less crowded.
I ordered a real drink from the bar (SoCo on
the rocks) and sat at one of the tables by the railing. I would be
able to see if the dog ever headed in my direction. Melissa and
Owen were still dancing below, gyrating against each other in a way
that only pointed to the eventual outcome of their evening.
Dog-themed sexual innuendos were running rampant through my head. Have to remember a few of them for tomorrow morning.
I took a nice long drink while scanning the
rest of the crowd when I saw the stranger again, this time staring
up at me. This was not a coincidence. He didn’t look like one of
the monsters Iblis usually sent after me and he couldn’t be one of
the Aelfadl, they don’t play cat and mouse, they just kill first
and ask questions later. I finished my drink and headed down the
stairs to find him.
I weaved my way through the crowd on the
dance floor to where I saw the stranger a few minutes before, but
he was nowhere to be found, again. A set of hands grabbed my waist
from behind me, “You were looking for me?” he asked, his lips next
to my ear. He was so close it was impossible not to smell him. His
scent was earthy, like right after a rain storm, with undertones of
fresh mown grass and pine. He was most certainly an elf. They all
smelled like the forest, making them easy to spot.
I turned around, ready to demand to know why
he was staring at me and hot damn he was gorgeous! The bronze god
before me was wearing jeans and an un-tucked white dress shirt, his
body stretching the material around his arms, chest, and
thighs.
Mr. Sex Personified had a full head of sandy
blonde hair, piercing turquoise eyes with gold flecks around the
irises, and full lips you wanted to nibble on. I must’ve been
lingering on him a bit too long because he cocked one eyebrow up
and grinned at me. I could feel my cheeks turning scarlet but shook
it off, not having time to be embarrassed.
“Why have you been staring at me all night?”
I strained, trying to be heard above the music.
He took my arms, putting them around his neck
and grabbed my waist, pulling me closer, his lips finding their way
to my ear yet again. There was a distinct tingle going down my
spine right before my body broke out in goose bumps.
“I was looking at you because you are
beautiful and I found it hard to look anywhere else.”
He started moving in time with the music,
leading me, while my brain went to mush.
“I..I don’t even know your name,” I
stammered.
He pointed to his ear and shrugged, letting
me know that he couldn’t hear me. I dropped my arms from his neck,
settling on his chest to back away from him, feeling distinct
ridges and valleys under my fingertips. I can’t say I wasn’t
halfway interested to see him shirtless.
Unable to have a conversation in such close
proximity to the speakers and him, I grabbed his hand and led him
to the hallway in the back of the bar, near the bathrooms.
“Okay, what’s your name and why have you been
staring at me all night? Do me a favor and give me the truth this
time while you’re at it.” As flattering as his words are, I knew he
was full of it. No one watches someone like a predator staking out
its next meal without reason.
“My name is Luca. As for my story, I still
claim what I said before. I will, however, add that I did not like
seeing the wolf trying to paw his way all over you tonight. When I
pulled you to me on the dance floor, it was to keep you from him.
He was only a few steps from you. Luckily, his back was
turned.”
I guess chivalry isn’t quite dead yet. “Oh, well, um, thank you and my name is Mags,” I said, tripping all
over my tongue.
“Well Mags, I would like to buy you a drink,
would you join me?”
“Sure, why not, but no Purple People Eaters
please.”
He gave me a quizzical look. “What’s a Purple
People Eater?”
“I haven’t a clue, but I definitely don’t
want another.”
He brought his hand up and pointed to me.
“Alright then,