“I’m not really here to make friends,” I heard her say, her voice wavering with nervous uncertainty, a lamb backed into a corner by wolves. That’s all it took to propel me forward, striding forward with earned confidence as I shouldered the boys harassing her aside, reaching for her.
And that got me here, helping her to a seat at the bar as she looks up at me with those same doe eyes, now filled with an interest that thosebastardaícould never have earned. She’s looking at me like she’s never seen a man before, not a real one anyway, and I waver for a second.
I could call her a cab, lecture her on the dangers of places like this, and send her on her way—or if she didn’t want that, bid her goodnight and move on, my good deed done for the night.But she’s fuckin’ gorgeous, absolute perfection in that clinging red silk, and I feel something stir in me that I haven’t felt since before Saoirse.
I don’t want to treat this girl like I’m her father—not that I’m old enough to be. From my guess, she’s probably not all that much younger, less than a decade separating us.And isn’t this what I need? What I told myself I’d try to find out here?A hot girl, a foreign country, a hookup I’ll remember. Something to wash the stain of Saoirse right out of my soul, and this girl has made mefeelsomething for the first time in ages. Protectiveness, first, but now as she looks up at me with those dark eyes while I motion for the bartender, there’s a healthy dose of lust following it. A man would have to be already dead and buried not to feel that for her, but I plan to be respectful about it, unlike the trash I rescued her from.
“What’s your name?” I ask, as I settle onto the stool next to her, waiting for the bartender. “No worries if you’re not interested either, lass. I won’t push it like those others. I recommend you sit here for a minute at least, though, just to sell the story I gave them.”
She flashes me a smile with those full red lips, and I feel a jolt of heat straight down to my cock, the likes of which I haven’t felt in a long fucking time. “I appreciate it,” she says softly. “Really, thank you. They weren’t taking no for an answer, and I guess—well, I guess I don’t have a lot of experience dealing with men like that.”
“Boys,” I correct her. “A real man wouldn’t have put his hands on you like that—”
“Gabriela,” she fills in for me. “Gabriela Rodriguez.” She holds out a slender hand, nails manicured but free of polish, and her skin feels as much like silk as the fabric of her dress against my roughened hand. “You were quite the gentleman, sweeping in to rescue me like that.”
“Just helping out a lady in trouble.” I smile at her, hearing the lilt in her words that suggests she’s definitely upper-class, her manner of speech posher and more elegant than I would have expected from a girl in a place like this.She’s slumming it,I think to myself as the bartender approaches us, but the thought isn’t as off-putting as I would have expected it to be. I thought I’d lost my taste for the society type of lady after Saoirse, not that I ever had much of one before her, but there’s something sweetly innocent about Gabriela that makes me feel at ease around her.
The bartender approaches, and Gabriela flashes him a smile that says she knows him, a little at least. I feel an odd prickle of jealousy, considering I’ve known her less than ten minutes, but I decide to take it as a good sign. At least I’m into her, which is more than I’ve been able to say about any girl in a while.
“Found yourself another knight, I see,” the bartender says with a smile directed straight at her, which sends another of those odd pricklings across my skin. “I told you I couldn’t be looking out for you all night.”
“Well, luckily, he stepped in,” Gabriela says with a small, hesitant smile. “I think I’ll stay right here for a bit.”
“You do that.” Manuel glances over her shoulder between us, in the direction of where the four boys slunk off. “They’re part of a local gang. You don’t want to tangle with them. Maybe your knight here, but not you.”
“Is that what you are?” Gabriela asks me teasingly, as Manuel leaves with my drink order and a request for a refill from her. “My knight in shining armor?”
“Well, I lean towards leather jackets, but I’m not one to ignore a damsel in distress.” I grin at her and see her cheekbones flush prettily at that, her eyes widening just a little. I enjoy the effect I seem to have on her, and the banter feels good, easier than it’s been in a long time.Maybe I made the right choice, coming out tonight.
“It’s a nice jacket.” Gabriela reaches out to touch my arm, light enough that I can’t really feel it through the layers of fabric, but it feels like it burns straight through to my skin anyway. My cock twitches again, and I grit my teeth, forcing down the urgent throb of lust. I’m not about to push things too far too fast with her, not after what she just dealt with. Not until I’m sure she’s really interested—and that I am, too. I can’t get a read on just how experienced she is, but I don’t want to be the guy who pressures her into doing something that she doesn’t really want to do.
“You don’t sound like you’re from here,” she continues, her fingers plucking lightly at my leather jacket sleeve before she withdraws her hand, reaching for the fresh drink Manuel leaves. Mine is in front of me, too, a double shot of their best añejo tequila, straight.
“I’m not,” I tell her affably. “Just visiting. A little vacation, get my mind off some things.” It’s not a lie. Iamhoping to get my mind off some things while I’m here, and as much as I like this girl, I’m not foolish enough to spill what I’m really doing here to her. Especially not so soon. I’ve stayed in one piece as long as I have by keeping things like that close to my chest.
“This ismyvacation,” she giggles, gesturing around the room. From how her words have softened slightly around the edges, I can tell the drink is making her a little tipsy.
She doesn’t drink often.The realization sobers me a little, even though I haven’t had anywhere close to enough to even feel the first warm hints of a buzz. The first shot of tequila went down smooth, good stuff, especially for a place like this, but now my mind is somewhere else altogether.
My instincts are telling me to let this one go. That she’s too inexperienced, too naïve, and that something is off about this whole situation. But even as the words come to my mouth—it was nice meeting you, but I need to go, are you going to be alright if I head out—I can’t quite seem to form them, much less say them aloud. Something about her makes me feel like I’m waking up out of the deepest sleep, coming back to myself after months of unconsciousness. Like coming out of a coma to see a fucking angel standing there.
I don’twantto walk away. With every word that comes out of her mouth, every touch of her delicate hand on my arm, I feel a slow need building that I hadn’t seen coming. It’s not what I’d expected or what I’d come here for. I’d wanted a quick, fun fuck, a girl pretty enough to get my cock hard and relaxed enough to have a good time—a roll in the sheets to erase a little bit more of Saoirse from my memory. But this girl—
This girl is making meache.
Walk away,my mind tells me, but every other fucking part of me is screaming at me to take Gabriela Rodriguez back to her hotel and show her pleasure like no other man has ever shown her before. To show her what a real man can do to her body, not like those fucking boys who had their hands on her when I walked in.
I let out a breath. “I need a cigarette,” I tell her with a small smile, tossing back the second shot of tequila. “Want to come outside with me?”
Her gaze flickers and I swear I see nervousness there, a hint of hesitation. It’s almost enough to make me retract the invitation, but in the next second, a brilliant smile flashes over her face, and she nods.
“That sounds perfect,” she says, her voice husky, and my cock lurches in my jeans, rapidly nearing a hardness that will make it impossible for me to think clearly.
“Let’s go then.” I put down some cash for Miguel for the drinks, probably more than they cost, but I’ve got plenty to spare. I tell myself it’s just a precaution, that we’re coming back inside after I smoke. The part of me that’s already ten steps ahead of this and walking into my hotel room with Gabriela already whispers that maybe we’re not. That maybe this is the start of us leaving this bar together and the rest of an incredible fucking night.
We walk around the side of the bar and I lean back against the clay-colored bricks, sliding a pack and a lighter out of my jeans pocket. “You smoke?” I proffer one to Gabriela, but she shakes her head, her cheeks pinkening a little.
“No, I never have.”