I needed to get away from his gaze, so I declared, “I’m going to the toilet.” He continued to look at me. “Give me a moment to get ready.”
Ella gave a quick and easy “Sure” in response. “But if I’m busy when you come back, don’t take it the wrong way,” she said.
She sent another furious look in the direction of the mysterious person in the shadows. It was a mystery to me why she was so drawn to him. He was plainly a source of bad news. I couldn’t help but be perplexed by the guys she chose to date.
I cautioned, “Do not be careless.”
She let her shoulder-length blonde hair down and laughed as she did so before tossing it over her shoulder. “Where’s the pleasure in that?”
I gave a very small shake of the head. “He is solely yours to keep. I’ll give you some space by going to the pub with Nicola instead of hanging out with you.
“Thank you very much, girl.”
“Of course. If you do decide to take that man home, though, be sure to let me know. It’s important to me that you don’t go out with him by yourself. ”
. “I won’t go anyplace by myself with an unknown person. Within the next several hours, you and Nicola will be able to go with us. ” She greeted me with a cheeky grin. “We’ll make it a double date tonight,”
“I think that’s an excellent idea. See you shortly.”
I squeezed my way through the packed dance floor and made my way to the front of the queue for the restroom. Even though there were three ladies in the little hallway ahead of me, I didn’t mind it at all.
I didn’t really have to go, but I went anyway because I wanted an excuse to get away from the shadowy stranger’s gaze. It wasn’t totally comfortable for me to leave Ella in his care, but she appeared content enough with his paying attention to her. I had no intention of impeding her progress in any way.
“Is that you, Emily?” I was startled when I heard a deep, manly voice. It was not just low and deep, but also far too near.
I heard a quiet gasp, which caused me to spin around, and there, invading my personal space, was the potentially hazardous stranger.
I hadn’t heard him walk up to the bar because it was so noisy, but as soon as I was confronted with his menacing gaze, I became very aware of his proximity.
I took a step back, and my butt collided with the wall . His eyes were abrasive and flashed with amusement as he curled the corners of his mouth upward.
“So, are you? I believe your name is Emily. I”nstigated by him Although he did not move closer me physically, he leaned in close and pressed his weight down on me.
My very breath I felt a catch in my throat, and a pounding in my veins was the sound of my heartbeat. The shadowy energy that was pouring off of him caressed my flesh before wrapping itself about me in sneaky, silky tendrils. I was shivering, but I wasn’t very chilly.
“What is it that you desire?” I let out a squeak. Even though he wasn’t touching me, I had the distinct impression that I was being held captive. The combination of his piercing gaze and commanding presence was enough to hold me in place. “How do you know my name?”
“What the hell are you doing in this place, Matthew? Get the hell away from her! ”
As soon as I heard Nicola’s angry growl, I let out a sigh of relief and took a deep breath. Once again, he was rushing to my aid, and I could not have been more appreciative of my savior in shining armor.
Mathew. Nicola was familiar with his name. He was familiar with this menacing individual. I was aware that Nicola did not come from my world However, I had not considered the possibility that the kind guy I had developed feelings for might be friends with someone who posed such a clear threat to their own safety.
Mathew’s lips became even more puckered, and he fixed Nicola with a look that conveyed a chilly amusement. He stated it as if it were nothing special, “I’m simply introducing myself to Emily.” “I heard you had a girlfriend. I wanted to meet her.”
“Outside. Now,” Nicola said sharply.
Mathew nodded and said, “All fine.” When he eventually moved away from me, liberating me from his sway, I let out a sigh of relief and took a few deep breaths. He took one more look in my direction while maintaining a sneaky grin on his face as he did so. “My sincere apologies, Emily.”
Nicola scowled at Mathew and moved closer to him while making her approach. The terrifying guy made a gesture of repentance by raising his hands over his head. “Outside,” he suggested to Nicola as a stimulus.
I really didn’t want Nicola to go with him. I was concerned that Matthew might do harm to the person I loved, and I did not want this to happen.
Love. Absolutely, I was over over heels in love with Nicola. My gut churned whenever I thought about the possibility of him being injured.
I extended my hand and gripped his large hand, which caused him to retreat. “Don’t,” I implored. “Stay in here with me,”
He looked at me with an expression of agony that I couldn’t decipher and he was staring down at me. “I can’t,” he growled out forcefully. He leaned up close and lightly kissed the corner of my mouth. “I really apologize. Keep out of the cold. Do not follow in my footsteps. ”
The remarks somehow carried more weight than a straightforward instruction not to follow him outdoors. My chest began to tighten, and I felt a knot forming in my gut. There was clearly something very wrong, and I had no idea why Nicola would consider going anywhere with Mathew.
Before I had time to properly understand what was going on, Nicola yanked his hand away from mine and started pushing his way through the throng, following Mathew toward the exit. I followed him. The guy I loved vanished into the night and abandoned me in his wake.