Unwanted Attention

What am I doing here cont...

As Dove waited a man tried to slide into the seat next to her but the barman strangely told him that seat was taken, giving the man a hard look until he moved away. Dove looked at the barman, he gave her a curt polite smile and hurried back to his work.

What was that?

Cooper arrived back, having changed his shirt. Now wearing a black dress shirt buttoned up leaving just the top two buttons undone, the sleeves he had rolled up showing his supple wrists…and was that the start of some tattoos? Dove glanced at the large watch on his left wrist and baulked to see it was a Jaeger LeCoultre, she looked away from it. Maybe it’s a fake.

“Thank you for waiting.” He said charmingly, that roguish smile even reaching his intriguing ice blue eyes.

“I was just trying to finish this drink.” Dove replied nonchalantly.

Cooper’s mouth twisted sardonically. “Wow, you really don’t cut a guy a break, huh?”

Dove startled at that, this was the whole reason she was here… “Sorry.” She breathed.

“Why did you bother going to that speed dating thing?” Cooper asked intrigued.

“Ah, well, that was my friend’s doing.” Dove gave him a sardonic smile and looked away.

“So if you really aren’t interested in meeting a guy why bother turning up?”

Dove sighed and looked down. Cooper noticed she did that a lot…naturally submissive…his c**k twitched.

“I guess I felt obligated to try, my friends have been on my case for a while now, they say they hate the thought that I’m the only one without a partner.”

“Ah, I see.” Cooper smirked, noticing how she kept glancing at the door.

“Yeah, so now I’ve turned up I can at least say I did it and they’ll hopefully leave me alone for a while.” Dove chuckled and looked up at Cooper. Her breath hitched at the dark look still in his eyes.

He took in the way her face lit up when she smiled and laughed like that, he just wanted to kiss those perfect pale pink lips and run his tongue along those perfect white teeth, dipping it into her warm wet mouth…Cooper! Snap out of it! He berated himself.

“So will you stay and chat with me some more?” He asked as he reached his hand out on the bar towards hers, but not quite touching it. Dove played with her wine glass her eyes tracking his movement. Like a flighty doe, Cooper thought.

“Sure…just until the wine runs out.” Her gaze watching his hand as she licked her lips nervously.

Cooper chuckled. “Alright, no sculling it back though.”

Dove smiled in spite of herself and met his gaze. “No…I promise.”

He grinned back then glanced at the barman as a glass of whisky appeared in front of him. “Thanks, Jack.”

He looked back at Dove expectantly. Dove had to keep looking away from his face, the more she looked at it the hotter he became. She hadn’t ever met someone as good looking as this guy. Her eyes went wide as he continued to stare at her.

“Oh, you want me to start?” She said flustered, tucking some hair behind her ear. He smirked and sipped his drink, saying nothing, watching the red blush inch up her face as she awkwardly tucked some hair behind her ear in that classic sign of flirtation. Oh yeah…she’s hot for me now…finally!

“Okay…well…the name of this place…it’s very clever. Did you come up with it on your own?” Dove asked, and instantly thought how stupid it sounded. She just wasn’t good at small talk.

“That’s your question?” Cooper laughed, she really doesn’t know who I am? He was surprised and delighted.

She smiled shyly. “It’s a start, isn’t it?”

“Okay…yes I did…I took it from the place names along the rivers, you know, like Henley-on-Thames…”

“Yes, obviously, but it works well, it’s got a ring to it.” Dove replied.

“Thank you.” He grinned at her. “So what do you do?”

“Me? Oh, I…ah…I actually run a small café…” Dove became nervous at him asking personal questions.

“Oh, so we’re kind of in the same industry, that’s cool…do you chef?”

“No nothing like that…” Dove shook her head adamantly. “I just manage the place, I leave the baking to the experts.”

“Nice, perhaps I should visit some time?” He asked pointedly, hoping she would tell him the name of the place, she was being very coy with her answers and that just made the mystery of her more alluring. He was determined to get to the bottom of this woman’s blatant deflection tactics.

“Hmm, maybe…” Dove lifted her drink as she smiled and took a sip.

“What’s so amusing?” Cooper asked her. She obviously had no intention of telling him anything, she was merely amusing him till her drink was finished and intended to bolt and that annoyed him immensely for some strange reason.

“No, nothing…”

“Can I get your number?” Cooper suddenly asked. He was getting frustrated with all this coy banter.

Dove looked startled at his sudden brashness and looked down to where he was holding his phone out to her, to add her contact details.

“Ah…” Dove chewed on her bottom lip.

Oh! This woman just gets better! Cooper had to look away before he did something he would regret.

“I promise I’m not a psycho…”  He said encouragingly. Not a diagnosed one, anyway.

Dove’s eyes lifted back to his, a sudden fearful fire in them. “That’s the second time you’ve tried to convince me of that…”

Cooper frowned darkly and put his phone down on the bar. “So, it’s a no then? How can I convince you?” f**k! I’ve never had a woman refuse me, ever! What the hell is with this woman?

Dove sipped her wine, she only had one large gulp left in her glass. She swirled it round. “I’m not really sure you can…” That’s right, girl, stick to your guns, listen to your brain and not your aching loins.

“Look, Dove…I really want to get to know you better…don’t make me beg…I’ve never had to before, it’s an embarrassing thought for me.” Cooper said intensely.

Dove’s eyes widened. “Yes, I’m sure girls throw themselves at you, but to be honest that’s exactly the reason I don’t want to know you better…right now you appear quite charming in a casual confident way but I’m getting red flags…sorry.”

How savage can this woman get? “Red flags!” Cooper said harshly, his eyes seemed to darken dangerously.

Dove felt awkward and went to finish her drink. Coopers hand wrapped around her wrist and held her strongly so she couldn’t raise her glass.

“Please don’t finish it quite yet.” His eyes bore into her.

“Huh? Oh right…” Dove said, remembering she said she would only stay and chat until she finished her drink.

“I don’t want to let you leave if there’s going to be no way to see you again.” Cooper growled huskily.

Dove stared at him like a startled rabbit hearing that low dominant growl, she shivered.

Her skin was burning where he was touching her wrist, she watched him in silent fascination as he leaned closer and stroked his thumb up her cheek, his fingers curled round her ear, then danced back down along her jaw.

“Please, Dove…I’m not a playboy…I promise.” He smirked.

A playboy? Her mind reeled, where the hell did that come from? She had been thinking predator not playboy. “Please let me go.” She breathed out as her thighs clamped together.

Cooper let her wrist go and sat up. “Sorry.”

Suddenly a large man dressed in a black suit, with a black shirt and black gloves on appeared by Cooper’s shoulder, the mere presence of him was immediately intimidating. “Boss, it’s nearly 8pm.”

“What? Already?” He glanced at Dove. “Time flies in good company.” He grinned at her.

Dove breathed, that had been intense for a moment, she was glad of the intrusion.

“Dove, I have to go, baby…please let me contact you again.”

Dove’s mind suddenly turned to mush at the sultry way he spoke to her, calling her baby? What the hell? “Ah…” Dove found herself nodding. “Alright…” What am I doing right now!?

Cooper grinned widely and opened his phone up and handed it out to her once again. “You’ve made my night.” He said as he watched her take his phone and nervously put her number in. She handed it back to him and licked her dry lips.

He took the phone back and immediately messaged her. She jumped when her phone went off in her bag, she looked up at him with a strange look.

“You have my number now too.” He said to her with an amused smirk.

“Oh…I thought for a second you were testing to see if I gave you a fake number.” She said sarcastically.

Cooper gave her a look that made her hold her breath. “That too…” He said in a calm controlled tone. He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek then stood up.

“Thank you again, Dove…have a good rest of your night. I’ll get Jack to call you a taxi.” He clicked his fingers at the barman.

“Okay…” Dove couldn’t speak...his lips on her cheek had been so soft and tender and left a burning that seemed to travel straight to her loins.

She watched him walk away, the big man in the suit following him, then gulped down the rest of her drink. The barman, Jack, wandered over.

“You’re a lucky girl…why do you look so terrified?” Jack said to her cheerfully.

“Lucky girl? Why’s that?” Dove frowned.

“Do you know how many hundreds of girls would love to get the attention of Mr Henersley?’

“Why?” Dove scoffed.

“Don’t you know who he is?”

Dove shook her head. Jack looked at her disbelievingly. “Do you live under a rock?”

Dove smiled. “Normally, yes.” She liked to keep her head down.

Jack walked off a way, bending down behind the bar. He picked up a magazine, flipping through it as he walked back. He placed it on the bar open to a certain page.

Dove looked at it and nearly screamed.

There was Cooper with the title of the article reading. ‘Eligible Bachelor or Billionaire Thug?’

“Oh dear god!” Dove exclaimed looking up at Jack who was chuckling in amusement at her reaction.

“You really didn’t know? Must be why he was so interested in you…be a refreshing change.”

“Thug? Why does it say thug?” Dove was staring at the article.

“Read the article…” Jack said with a shrug.

“Why would he let something like this stay in his bar?”

Jack smirked. “He doesn’t give any credit to these articles.”

“There’s more?” Dove was shocked…He basically is a celebrity!

Jack laughed. “All the time…that’s why it’s so hard to believe you’ve never heard of him.”

Dove shook her head. “Can I take this?” She lifted the magazine.

“Sure…but don’t look so worried, it’s all unproven speculation.” Jack said, suddenly worried this might cause Cooper to be annoyed with him.

“You don’t understand…I’ve given him my number.” Dove stared with wide eyes at Jack.

Jack laughed again. “Oh, in that case…you’re doomed, good luck princess.”

“That’s not even funny!” Dove said distressed.

“Stop worrying, beautiful girl, he’ll wine and dine you…enjoy it…trust me, I’ve only ever seen him be a perfect gentleman.”

Dove gave Jack a reproachful look and looked away. “Is my taxi here yet?”

“Yeah, probably…look for a black Audi.”

“Audi?” Dove frowned dubious.

“Think of it as Mister Henersley’s personal taxi service.” Jack winked and walked off to serve someone.

“Oh god, what monster have I provoked?” Dove picked up her bag and walked outside. She saw a black Audi parked right outside. The driver, standing on the pavement, looked at her and opened the back door for her.

She regarded it a moment not sure she should even get in.

The driver smiled. “Miss, are you Dove?”

She nodded.

“I’ve been instructed to see you home safe…please get in.”

Dove grimaced but got in the car. The driver got in and looked at her in the rear view mirror. “Address?”

Dove frowned. No way am I giving him my address. “Ah, just drop me off in Sloane Square, by the underground entrance.”

The driver frowned. “Very well, if you’re sure.”

Dove sat back in the seat and breathed in a deep breath glad the driver hadn’t pressed the issue. She only lived a short walk from Sloan Square, her Chelsea terrace house part of Sloane Apartments. She looked at the magazine in her hand, then looked out the window, deep in thought about the sexy bachelor thug she had just given her number to.

.

Cooper had stopped in the hall and turned to the man in the black suit beside him.

“Baz, I want you to find out everything you can about that woman.”

“Sure, boss.” Baz grinned. “She sure is a pretty one.”

Cooper sighed. “Can you believe she doesn’t know who I am? I saw absolutely no recognition on her face at all when I said my name.”

“Must be a pleasant surprise, boss.” Baz said as he looked up from his phone as he hurriedly messaged one of his men to put a tail on the woman.

Cooper grinned. “Damn this meeting with Don Luici tonight…I almost had her in my grasp.” He took out his phone and looked at his contacts, seeing her name. He chuckled. “Damn, she didn’t even put her last name…she is a cautious one.”

“I’ve put Toad on her.” Baz said as they got into the lift.

“Good job…get him to message her address as soon as he knows it, then hopefully I can find out her full name from there…” Cooper mused inside the elevator.

Baz looked at him curiously. “Boss…please…” He scoffed.

Cooper looked up. “Oh, right…sorry Baz, I’m not trying to tell you how to do your job…I just really don’t want this fish to escape my net.” Cooper grinned devilishly.

“She won’t.” Baz said simply. “Consider her already caught, boss.”

.