“It was a pleasure,” Tristan answered with his special crooked smile.
“Oh good Lord, you’re adorable. You better hold on to this one,” Monica said to Josie before winking and trotting off down the sidewalk.
Monica hadn’t been ready to head home when dinner was over. She knew Tristan and Josie were eager to be alone, so she said her good night and walked down to a nearby bar for a drink. She sat at the bar and ordered a margarita, the specialty. Monica couldn’t help but smile as she took in the decor around her. The festive colors and music seemed to further encourage her mood. She sent a text to Rob, letting him know where she was. He promised to meet her there soon.
She had been disappointed that he missed dinner, stuck at the office yet again. As happy as Monica was with Rob, she hated that he wasn’t always available to her. She knew he was an executive at a corporate real estate company, but she never asked about his work. It seemed to be the only topic that caused him stress. All she could do was become his distraction. Monica had never been so important to another human being before and she absolutely adored the feeling of being needed.
After assessing the thin crowd, she sipped her drink and watched the bartender mix some fruity concoction and flirt with the tourists.
“Monica?” a familiar voice said from behind her.
She turned to find Evan standing there, eyeing her like prey. He was dressed in dark-wash jeans and a black button-up shirt, looking handsome and a little dangerous. His warm brown eyes sparkled from beneath a baseball cap. Even through his charm, she could sense that his thoughts were anything but pure.
“Evan,” she said, giving him a cautious smile.
He took a seat next to her and ordered a whiskey. Immediately, Monica was racked with guilt just for being in his presence. She wavered between wishing that Rob would show up and wishing that he’d stay away.
“I was in the neighborhood. What are you doing here all alone?”
“My boyfriend had to work late, but he’ll be here any minute,” she said confidently, hoping Evan could not sense her half-truth.
“Good, good. You seem to be in excellent spirits. Did you have a good day?”
“Yep. I just had dinner with a friend and her boyfriend. Well, she doesn’t really consider me a friend, but I think we are closer now. Hopefully, I’ll see her again soon since her boyfriend is going out of town tomorrow. Maybe I’ll stop by and surprise her or something. Oh my God, I’m rambling.”
Monica promptly shut her mouth and motioned for the bartender to bring her another drink. She had no idea why she became a blabbering fool around this man. She hadn’t suffered from word vomit like this since she was in high school.
Evan laughed and took a long pull from his drink, enjoying the slow burn of the whiskey down his throat. He leaned in close to her, barely catching the scent of her floral perfume.
“Do I make you nervous, Ms. Templeton?”
“Uh, no, I just—wait, how do you know my last name? I don’t remember mentioning it.”
Monica eyed him suspiciously, suddenly uneasy under his hungry gaze. Evan shifted in his seat and emptied his glass. His eyes darted back and forth, as if searching for an acceptable answer.
“Well, I’m embarrassed to admit that I read it off of your work badge when we met at the coffee shop. I may have found you on Facebook as well. So I know where you work and where you play,” he said, gesturing to the bar, “but where do you live?”
“I think I’ll hold on to that tidbit of information for now,” she joked, feeling a bit more nervous than before.
“Aww, I’m not a bad guy,” he said. “Just for good measure, I’ll tell you where I live. Ocean Beach.”
“I love O.B. Spent a lot of time there when I was a teenager. We used to get there early and spend all day on the beach. We’d eat lunch at Hodad’s and get ice cream before walking over to the tide pools in the afternoon. Good stuff.”
Evan smiled and motioned to the bartender for a new drink.
“Well, hey, you should come over sometime. We could grill and you could help me decorate my new place. I know you’re good at it.”
“How would you know that?” she asked.
“Well, uh, you always look impeccable. I bet that spills over to your home too.”
Monica felt slightly flattered but leery of his words. She took a swig of her drink and smiled at him, playing with the placement of her lips, not wanting him to read too much into her polite smile. Believing that she was overthinking things, she decided to just be pleased by his admiration. It wasn’t often that Monica had male attention.
“So, about this friend who is not a friend but may have become a friend.” He paused, hoping she’d catch on to his teasing. “It’s very considerate of you to spend time with her while the boyfriend’s away.”
“I owe her so much more than that.”
“Hmm, that seems loaded for someone who is barely a friend.”
“It’s complicated,” she answered quickly, finishing her drink.
“Well, I’m all ears if you’re aching to talk.”
“She’s not achin’ for anything from you,” Rob’s harsh voice cut in.
The two spun around to find him scowling down on them. Evan straightened his shoulders, sitting taller on the stool now, while Monica looked meek and a little bit guilty. Darkness clouded Rob’s face, his gaze murderous.
“Rob, you remember Evan, right?” she asked, gesturing to her drinking partner, feigning innocence. He nodded but kept his hands at his sides and his lips pressed together in a harsh line.
“He was just leaving, right?” Rob sneered.
Evan leaned back against the bar, making himself at home.
“Actually, I just got here.”
Fury blurred Rob’s vision as he rushed at the man and pulled him from his seat. His fist twisted Evan’s collar as he held him upright.
“I said, you were just leaving,” Rob’s voice said in an eerily calm tone.
“Rob!” Monica shouted, surprised by his sudden hostility.
He ignored Monica, waiting for Evan’s compliance. With a tight nod, Evan relented. He threw a few bills on the bar and said good night before leaving. Monica didn’t watch him go, more concerned with the seething man seated next to her now.
“Everything okay?” the bartender asked.
“Jameson neat,” Rob said before turning his attention to Monica. “What was he doing here?”
“I swear I just ran into him. I don’t think it was a coincidence, though. He creeps me out.”
Rob nodded stiffly and threw back his drink, motioning for another one instantly. Monica had never seen him this angry before. While it was a bit frightening, it was also incredibly sexy. She almost felt guilty at the lust swirling inside of her.
“Monica, I told you that I don’t trust him. I know it’s just a gut feeling, but I expect you to respect that. I don’t share.”
She was his, in every way, but hearing it come from his lips was somehow empowering. She decided to provoke him even further. The fact that he thought she would stray so easily was starting to piss her off.
“Oh, well, that’s too bad. I was just about to hop on his lap in the middle of this bar before you got here,” Monica taunted. “It was just conversation.”
They left shortly after, Rob driving erratically through the city. He hadn’t spoken a word to her in nearly thirty minutes, and to say it was driving her insane would be an understatement. Once inside her apartment, he flew at her. At first Monica cringed away, unsure of what to expect from his attack, but she knew in her heart that she had no reason to be afraid.
Like a caveman staking his claim, he tore at her clothes while kissing her. What started out as rough and obsessive slowly morphed into slow and sensual, where he placed soft heated kisses against her lips and whispered his apologies against her skin. Their intertwined bodies became a declaration of infatuation and mutual understanding.