Emily
The sight of Nicola waiting for me on my front doorstep caused my heart to flutter. His dazzling blue eyes and arrogant grin were as captivating as ever, but that wasn’t what drew me to him. His jaw was bruised and disfigured by the marks of assault.
“Oh my gosh, ” I cried out. “What occurred? ” Without applying any pressure, I stretched out to lightly run my fingertips over the mark.
There was a shrug from him. ” Nothing is wrong with me. ”
“I’m relieved to hear that you’re okay, but I was wondering what occurred. ”
He gave me a couple of blinks and a smile.
“What?” When I failed to grasp his humor, I insisted. Even though he clearly felt pain, he played it off as if it weren’t serious.
“You’re not as bashful as I imagined,” he added with a hint of humor in his voice.
When I thought about it, my cheeks began to warm up.
My head was held high. “Are you going to tell me what occurred, or not?”
This made him laugh heartily. “There was some confusion regarding Stun.”
Involuntary furrowing of my brows ensued. ” Is this some kind of miscommunication? ” I wanted to know whether this had something to do with me, but I wasn’t arrogant enough to ask.
Nicola gave a confident nod. “This idiot believed he and his homies could take me down. The truth is, they were totally off base. ”
My heart became weaker. ” But you’re in pain. Have you been sick or something? ”
The smile on his face expanded. For what?” It might have been lot worse, but I’ve experienced much worse. I’m perfectly OK, like I mentioned before. “When he saw me, he stretched out and grabbed my hand. I think I’d feel better if we went out to eat together, however.
“But why did they attempt to beat you up?” As I followed him to his vehicle, I inquired.
He looked down at me for a second. “Is it necessary to probe further?”
In an effort to conceal my embarrassment, I quickly averted my gaze. Men fighting over me? I couldn’t believe it. It was out of the ordinary and quite unsettling.
“I’m sorry if my actions caused you pain. ”
He reached out and softly gripped my palm, drawing my attention back to him. ” It was nothing you did, OK? Stun decided to feel enraged. After I publicly humiliated him at the bar, he made a stupid choice in an attempt to redeem himself. Actually, I just have a few minor bruises. Actually, I’m doing OK. ”
I looked at him in shock. And how could he make such a statement! Though I was aware that guys sometimes got into brawls, I had never been exposed to such casual violence.
Not wanting to be a pain, I didn’t ask him to elaborate. Perhaps he was faking it, and I didn’t want to crush his pride by coddling him too much. I wouldn’t make him feel terrible for trying to be manly and protect my dignity. Indeed, the temperature was rising. It saddened me that he had been harmed, but the thought of Nicola being my savior was immensely romantic.
Like a gentleman, he led me to his vehicle and opened the door for me. My heart rate quickened as I felt his presence.
All too soon, he pulled away and took his seat next to the driver. As he drove, he kept his hand on mine. The interaction seemed natural, as if we had done it hundreds of times before. Just being in his presence and feeling his touch was like taking a deep breath.
I was taken aback as we drove into the parking lot of the city’s most exclusive Ieatery. However, even the richer Stundents at Nevada didn’t make a practice of routinely spending, despite the restaurant’s reputation for serving wonderful but pricey cuisine.
“Is this acceptable? “As he assisted me from the vehicle, Nicola inquired.
“I’m not sure why you brought me here.” He could have shown his interest in me without blowing all his weekly tip money on a single supper with me.
“The greatest meal in town,” he said, dismissing my worries. “That’s why I drove you out here. ”
“Appreciate it.” I couldn’t think of anything more to say. It would have been impolite of me to bring up his pay, but I still felt uneasy about the event’s ostentation. I tried to mask the true source of my anxiety by saying, “I believe I’m underdressed.”
That was, in all honesty, a worry. I opted for a feminine purple cashmere sweater when I could have been wearing a dress.
As he opened the restaurant door for me, he gave me a kind grin. “You’ll stand out as the most stunning lady in this place. Nobody will give a damn about your outfit. ”
I felt my cheeks heating up, but I couldn’t tear my stare from his intense blue eyes. The way Nicola looked at me was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before, something between adoration and hunger.
I spat out, “You look beautiful, too.” His normal attire of black shirt, leather jacket, dark pants, and thick black boots made him seem even more casual than I did. But he was stunningly handsome and would have been a perfect model or actor. Regardless of what Nicola wore, he would always be welcomed at any public event.
He smiled, a tinge of amusement on his lips. “Appreciate it.”
A gorgeous blonde waitress interrupted our passionate embrace to lead us to our seat. Nicola hardly gave her a second look. To all appearances, he was completely engrossed in me, to the point where it may have been awkward.
I took great pleasure in his open display of appreciation. Not only did it increase my self-esteem, but it was also the first time anybody, love partner or not, had ever looked at me with such intense focus that I felt they were attempting to gaze into my very being. I was soon getting hooked to the feeling of power and vulnerability it gave me.