Combust (The Wellingtons #1) (25 page)

“Wow. You’re kidding,” I respond, and she shakes her head. “Great. Now the pressure’s on. You certainly don’t make it easy on a guy, do you?”

As she scoots closer to me, our thighs press up against each other, and she leans in until her lips hover just above my ear. My leg’s bouncing up and down, and she brings her hand down to rest on it, stilling my movements.

“I don’t think you have anything to worry about. With you, everything’s always been relatively easy—including me.”

Apparently, she has no idea the effect she has on me, because right now, things are very, very hard. And the longer she touches me, the longer she whispers in my ear, the longer she looks at me as if she wants me to take her right here, the harder it’s going to be.

I place my hand on top of hers then slip it underneath so I can entwine our fingers. When I turn my head, she’s still right there and our lips almost brush. With one glance down, I can see her chest heaving as she breathes heavily, anticipating my kiss. My other hand comes up and rests on the back of her head, and I pull her in, closing the space between us.

When my lips connect with her this time, gentle is the last thing on my mind. With increasing pressure, I kiss her the way I’ve been thinking about doing all day, not wasting anytime to press my tongue against her lips, forcing them open. She’s quick to dart her own tongue out, and it mingles with mine. I drink her in like a dehydrated man who won’t be satisfied until he gets to the very last drop while simultaneously praying that it’s a never-ending well.

Our tongues clash in a dueling fashion, each one of us trying to dominate the other as years of want explode into fiery need. My hand falls away from the back of her head and slides down until my thumb is gently rubbing the outer curve of her breast. A small whimper escapes her lips, and the sound takes me back to the night I pleasured her to brink of orgasm with my mouth.

As much as I want to take this further, I know I need to stop. Moving my hand down to her waist, I reluctantly withdraw from her, pulling back ever so slightly so I can look at her. Her eyes are dancing with desire, her cheeks pink with a sexy blush.

“Wow,” she whispers, bringing her small hand to her lips. I can’t help the grin that forms on my face as I take her hand and press a kiss against her fingertips.

“Yeah. Wow,” I echo as I reach down to adjust my pants. I’m thankful for the booth that’s covering what is now a monstrous erection.

Andi looks down, and her eyes widen when she sees my issue. “Wow again,” she says with a sexy giggle.

“Wow indeed. That was hot! You two just increased the temperature in here by a least twenty degrees. I need a shot and a cigarette after watching that.”

Andi turns towards the new arrival and groans. A familiar-looking woman is standing here with a goofy-ass grin on her face as she looks back and forth between Andi and me.

“Cohen, this nosy and intruding person is my roommate and best friend, Reese. Reese, this is Cohen, my date.”

Ah, that’s why she looks familiar. I remember her from the coffee shop and seeing her around campus occasionally. I have no idea if she remembers me, so I hold my hand out and she shakes it. “Nice to meet you, Reese.”

She gives me a scrutinizing look and then her eyes widen. “Cohen, as in mixtape Cohen?”

“Guilty as charged. And hey, I’m a couple of years late, but thanks for the delivery,” I tell her.

“Wow. You’ve certainly…grown up,” she says, her eyes raking over my body. She looks at Andi and mouths, “He’s hot!”

Andi shakes her head and gives me an apologetic look—as if someone saying I’m hot would be a bad thing. “Reese, he can read your lips.”

Reese looks back at me, a huge smile on her face. “You know, I thought you looked familiar the other night when you were licking Andi and looking like you wanted to clear off the bar and have your dirty way with her, but I never would’ve placed you. Damn, I wish I had time to stick around so I could hear how you two met up again, but I have a bar to run.” She looks at Andi pointedly. “I expect full details when I get home from work tonight. Or when you get home in the morning.” With that, she flounces off with a snicker.

Andi rests her hand in her forehead, groaning. She peeks up at me. “Are you ready to hightail it out of here? I have got to get new friends. Mine are annoying.”

After placing my arm around her, I pull her into me and lean down to give her a kiss on the cheek. “The only way I’ll run for the hills is if I’m chasing you. And I’m pretty damn fast, so I’d advise against doing that.”

She twists her head to look up at me. “You know, to some girls, that’d be really creepy. Almost stalkery.”

“Is that so?”

“Oh, yeah. Definitely. Fortunately for you, the only way I’m running is with the sole intent of you catching me.”

“Don’t worry, Ruby. I’ll always catch you.”

Her eyes turn serious as she gazes into mine. “Even if I fall?” It’s almost a whisper, but I know I hear perfectly.

Leaning down, I brush my lips against hers. “Especially then.”

SLOW DOWN, Andi, before you freak him the hell out.

Cohen’s kiss has left me breathless and aching for him. It’s also creating a whirlwind of emotion swirling in both my heart and my brain, causing a disconnect between the two. Instead of my brain speaking, my heart is, and I can’t stop myself from saying too much. And when he responds with those two sweet words, I melt into him even further.

Fortunately, before I can say anything else, the band enters the stage and they introduce themselves. As they begin to play, I curl into Cohen’s chest, his arm still draped around my shoulder. His fingers beat on my arm in time to the music as we listen to both covers and originals songs.

Since Cohen and I spent the entire day talking, it’s actually a nice reprieve to just be sitting here with him in silence as we soak in the sounds of a new-to-us band. Every so often, a lyric or an interlude will strike me and I’ll glance at him, only to see that he’s already watching me, almost as if he can read my mind. This is what I’ve been missing. This is what I’ve wanted. To be with someone with whom conversation doesn’t have to be words spoken between us. Instead, we listen to lyrics and chords, communicating with our eyes when something touches us.

This is why Cohen is—and always has been—different. This is why no one has ever measured up to him—or at least the thought of him. And this is why I’m already teetering over the edge, knowing that, with one small push, I’m going to be doing just what I said. Falling. And even though he said that he’d catch me, I know it’s all too soon to even think about that.

Get a grip, Andi. It’s your first date for crying out loud.

As the night wears on, I know I’m in trouble. When the lead vocalist, who introduced himself earlier as Chris, announces the final song of the night, I rest my head against Cohen’s chest. He slips his arm from around my shoulder down to my waist and pulls me in as close as he can. The rest of the band leaves the stage and Chris sits down at a piano in the middle of the stage. He begins to play a slow, haunting melody, his voice soon blending perfectly with the sounds of the keys. His crooning is husky, his voice full of emotion as he sings about falling for someone special in his life, yet he has no idea how or if he should express it to her. The longing is apparent, so vivid I can almost see it, and I have to wonder if this song was written for someone special in his life.

As I listen to the lyrics, I blame my hormones when hot tears prick my eyes, even though I know better. I close my eyes so they don’t fall and make Cohen think I’m a lunatic. The bar is utterly silent as he sings the last line, and I risk opening my eyes to see Chris sitting at the piano, looking out at the crowd.

“Being friend-zoned sucks ass,” Chris says into the mic, breaking the silence and causing both laughter and applause to erupt from the crowd. “Thanks, everyone, for coming out! We’re Second Star to the Right. You can check us out on Facebook and YouTube, and we hope you come see us again one day.”

“Well, what’d you think?” Cohen asks me, interrupting the emotional torment going through me right now.

Looking up at him, I give me a small smile, hoping that my eyes aren’t shining. “They were amazing. From the rock songs, to the country tunes, to the stripped-down, bare-your-soul ballads, I loved every single second of the show. I’m going to have to write an article up on them for the paper. Thank you so much for bringing me.”

A triumphant smile crosses his lips. “That’s a great idea. In fact, I’ll be right back.”

Cohen scoots out of the booth and makes his way towards the side of the stage where the band is talking to new fans. He waits patiently until he gets Chris’s attention. They speak for a few moments and then both head over to the booth.

“Chris, this is my girl, Andi. Andi, this is Chris. He tried to date my brother’s girlfriend.”

My eyes widen as I remember the last song. “That song wasn’t…”

Chris laughs and shakes his head. “First of all, we went on one date and it was before she was with Knox. Second of all, I wish I could claim that song, but it’s a cover of Chester See’s. I’m Falling For You.”

Reaching into my purse, I pull out a small steno pad. “I’m not familiar with him. Chester See?” I ask for confirmation and write it down when he nods.

“He’s one of those ridiculously good YouTube sensations who should be all over the radio but sadly isn’t. So, Cohen here says you want to write an article and thought I could help.”

I give Cohen a grateful look as Chris takes a seat and we start talking shop. I have no idea how long we chat, but I get lost in the conversation, more than excited about the prospects of featuring a new-to-Knoxville band. According to Chris, they’ve never played outside of Tennessee, and the opportunity to be able to promote them to a huge college crowd could be extremely beneficial to them. Eventually, the rest of the band comes over, and I take notes as they each tell me a little about themselves. When we finally wrap everything up, I see Cohen at the bar talking to Reese, and I’m filled with both regret for spending so much time with the band and dread because who knows what the hell she’s telling him.

After thanking Chris one last time, I promise to send them a copy of the article when it comes out and then excuse myself. As I get closer to the bar, I hear Reese begging Cohen to tell her the story of how we met. He tells her that it’s my story to tell and, if she’s lucky, maybe I’ll tell her tomorrow morning. I slip my arm around his waist and give Reese a knowing look before turning to Cohen.

“Ready to get out of here?”

“Thanks for keeping me company, Reese. I’m sure I’ll see you around,” Cohen tells her before throwing a few bills on the bar.

“Oh, I’m sure you will. You two kids have fun. Don’t stay out past curfew, Andi,” she teases, and I just roll my eyes at her.

Cohen leans down and kisses my cheek. “Let me go say bye to Chris and then we’ll head out, okay?”

I nod and watch as he crosses the bar.

“Andi Kane, you may be off the hook tonight, but come tomorrow, you’re telling me every single detail. I’ve never seen you lock lips so passionately in public. Not to mention you were mooning over him the whole night. You looked like I did when I was sixteen years old and Cy was sitting in front of me in study hall.”

I don’t take my eyes off him, but I scoff at her words. “I was not. I was just enjoying the music,” I protest even though I know she’s right.

“Right, and if Cy walked in and popped the question right now, I’d tell him no.” At that, I look at her, gaping. “Uh huh. See? That got your attention. Wow, girl. You’ve got it bad for that guy, don’t you?”

Wringing my hands together, I look at him and then back at her. She’s my best friend and can read me better than anyone, so lying to her is no use. “It’s crazy. It’s our first date and I’m… I don’t know how I’m feeling. I just know it’s unnatural to be so into someone so soon.”

Reese gives me a sympathetic look. “Oh, sweetie. I’m just happy you’re finally feeling something for someone. You’ve been single for far too long, and if he makes you feel, then that’s all that matters. Don’t fight it. Think about you and Teddy. You knew almost immediately there was nothing there. It was just like that with Luke. And then with David. It’s like your brain was hardwired to click yes or no after the first date or two. Even after the first date, I can tell Cohen’s already gotten more under your skin than any other man has. It’s not like you’re declaring your undying love for the guy. You’re just feeling something, and it’s scary and new. Just go with it. Don’t get all in your head, trying to analyze things.”