“Hey, I’ll be right back,” Susan said. She hopped off the barstool and handed me her purse. “Gotta pee.”
I nodded, watching as my pretty friend wove her way through the crowd. I didn’t get it – I thought I’d been doing fine. I’d acted just like Susan would have, and it hadn’t done me any good. In fact, if anything, I just felt worse than ever.
The self-confidence that I’d imposed on myself from earlier was starting to wear off and I felt sadder than ever. I should just go home and take a long bath, I thought. Get a fresh start tomorrow. Make ignoring Justin my real job and writing copy my part-time gig.
“Excuse me,” a smooth male voice said. “Is this seat taken?”
Spinning around, I saw a handsome guy standing right behind Susan’s empty seat.
“Um, sorry, yeah, my friend just went to the bathroom,” I said, blushing. “She’ll be right back.”
“Damn,” the guy said. He winked at me. He was cute – blonde hair, blue eyes, nice skin. But there was no spark when I looked at him – nothing that made me feel the jittery, excited, anxious way I felt around Justin.
“Sorry,” I said. I turned back to the bar, ever-conscious of the man’s stare at my back.
“So, I didn’t come over here because there was an empty seat,” the man continued. “I came over because I thought you looked like you could use a drink.”
Turning around, I frowned at him. I gestured to the mojito in my hand. “I’ve got one,” I said. “Thanks, though.”
The guy laughed. “I’m Aaron,” he said. “Can I buy you another drink?”
I frowned. I didn’t know whether or not I should say yes or no. My disastrous experience with Justin the day before had taught me a lesson, but then again, I’d never get good at dating if I didn’t at least try.
“Um, sure, I guess,” I said. “But I’m really sorry, you still can’t sit here.”
Aaron laughed. It was a nice laugh – an easy laugh, not complicated like Justin.
“It’s fine,” he said. “I like standing.”
I smiled. Just as I was starting to think this whole flirting thing wasn’t that bad, Aaron went flying to the side. Gasping in surprise, I leapt up from my stool.
“Oh my god, are you okay?”
Justin was standing there, his right hand balled into a fist. He was glaring at Aaron.
“Hannah’s spoken for,” Justin hissed through gritted teeth. “She’s not free to date you – or anyone else.”
“What the hell, man,” Aaron complained, getting to his feet and brushing his hands off. “You trying to fight me?”
Justin ignored him. My heart skipped a beat as Justin stepped closer, making the space betwee
n our bodies disappear.
“I need you,” Justin said urgently. “You’re mine.”
Before I could reply, Justin had wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. He crushed his lips to mine in a smoldering kiss that left my stomach twisted in an anxious knot of fear and desire.
“I don’t know what this means,” I said softly, breaking away. Justin’s sapphire blue eyes staring into mine were hypnotizing, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was headed for disaster.
Justin squeezed my hand. “I don’t know, either,” he murmured. Leaning down, he kissed me once again. “But I know that I can’t stand the sight of you with another man. You belong to me, Hannah,” he said fiercely, kissing me deeply. “You’re mine.”
I melted in his arms. “Yours,” was all I could say.
Justin
When Hannah had left the office, I knew that I had to find a way to win her back. It wasn’t just that I’d made her cry – it was that somehow, magically, impossibly, I’d started to fall in love with her.
Seeing her talking to another guy made me murderously angry. I hadn’t intended to punch anyone, but that blonde smug fuck was in for trouble if he messed with my girl. And the way Hannah had melted right in my arms afterwards made me feel that it had been completely and totally worth it.