her ex. ‘Sheesh, he sounds as ugly as he was stupid.’ He gave her a wink. ‘Okay, she was about five-eight, long curly auburn hair, with green eyes.’ He rubbed his forehead as if trying to remember. ‘Anyhow, we split when I found out she was seeing several people behind my back. The one she really wanted broke her heart. She came back to me, but I wasn’t interested.’
‘Hmm, well she sounds like adouchebagtoo then,’ Mallory defended him.
‘It would appear so.’ He smiled, tilting his head to one side. ‘Good for us that our former partners were so crappy, huh? Or we may never have met.’ He kept his eyes locked on hers and she melted inside.
*
Mallory took out her keys as they arrived at her cottage. Wondering what thehellshe was doing bringing Sam back to her place. What if they ended up kissing? Or worse still, what if they ended up in bed? He would see hernaked!Oh-my-God! Oh-my-God! Oh-my-God!She panicked as her breathing increased. She fumbled, trying to get the keys into the lock.
‘Hey, are you okay? You look a little shaky?’
Damn!He had noticed.
‘Y-yeah, yeah I’m fine, no problems… just can’t get the key in with my gloves on, silly me. What a dufus,’ she rambled.
He took her shoulders and turned her to face him. Gently he cupped her cheek in his warm leather-clad hands and gazed into her eyes. ‘Hey, it’s coffee, that’s all. Don’t be so nervous.’ He smiled, planting a light kiss on her forehead. ‘I’m not expecting to jump into bed with you, Mallory. I’msonot that kind of guy.’
‘Well,’ she let out a sigh, ‘that’s good to know.’ She clambered for some poise. ‘And I wouldn’t expect you to want to… Erm… anyway.’ She tried to turn her attention to the door.
‘Wait, what? You wouldn’texpect me to want to?’ He frowned. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘Nothing, forget I said anything. Really. I was thinking out loud.’ She hadn’t meant that last part to be audible at all.Dammiiiiiit!
Still grasping her shoulder with one hand, he tilted her chin back to look at him with the other. ‘Hey, Mallory, believe me when I say this, as I don’t say things I don’t mean.Oh, I want to, really I do.All I’ve been able to think about since we met the other day is how much I wanted to see you again. How much I would just die to kiss those luscious lips of yours and how good it would feel to run my hands over your gorgeous curves. I just don’t want to scare you off by groping at you on our first, official, date. I really think we have something here. Don’t you feel it too?’
Mallory gazed into his emerald eyes, unable to move; almost unable to breathe. She felt a little like a rabbit in headlights; stunned by his honesty and floored by his almost palpable desire for her. All she could muster was a little nod of her head.
With that he leaned down, pausing to seek her consent, and she closed her eyes in anticipation. His breath felt warm against her chilled skin and then, finally, after what felt to Mallory like forever, he took her mouth with his own. His firm lips moulded to hers and his tongue dipped inside just a little. He tasted delicious and his cologne filled her nose as she breathed him in. Her hands reached up and found his hair as she drew him nearer. His kiss was soft but oozed passion and longing and gave a glimpse of what could be. Her legs became weak.
When the kiss ended, she felt a little light-headed, almost drunk from the oh-so-brief exchange. She hadneverbeen kissed like that. She raised her fingers and touched her lips where his had been only moments before. They tingled.Shetingled. She turned her gaze once again to the door and this time unlocked it with ease.
Sam followed her inside, holding her hand in his and she watched as he made an assessing glance around at his new surroundings. The fireplace wall was adorned in a sumptuous wallpaper of red and gold whilst the rest of the walls remained a rich, neutral cream. She loved artwork, unusual artwork at that, and had displayed as many pieces as she could without cluttering up the small room. Sam stood in front of the mantle appraising one of her most prized paintings. The scene showed a couple walking along a moonlit beach. The painting was almost black and white but for a bright red umbrella that the couple carried together.
‘Very romantic.’ He turned and smiled at her. A little sigh escaped her throat. ‘Nice little place you have here,’ he said, nodding in approval.
‘Thanks. It’s small, but I love it. My parents bought it for me before they died.’
He shook his head. ‘Oh Mallory, I really am sorry for your loss, but wow, what a thoughtful gift.’
Mallory shrugged. ‘I was their only child and they wanted me to have a safe place to live when I moved out of home. They didn’t have much money but they bought this place and rented it out until I was old enough to move in.’
With sadness in his eyes that she recognised all too well, he asked, ‘So what happened to them?’
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment to steel herself. ‘My mum fought a long illness and Dad looked after her. I think when she passed away he just gave up. I think he died of a broken heart to be honest.’
He stroked her cheek. ‘They had a really strong bond, huh?’
She smiled and nodded. ‘Soulmates.’
‘Well they made a great choice for you with this place.’
She glanced around her lounge. ‘It’s big enough for the two of us. Well, more like one and a half.’ She laughed as a little black dog ran into the room making a beeline for the visitor in her home. ‘This is Ruby.’
Sam crouched down to greet the fluffy canine. ‘Hey there, cutie-pie, aren’t you just the sweetest wittle fing I have ever seen? Yes, you are. Yes, you are,’ Sam cooed at the dog, which clearly approved of him.
