Holy shit.
I’d had way too much to drink and left my jacket somewhere. Probably at the bar. Whelp, that’s a two–hundred–dollar jacket
someone has scored.
Luckily, I didn’t buy it, it was Jake’s
My phone pinged and I fished it out of my pocket, looking down at the message.
Phoebe told me you abandoned her.
Not cool, Joey.
It was her night
I’m disappointed in your actions.
The message made me nauseous, and I shoved my phone back into my pocket, as I leaned against the corner of the building, dragging in lungful after lungful of air, aiming for the drain between my feet.
How could Jake have sent me something like that, considering he knew I didn’t want to go out with Phoebe and her cronies in the first place?
And he was disappointed? With what? Me not giving a shit about his bitch of a fiancée and her diva antics tonight? Well, he could go suck a bag of soggy di-
“Are you okay?”
I didn’t look up but glanced across to the pair of polished shoes that were now in my line of sight. Great, some rich guy who thinks he might score. “Fucking peachy.”
The shoes stepped closer, a waft of cologne hitting my nostrils as warmth enveloped me and a leather jacket was placed around my shoulders. “You don’t look okay. Let me hail you a cab.”
This time I did stand up, my gaze traveling up the lithe figure of the man standing in front of me.
Holy shit.
I had always had a thing for men who were of Asian descent. My best friend was half American, half Japanese and something about him had always had me hot under the collar. But the man standing in front of me, now minus his jacket, which was wrapped around my shoulders, gave Jake a run for his money.
I had always thought Jake was good–looking.
This guy was hot. As if he’d stepped straight out of an anime, movie or pop band.
Dark tousled hair fell over his eyes, pointed chin, wide shoulders, broad chest and a cinched waist, which led to long legs. After I’d raked my gaze up and down the poor guy more than a couple times, I shoved my hand through my tangle of curls and tried to smile at him. “Hi.”
Strong arms crossed over his chest and an eyebrow rose as he looked down at me, a smirk coming to his full lips. “You’ve perked up a bit.”
“Amazing what a good–looking guy can do for a girl My hand clamped over my mouth, and I closed my eyes, wishing I could sink into the drain I was leaning over to spew into. “Oh my god.. I can’t believe I just said that.”
“I can.” He chuckled and I opened my eyes, looking up at him. “You’re clearly out for a good time and had a bit to drink and possibly lost your jacket somewhere. Unless you were silly enough to head out without one.”
My face flushed and I giggled, holding up a finger. “First one.”
“Thought so.” He winked and my stomach flipped. “Well, for your misfortune, how about, instead of a cab. I buy you another drink!”
“Sure.” I grinned, turning back toward the club and the guy grabbed my elbow, stopping me.
“Not
I that way, doll.”
I turned back to him, confused. “Huh?”
Jory
“Coffee. There’s a cute little cafe about two blocks down.” His gaze traveled down my figure, hesitating on my assets, down to the heels I was barely standing in, and he let go of my arm. “If you can walk that far, in those
I looked down at my feet and tilted my head to the side. “Of course I can’t.”
With quick movements, I’d literally kicked them off, quickly running off to grab the one that thought it was a good idea to fling itself into a garden bed and came back to him, holding them up like a trophy. “See, there. Can walk anywhere now.”
He smiled and turned, holding out his hand and 1 hesitated, before taking it. “This way then.”
Two blocks and sore awkward silence later, and we arrived at the cutest little hole–in–the–wall Japanese cafe I’d ever seen, and I wondered how in my twenty–three years of living in Miami, I’d missed it. “Oh wow, this is beautiful.”
“And they have the most amazing strawberry tart imaginable.” He replied, showing us to the back of the cafe. I wiggled into one of the cubicles, making sure my skirt was tucked under my burt, as he stood to the side and picked up the menu. He stood over me, dark gaze traveling the menu and he looked at me for a moment, before going back to the menu. “I take you for a chocolate girl, so how about we get the chocolate platter and a serving of the strawberry tart for us to share last?”
“And cappuccino?”
I gulped, but nodded and he returned the gesture, putting the menu back down and walking across the store to the counter With a few quick words to the waitress and money being handed over, my date came back and plonked himself down into the cushioned seats on the other side of the booth.
The lighting here was a little brighter than outside the club and I stared at him a little longer than I realized “Enjoying yourself?”
“Sorry.” I stammered and blinked, heat racing across my face and lowered my gaze, not to the table but to his hands. Long, graceful fingers strummed lightly on the wooden surface, and I instinctively looked for the signs of a ring. Either one sitting there plain as day, the tan line of one, or the indentation to tell me he was unavailable.
Dumbass not all men who are unavailable, wear rings
Frowning, my gaze moved to the watch on his wrist. Easily a few grand… My head tilted to the side as I saw a peek of color from under his shirt cuff.
His hand moved, unbuttoning his cuff and he started to roll it back toward his elbow.
Oh… no, please don’t- I had an unhealthy obsession with strong forearms in business shirts.
Darn it..
His forearms, both sides, were lined with intricate tattoos Koi fish, cherry blossoms and black waves. My gaze shifted again, moving up his arms, noticing the subtle darkness under his shirt to his collar. Pops of color peeked out from the fabric, and I blinked, lifting my gaze to his face.
A smirk was plastered on his lips. “Yes, they do cover an extensive amount of my body.”
I blinked as he pulled back the collar of his shirt, exposing the ring of tattoos which sat just under his collarbone, and I swore I saw the horns of a Tengu.
“On my way to a full Soushinbori.”
“Oh.. wow. Impressive.” A lot more than Jake would ever get. My best friend had a very low tolerance to pain and fainted at the sight of blood.
“Thanks.” He nodded slightly and my face heated again with how softly he spoke to me.
A shadow fell over our table, and we looked up, as the waitress deposited our drinks and a platter of cakes. She bowed slightly and left, and 1 looked down at the selection in front of us.
God damn it
I would have to work extra hard over the next few days to make sure these bite–sized sugar bombs didn’t go to my hups and ruin my look for the wedding.
The wedding
I suddenly remembered why I’d been out tonight and frowned, sinking back against the cushions of the chair and crossed my arms over my chest, glaring at the cakes in front of me.
“Hey, they didn’t do anything to you, give them a break.” The man’s hand reached out, plucking a small chocolate tart from the larger platter and dropped it into his mouth. I watched as he chewed it, closing his eyes as he did. Why was watching this man eat, suddenly so damn satisfying? I had to change my center of attention and quickly.
“So, what’s your name?” I blurted out.
His eyes opened and an eyebrow rose. He picked up his drink, sipped at it and put it back down, before leaning back. “My name? Are you going to tell me yours?”
“Uh..”
He raised an eyebrow at my hesitation “How about, I pick a nickname for you, and you pick one for me? That way there’s no chance of us Facebook stalking the other, if one gets too attached.”
I clenched my jaw and deadpanned him, earning a grin. “Is that aimed at me?”
“Well, you have been making goo–goo eyes at me since I put my jacket around your shoulders…”
“I have not been making goo–goo eyes at you.” I huffed.
“Look,” He sighed leaning back watching me, before leaning forward again. “If you’re not comfortable giving me your name, then pick another. I’ll start.” He reached out his hand. Tm Xan.”
I looked at his hand and frowned but put mine out and shook his, picking the first name that popped into my “Rosey
“Nice to meet you, Rosey. Now, come on, I’m not going to eat all these by myself.”
head.
“Pft… I’ll have one.” I replied, picking up the smallest piece of cake/tart/sugar bomb thing I could find and placing it on a napkin in front of me. “Im watching my weight at the moment.”
“What the fuck for!” It was the first time since we’d met, I’d heard Xan swear and my gaze snapped to his. His eyebrows were furrowed, and his gaze kept dropping to my body, before coming back to my face. “I mean it. What are you watching your weight for!”
“1-1… my best friend is getting married and I’m in the wedding party. The dress I was given is only just the right size and I’m afraid if I eat anything too fattening. I’ll pop a fucking seam on the damned thing, right in front of everyone and they’re going to see some chunkiness they don’t want to see. Trust me.”
Xan’s eyebrows furrowed even further, and he leaned back, shoving a hand through his dark hair and for the first time 1 noticed the earrings in his left ear. A single, large diamond stud and a silver ring. “Fuck them. If they don’t like what they see, when it pops, then they need glasses and probably a lobotomy.”
My face burned, and I lifted my hand, putting the back of it on my check, trying to cool myself off. “Thanks. I think. But you’re just saying that to be nice.”
I was under no illusion I was about twenty pounds over my ideal weight. The weight I had wanted to get to, to be able to have the confidence to have made a move on Jake. Now I was stuck at this weight, unable to move it, and he’d moved on with Phoebe
“No. In
I’m saying it, because I think you’re beautiful just as you are.”
My gaze slowly lifted to his as he licked his lips and a shot of adrenaline ripped right through my chest and straight to my clit. It throbbed and I moved slightly to ease it. It didn’t work, especially when Xan’s gaze shifted down, his eyelids falling slightly, before he lifted his gaze back to mine.
“I personally believe a woman needs to have some meat on her bones, some warmth you can snuggle up to afterward. Otherwise, it’s like fucking a skeleton covered in clingfilmu.”
“A what?” I snorted, my hand coming to my mouth as I held back laughter.
Xan chuckled and picked up his coffee, sipping at it again, before putting it down. “Besides, when was the last time you saw a skinny goddess? Aphrodite is depicted with curves and a tummy, and most fertility goddesses are shown with curves, depicting their ability to carry and nurture children. So don’t put so much pressure on yourself.”
“I really don’t think I’m comparable to a goddess.” I muttered.
*Shame you think so lowly of yourself, Rosey.” Xan’s voice had dropped to a murmur, thick and deep and another spike of longing tore through me. “Because if you could see yourself through my eyes, then you’d be blown away.”
“You’re just flirting with me, to get me to go home with you.” 1 giggled, picking up my coffee and I sipped at it, looking at
Xan from under my eyelashes.
He smirked. “Possibly. Is it working?”
“Maybe.”
“Good.” He replied, picking up another sweet and he reached out, depositing it on the napkin in front of me. “Eat the sugar, love the sugar and fuck everything else.”
I smiled, picking up the tart and bit into it, before shoving the whole thing in my mouth like a chipmunk.
Xan chuckled. “Good girl”
I froze at his words, lifting my gaze to his and he smirked, picking up a piece of cake, mirroring my moves. We continued like that for a few minutes, picking and choosing the cakes, recommending others, pushing away the ones we didn’t like, until all that was left was the slice of strawberry tart.
Xan pushed it toward me, and I shook my head, pushing it back toward him. “No, I couldn’t. I already feel all those cakes going straight to my thighs,”
“If you’re that worried.” He chuckled and pushed it toward me again, winking at me as he did. “I can help work them off, if
you want
My hand faltered over the plate, and I looked down at it. It truly looked delicious, and the thought of Xan helping me work off the treats was very tempting, and, in the end, I sighed, picking up the little spoon beside it. I looked up at the beautiful man, pointing it at him
