Chapter Three
1100 Words
Jade
”What…” I tripped over my tongue. My mouth opening and closing like a fish as I stared at him. ”What are you doing here Bristol?”
The man from the diner didn’t say anything for several long seconds, just grinned down at me.
”You remembered my name.” he seemed very happy with the fact if his smile was anything to go by. He was beaming.
Of course I remembered his name. He wasn’t easy to forget. Especially when I had had a sneaky suspicion he had followed me more than the once I knew about.
But this appointment had come in before he had turned up at the diner. Weeks before. Had he been spying on me because he wanted to know what kind of person I was?
It was all sorts of strange.
”yeah but what are you doing here?”
”I live here.” He motioned with his arms our wide. And I glanced around at the lavish décor.
He lived here.
He had seemed to normal. Well as normal as any gorgeous man was anyway. He definitely didn’t look super rich.
Not that I knew what the super rich looked like anyway.
”Do you want to come in properly.” His eyes were dancing. ”Or do you want to have this meeting here?” he grinned and I felt my heart thud in my chest.
“You still want…..”
“Of course, I am a big fan of your work Jade. Especially your work with metals.” Turning on his heel he walked back the way he had come. I had maybe three seconds to debate what to do and then I followed him.
I needed this job.
But it was more than that. It was curiosity as well. How was he a big fan? It wasn’t like I had exhibits or anything. So where exactly had he seen my work?
And it wasn’t just that I was curious about either. I wanted to know about him.
I was curious about him.
The gorgeous strange man who looked at me from under his lashes and made my heart beat a little faster.
But I was nervous.
I know what curiosity did to the cat.
I just hoped it wouldn’t kill me too.
”Jade?”
I shook myself, realising too late that I had zoned out and had been openly staring at him from across the room.
Embarrassment flooded me as I struggled to remember what he had been saying.
We had been talking for hours and he was so easy to talk to that it had seemed like no time at all.
“You didn’t hear a word of that did you?” His eyes shone as he looked right back at me. “What was you thinking about?”
I blushed, my eyes dropping to my lap.
What had I been thinking about? Nothing I could actually tell him, that was for sure.
“Jade?”
Slowly I raised my eyes back to him, lingering on his lips. At the pronounced Cupid’s bow and pouty bottom lip.
I had been thinking I had never seen a more kissable pair of lips in my life. Which was all sorts of strange. I didn’t have those kind of thoughts about men.
His tongue swiped out, wetting that kissable bottom lip and the image of sucking it into my mouth flooded my brain.
I squeezed my thighs together and his eyes darkened.
“Oh.” I scrambled to form words as I climbed to my feet. Making a show of looking at my watch. “I didn’t realise the time, I should be going. I didn’t mean to take up so much of your…. Oh.” I froze as his hand wrapped around my wrist.
His touch was warm and dry but it felt like a thousand bolts of electricity went though my body. “Don’t go.” His words were soft. “Not now you are here. I don’t want you to go.”
“I am sure you have other things to do.” I tried to smile at him and failed. “I’ll be in touch with you about your sculpture.” I had all the details of what he wanted. And I was excited to get started.
“Let me take you out…” his words were rushed but I barely heard them. He was so close. Too close.
It was almost like I couldn’t breath.
“Why would you do that?”
“So we can discuss art some more?” His face lowered. “I didn’t ever think you would be so interesting Jade. I knew you would be beautiful but you are so much more than that to me now I’ve met you.” One large hand moved to push a wayward stand of hair behind my ear, fingertips brushing against my cheek.
And all I could do was gaze up at him. Into those copper eyes.
“I’ve waited for some long,” He seemed to be talking to himself. “I don’t think I can let you go now.”
I stepped away. He was crazy. Not let me go?
That was all sorts of stalkerish.
Not that it was surprising. I always did have a thing for the damaged ones.
“You are a very strange man Bristol and I am leaving.” I softened my words with a smile. “But I’ll be in touch about the sculpture.”
“You’re attracted to me. I can smell it.”
He could smell it? How exactly could he smell my attraction.
Bristol just might be the craziest man I had ever met.
“And on that crazy note, I am going.”
Why were the hot ones always nuts?
“No.” His voice came our tortured , as his hand came down hard against the door I had tried to open. And I squeaked in shock.
“Mr… Bristol….” I turned in the cage of his arms and for a second we just stared at each other.
I wanted to kiss him.
He was certifiable crazy and I wanted to kiss him.
Which made me crazier.
I just couldn’t help myself, it was like I was under some sort of spell. The longer I spent with him the deeper I seemed to fall.
“I need to leave…”
“I know but I want you to stay…” His face dipped and my heart sped up. “I can’t protect you if you leave Jade.”
“I don’t need protecting Bristol.” I laughed. “I am a big girl.”
“You are beautiful, and you are mine.” His lips hovered over mine for a second and then he stepped away. “Mine.” He slammed his open palm against his chest.
I slid out the door, not looking back as I rushed towards the bank of elevators. And away from the most insane man I had ever met.
What was his deal?
There could be no way I could work for him now.
Absolutely no way.
Bristol was an absolute head case.
- Writer
