Page 45 of Electric Blue Love
Voices drew my attention to the dining area where I could just make out the outlines of people through a large picture window. Leika moved in that direction, Jeff on her heels, and I followed behind them out to a patio like a third wheel, my heart stammering the entire way.
It was larger than I expected, spanning the width of the apartment and several feet deep. String lights hung all around, which surprised me that he’d paid attention to such a detail. There had to have been at least fifteen people already outside, but I found Court immediately. Neither of us moved – just stared. Me taking in the way he leaned casually against the railing, beer in hand. My gaze was drawn to the open collar of his button-down shirt and his tan forearms that were on display thanks to the rolled-up sleeves. He was perfection. Sophisticated elegance even holding a beer bottle.
The air sizzled between us.
Electric potential.
Voltage.
Current.
My feet moved on their own accord and once I’d started walking, Court straightened and met me half way. There was no smile. His face was serious. Hard even.
“Bianca.” My name came out in a harsh greeting, but if his eyes could welcome me they’d not only smiled but wrapped me in a hug and kissed me on both cheeks. He scanned me from head to toe, not in a creepy way, but in acknowledgement that I’d put effort into the way I looked, and he appreciated it. He was recognizing that I did this forhim. There was no Todd tonight.
“Hi.”
He leaned down and wrapped an arm around my waist in a half hug. The movement brought his lips to the top of my head and the heat that hummed off his body pulled at me to sway into his touch.
“You look beautiful. Too beautiful. I’m not letting you out of my sight tonight,” he whispered. He dropped a kiss so quick and light to my temple that I couldn’t be sure I didn’t imagine it before he pulled me around the patio, introducing me as we came to groups of people.
Everyone was beyond nice and there was no awkward talk about who I was and how Court met me. My fears about coming here and meeting his friends were completely unwarranted. No one cared that I was twenty-two or still in college. No one even asked.
More surprising was the people Court associated with were so… normal. Somehow, I’d expected to walk out into a group of tense middle-aged men and women who were too mature to associate with someone like me. Court had never made me feel that way, so I knew it was my own insecurities, but these people were so much like my own friends that I felt at ease.
And Court… he was the most surprising. While he’d always been closed off when it came to personal details about his life, he’d always been affectionate and charismatic toward me. With the people he’d invited to his home, his friends, he was more of a fixture than a contributor to their conversations. I always pictured him as being this dominant force in every circle, but it was clear when seeing him surrounded by friends that I’d projected how I saw him as a personality instead of who he was to me.
“Your friends are nice,” I said once we’d found ourselves alone in conversation. The party was in full swing and the laughter and loud conversation filled the night around us.
He nodded and looked over me to the people on his patio. There was a sort of a sad, removed glint to his gaze and I worried for a moment that he resented my being here and keeping him from his friends.
“If I’m honest, these are mostly Leika’s friends. Don’t get me wrong, they’re great, but outside of my buddies from college and Leika I don’t have a lot of friends.”
My face must have shown my sadness at his words because he grinned as he said, “Don’t go feeling all sorry for me now, 8B.”
“You don’t want friends?”
As if he could read the hidden meaning behind my question, he dipped his head closer to mine. “You want to be my friend, Bianca?”
The zap that blasted through my body screamed no, but my brain was sold on being whatever I could to Court. Being near him set my body on fire and I could no more deny myself that than I could cut off my own air supply.
Court had become important. Vital.
And I thought I was important to him, too. Although, I still didn’t know why. Why did he let me in when he guarded his life and his affection so closely?
“Yes,” I muttered and the look in his eye darkened as if I’ve told him I wanted to be more than friends. I wanted to be everything.
Maybe that was exactly what I’d done. He always seemed to know the things I couldn’t bring myself to say.
“Come on, let me show you the apartment.”
Court took my hand and led me back into his apartment. He didn’t stop when we got into the main living area, but instead took me through a door off the living room and we stepped into darkness. I felt the air change around us as I stared up at his shadow.
“Rule number, whatever number we’re on, don’t follow men into dark rooms unless you’re prepared to get kissed.”
And then his lips crashed to mine. I opened my mouth to let him deepen the kiss and his tongue swept in, warm and soft. His hands found my waist as he guided me closer. Not flush against him, but close enough that I knew if I so much as leaned forward, I’d be met with his hard body. I didn’t lean in though. I’d frozen – no, not frozen. I’d becomegroundedto the spot.
Court had kissed me before, a soft brush of his lips on my temple or cheek to say goodbye. They’d always left me feeling shaky and weak kneed – a little pathetic, even, because having that reaction from such a kiss had felt ridiculous.
