The Heat is On
Page 27
He shouldn’t have come here. The idea of sex with a total stranger held absolutely no appeal for him right now.
“Actually,” he said, setting down the pool cue again, “I think I’m going to head out. I feel like I’m coming down with something.”
The brunette whose name he hadn’t even asked for gazed at him in disappointment. Then, without another word, she sauntered off, her firm ass swaying at each step she took. Not even the sight of a nice ass could lift his spirits.
Finally releasing that sigh lodged in his chest, he maneuvered through the crowd of people. Two blondes with heavy makeup shot him come-hither smiles but he ignored them, intent on getting the hell out of there. He also ignored a throaty “What’s the hurry, stud?” and a teasing “Hey, baby” from two other females.
When he stepped into the balmy night air, relief swam through him. Fuck. It was like a feeding frenzy in there. Hungry female piranhas after his body. Usually his ego would inflate from all the attention, but right now, he just felt sleazy that he used to spend so much time in a place like that.
“Hey.”
At the sound of yet another female voice, he clenched his fists, ready to shoot the chick down—and probably not in a gentle way.
And then he turned around and the irritated words of rejection got stuck in his throat. Savannah was standing by the entrance of the bar. His eyes ate her up, taking in the little violet dress and silver open-toed sandals she wore. Her hair was tied up in a complicated-looking twist and subtle makeup emphasized her beautiful features.
He cleared his throat, searching for his voice. “What are you doing here?”
“Looking for you,” she said simply.
There was about ten feet separating them, but Matt didn’t make a move to bridge the distance. Wariness circled him like an uneasy scavenger examining a carcass. What was she doing here? After the way they’d left things, he hadn’t thought he’d ever see her again.
Savannah took a step toward him, then stopped awkwardly. “I went by your apartment building but you weren’t there. Annabelle was on the balcony and told me you came here, so…” Her voice trailed off.
“Why are you all dressed up?” he asked guardedly.
“I was on a date.”
Pure agony slammed into him. She’d been on a date? Though it didn’t surprise him, it still elicited an unbearable wave of jealousy.
“Did you have a good time?” he muttered.
She took another step. “No.”
Matt put on a neutral tone. “Sorry to hear that.”
“Me too,” she admitted.
Straightening her shoulders, she kept walking, this time making it all the way over to him, pausing when their bodies were a foot apart. Her familiar feminine scent floated into his nostrils. He forced himself not to inhale.
“I was really looking forward to having a good time tonight,” she went on. “I got all dressed up, as you can see, and I wasn’t even averse to the idea of going to bed with him. Don’t usually do that on the first date, but you know, desperate times…”
Every muscle in his body ached. He felt like he was undergoing serious torture here. Along with the pain, anger collected in his gut, slowly spreading through his bloodstream. Was she purposely trying to hurt him? He knew she always spoke her mind, but this was borderline cruel.
“I have to go,” he choked out.
Before he could move, a soft hand touched his arm. “I’m not finished,” she said quietly.
“I don’t want to hear the rest.”
“Really? Because I was just getting to the apology part.”
He eyed her dubiously. “Didn’t f**king sound like it.”
She sighed. “I had all of these plans for tonight, Matt, but I couldn’t go through with a damn thing. The date was awful. Not because of Tony. He was cute and nice and sure, he didn’t get my humor, but that hasn’t stopped me from getting involved before. There was one problem, though.”
“Yeah, what’s that?” he said irritably.
“He wasn’t you.”
Matt refused to react to the soft-spoken confession. “Sorry to hear that,” he said again, shrugging her hand from his arm.
Savannah let her hands dangle at her sides. Something that resembled vulnerability entered her gray eyes. “I was wrong, Matt. I always thought it was better to have fun and focus on all those first little thrills, but I don’t want that anymore. When I was with Tony, the only time I felt anything remotely thrilling was when I thought about you.”
He averted his gaze. Didn’t want to listen to any of this. “Fuck, Savannah,” he spat out. “Do you actually think I’m going to get back together just because you had a bad date with some other guy?”
“No, but I’m hoping you’ll want to do it because I’m in love with you.”
He didn’t even blink. “Four days ago, I told you the same thing and you dumped me.”
“I was an idiot.” Her voice shook. “And you were right, I was scared. I’ve always believed I can’t hold a relationship, because all my past ones failed, so I avoided them. But I can’t keep avoiding. You were right about something else too—when you meet the right person, it can work. And you’re the right person, Superman.”
His heart shifted at the familiar nickname. Feeling himself soften, he curled his fingers into fists again, determined not to give in to her. He’d told her he loved her, for chrissake. Put himself out there, only to get shot down like a fighter jet.
“Actually,” he said, setting down the pool cue again, “I think I’m going to head out. I feel like I’m coming down with something.”
The brunette whose name he hadn’t even asked for gazed at him in disappointment. Then, without another word, she sauntered off, her firm ass swaying at each step she took. Not even the sight of a nice ass could lift his spirits.
Finally releasing that sigh lodged in his chest, he maneuvered through the crowd of people. Two blondes with heavy makeup shot him come-hither smiles but he ignored them, intent on getting the hell out of there. He also ignored a throaty “What’s the hurry, stud?” and a teasing “Hey, baby” from two other females.
When he stepped into the balmy night air, relief swam through him. Fuck. It was like a feeding frenzy in there. Hungry female piranhas after his body. Usually his ego would inflate from all the attention, but right now, he just felt sleazy that he used to spend so much time in a place like that.
“Hey.”
At the sound of yet another female voice, he clenched his fists, ready to shoot the chick down—and probably not in a gentle way.
And then he turned around and the irritated words of rejection got stuck in his throat. Savannah was standing by the entrance of the bar. His eyes ate her up, taking in the little violet dress and silver open-toed sandals she wore. Her hair was tied up in a complicated-looking twist and subtle makeup emphasized her beautiful features.
He cleared his throat, searching for his voice. “What are you doing here?”
“Looking for you,” she said simply.
There was about ten feet separating them, but Matt didn’t make a move to bridge the distance. Wariness circled him like an uneasy scavenger examining a carcass. What was she doing here? After the way they’d left things, he hadn’t thought he’d ever see her again.
Savannah took a step toward him, then stopped awkwardly. “I went by your apartment building but you weren’t there. Annabelle was on the balcony and told me you came here, so…” Her voice trailed off.
“Why are you all dressed up?” he asked guardedly.
“I was on a date.”
Pure agony slammed into him. She’d been on a date? Though it didn’t surprise him, it still elicited an unbearable wave of jealousy.
“Did you have a good time?” he muttered.
She took another step. “No.”
Matt put on a neutral tone. “Sorry to hear that.”
“Me too,” she admitted.
Straightening her shoulders, she kept walking, this time making it all the way over to him, pausing when their bodies were a foot apart. Her familiar feminine scent floated into his nostrils. He forced himself not to inhale.
“I was really looking forward to having a good time tonight,” she went on. “I got all dressed up, as you can see, and I wasn’t even averse to the idea of going to bed with him. Don’t usually do that on the first date, but you know, desperate times…”
Every muscle in his body ached. He felt like he was undergoing serious torture here. Along with the pain, anger collected in his gut, slowly spreading through his bloodstream. Was she purposely trying to hurt him? He knew she always spoke her mind, but this was borderline cruel.
“I have to go,” he choked out.
Before he could move, a soft hand touched his arm. “I’m not finished,” she said quietly.
“I don’t want to hear the rest.”
“Really? Because I was just getting to the apology part.”
He eyed her dubiously. “Didn’t f**king sound like it.”
She sighed. “I had all of these plans for tonight, Matt, but I couldn’t go through with a damn thing. The date was awful. Not because of Tony. He was cute and nice and sure, he didn’t get my humor, but that hasn’t stopped me from getting involved before. There was one problem, though.”
“Yeah, what’s that?” he said irritably.
“He wasn’t you.”
Matt refused to react to the soft-spoken confession. “Sorry to hear that,” he said again, shrugging her hand from his arm.
Savannah let her hands dangle at her sides. Something that resembled vulnerability entered her gray eyes. “I was wrong, Matt. I always thought it was better to have fun and focus on all those first little thrills, but I don’t want that anymore. When I was with Tony, the only time I felt anything remotely thrilling was when I thought about you.”
He averted his gaze. Didn’t want to listen to any of this. “Fuck, Savannah,” he spat out. “Do you actually think I’m going to get back together just because you had a bad date with some other guy?”
“No, but I’m hoping you’ll want to do it because I’m in love with you.”
He didn’t even blink. “Four days ago, I told you the same thing and you dumped me.”
“I was an idiot.” Her voice shook. “And you were right, I was scared. I’ve always believed I can’t hold a relationship, because all my past ones failed, so I avoided them. But I can’t keep avoiding. You were right about something else too—when you meet the right person, it can work. And you’re the right person, Superman.”
His heart shifted at the familiar nickname. Feeling himself soften, he curled his fingers into fists again, determined not to give in to her. He’d told her he loved her, for chrissake. Put himself out there, only to get shot down like a fighter jet.
