Freed by Him Page 8

  We sat together in the kitchen, drinking wine and chatting while we waited for our lift. We were just finishing the second bottle of wine. I’d need to slow down once we were out.

  When out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Maddie watching me. I turned to her as I lifted my glass to my mouth.

  She had a wicked grin on her face. "So your BOB wasn't relegated in place of PC hot-as-hell?"

  She smirked at me, and I spluttered, coughing and choking on my drink, making her laugh harder.

  She grabbed a cloth and threw it at me so I could pat myself dry.

  "You are so into him, Lee! Don't try telling me otherwise!" she scolded me, irritation marking her features. "Don't you dare!" She held a finger up, silencing me as I began to protest. "No, Lena Nicholls, I've known you a hell of a long time, and I know you've got guy issues but - holy hell, woman!" She looked at me, exasperated. "He is gorgeous; he is clearly into you, and for the first time in forever I can see that you've actually got interested in someone. I'm not telling you to marry the guy, I'm not even telling you to fuck him..." She paused, looking at me and grinning "Oh God now there’s a thought,” she cackled at me, as I cringed at her words. “No way, Lena … don’t look like that! I actually think you're surprised how much you want to! I’m just telling you to give the guy a chance … OK so I’m telling you to fuck him too, but we know you want to!"

  I felt my cheeks burn and looked down at my drink. Goddamn my blushes! I wasn't a shy or timid person so why the hell were my cheeks on fire?!

  "For God’s sake, Lena" She got up, sighing and walked over to me, wrapping her arms around me giving me a hug just as the car beeped outside.

  "Saved by the bell," I muttered. She pulled a face at me and we picked up our bags and left the house.

  We'd gone to straight to our usual cocktail bar before moving on to Milo’s. The bar was filling up, so we got two drinks each at the bar and pushed through the crowds to the seating area at the back, hoping to find a table.

  Maddie was ahead of me, and I could see her weaving towards someone. She reached the group before me and put her drinks down, hugging the girl closest to her. She turned waving at me to follow her.

  As I got closer to the table, my heart fell into my feet, nerves causing me to glance about frantically, but I couldn't see him anywhere.

  Maddie was oblivious to my discomfort, chatting away to the girl whom I recognised as being the girl Nate had said was his friend’s sister.

  She looked up and caught my eye, smiling at me.

  I walked over and placed my drinks down next to Maddie's, who beamed at me.

  "Lena this is Kelly, I work with her at the hospital."

  Kelly held her hand out to me smiling openly. "Hey, nice to meet you properly."

  Maddie looked between us confused. I turned to her explaining, "I saw Kelly the other night. She was with Nate, but we didn't get the chance to meet."

  Maddie nodded her head in understanding, a huge smile spreading over her face.

  Kelly invited us to join them at their table. We sat down and I looked around anxiously. Kelly caught my eye and grinned at me.

  "They are out tonight, Nate and my brother; they won't be here yet, though..."

  I felt my stomach flip but tried to look unbothered, "Really?" I asked, trying to feign indifference.

  I must be the world’s worst actress, because both Maddie and Kelly laughed, but I noticed that the girl next to Kelly was staring at me with outright hostility.

  I smiled at her but she continued to look at me with a mean expression on her face. I turned back, feeling uncomfortable, and listened to Maddie swooning over her and Christian and picked up my drink.

  The rest of the group around the table were friendly. I resolved to ignore the grumpy cow next to Kelly and enjoy myself; the more I drank the more relaxed I felt. I'd needed this night out more than I realised.

  I grabbed Maddie, as Bruno Mars’s 'Uptown funk' came on and dragged her up onto the dance floor with me. We stayed there for the next few songs, dancing, swaying and laughing together.

  We'd not had a proper night out together in nearly three months, thanks to work commitments, and this was exactly the tonic I needed. I was so glad that we’d been able to rearrange after cancelling the previous weekend.

  I felt like I was floating on a cloud of happiness and contentment as we walked arm in arm back to the table, giggling together.

  Maddie suddenly stopped and called out in a jokey sing-song voice, "Uh..oh..." I knew without looking at the table what she meant.

  Forget butterflies, my stomach was an eel pit! How the hell could this guy have such an impact on me?

  Lena

  I slowly turned my head to look at the table. He was sitting next to the miserable bitch who had been giving me dirty looks all night, but it wasn't looking particularly friendly. His jaw was set and he was shaking his head at her in apparent annoyance.

  As if he felt my gaze on him, he stopped talking and turned to look at me, meeting my eyes. The same slow lazy grin that I’d seen the other night, spread across his face and I started to feel myself melt. For the first time I understood what women meant when they said a guy made them swoon. I couldn’t even be sure that I hadn’t actually sighed out loud.

  I heard Maddie giggling next to me but couldn't look away from him.

  He suddenly whipped his head back round back to the girl he'd been speaking to. She'd placed her hand on his arm and looked to be speaking urgently to him, but the look he gave her was one of disdain as he jerked his arm out from under her hand and stood up abruptly from the table.

  He strode over to me purposefully, and I felt Maddie slip away and sit back in her seat. I just stood there, frozen to the spot.

  He came straight up to me and slipped his arm around my waist. Leaning in closely to speak into my ear, he asked me if I wanted a drink.

  This was the first time I'd felt his hands on me; they were strong and firm and sent a tingle straight through my body. It wasn’t an overly sexual gesture but I could already feel myself heating up from his touch; his breath against my neck practically had me panting.

  Jesus woman! Get a grip on yourself! I had no idea what the hell was going on here.

  There'd been other men, but nobody had ever affected me like this. I was going to be a puddle of need, want and desire within minutes if I couldn’t pull myself together.

  I needed to pull myself together.

  I confirmed that I'd like a drink but told him I was just going to nip to the bathroom. I caught Maddie’s eyes and mouthed to her where I was going so she wouldn't worry.

  I walked in and went straight into a cubicle. Sitting on the closed lid I took a few deep breaths, trying to give myself a pep talk.

  I heard Maddie outside the door and called that I'd just be a minute. She was waiting for me, leaning against the sinks, looking concerned, "What’s wrong?” I shook my head and smiled at her, but she wasn’t buying it. “Dammit, Lena. Why are you always so scared? What are you running from?" She sounded sad and was looking at me as if trying to see into my soul and what secrets I held there.

  I'm not!" I replied instinctively, but she wasn't going to be put off that easily.

  Ignoring the other women, she walked up to me, catching me by the arms so that I couldn't turn away from her.

  "Lee, I know you've been hurt before. I know you've never told me the whole story." I flinched at her words but she carried on regardless, "but you can't let one prick ruin your whole life, whatever it was that happened. I've seen you with guys and you’re never bothered. Nobody gets close. You'll let them in so far; you pretend to make the effort, but nobody ever gets through that giant fucking wall you've built around yourself! I'll be damned if, now that there's someone who’s actually making you feel something for a change, you’re gonna run away. This is the first time I’ve ever seen you flustered; this is the first time you’ve ever looked like you actually have any feelings, rather than just going through the mo
tions. Whatever is going on, give it a chance … live a little, have fun! Not everyone is going to hurt you. I’m not telling you to give him your heart, just give him a chance" She looked at me in frustration, her eyes betraying how upset she was.

  I reached out and gave her a hug, trying to control my reaction to her words, "I'm not running anywhere, I'll be straight out. Just give me a minute."

  I sat on the closed toilet lid, scrunched my eyes shut and psyched myself up, this was ridiculous, I was a grown woman in control of myself and my actions.

  I got my game face on and strutted across the bar back to the table. I was a strong independent woman. So what if he got me hot and bothered? I'd enjoy the rest of my night and get myself reacquainted with BOB once I got home, if need be. The thought made me chuckle to myself as I walked back towards the table.

  The vibrator had been a joke present from Maddie two years ago, except the joke backfired spectacularly on her.

  She had spent the last few Christmases celebrating with us at my parents’ house. We would all open our presents together as a family, but normally we would keep a funny one back to open with just me and her on Christmas night.

  In her haste she mixed up the presents she’d bought for me and had ended up giving what was meant to be our private present to me in front of my parents! The look of horror on her face had me, and thankfully my parents, in hysterics for the rest of Christmas Day whenever we looked at her. She still hadn't lived that down. It had definitely been my best present, though.

  I went to sit back in my seat next to Maddie, but Nate stood up and caught my hand, pulling me over towards him and sitting me down next to him.

  Maddie gave me a small smile and carried on chatting to a guy whom I presumed was Marcus.

  When there was a break in conversation, he turned to look at me. "Hey there Ninja Barbie how you doing?" He smiled at me and pulled a fake grimace. "Oops sorry, Nate here says you prefer Xena," he teased and I rolled my eyes at him.

  "Lena's fine." I held out my hand and he shook it firmly.

  Nate handed me my drink, and I smiled at him. Glancing across the table, I noticed that the grumpy girl he'd been arguing with earlier had left.

  I looked back at him but he was chatting with Marcus. They had an easy camaraderie, laughing and joking together.

  Maddie was texting on her phone. She turned to me, a huge smile lighting up her face, and I knew instantly what she was going to say. She looked at me and hesitated, so I put my hand up.

  "Go..." She looked taken aback, and I smiled at her. "Go and meet him, I'm guessing it was Christian who texted?" I questioned and she looked smug.

  "He was going to join us for one or two if that was OK?" Then she pulled a face. "I wasn't going to just up and leave you on our night out," before adding quietly, “even if you have had a better offer.”

  Christian joined us shortly afterwards, and introductions were made all round. Nate moved us onto a leather couch, and Christian and Maddie sat together in the seats we'd just vacated. Marcus had gone up onto the dance floor with his sister.

  Nate had thrown his arm over the back of the chair and was casually running his finger up and down the back of my neck and shoulder as we all chatted. I'm not even sure he was aware he was doing it, but my whole body was hypersensitive to his touch. Every trail of his finger seemed to leave my skin blazing. My stomach kept flipping over, and I was fighting hard to resist leaning into him and closing my eyes.

  I was incapable of joining in the conversation so I just sipped my drink, trying to concentrate on keeping my heart rate down and remembering to take breaths.

  Maddie had succumbed to the drink and temptation of Christian and was leaning back, snuggled into him. She looked happy and content and I was envious of her, of how easy she found it to just let go and relax.

  Her words from the bathroom and earlier in the night swirled around in my head, and I tipped my drink back. Realising I'd finished it, Maddie reached across, handing me hers which was almost full.

  I smiled gratefully at her and she blew me a kiss, cuddling back in with Christian, who put his arm protectively around her and kissed the top of her head.

  Envious, I threw the drink down, feeling my throat burn and announced that I was going to dance.

  Maddie looked up at me in confusion but I got up and walked away before anyone could speak or stop me.

  I got up onto the dance floor and spotted Kelly, so I went over and began dancing next to her. She grinned at me and we both lost ourselves to the music.

  I felt a body press into the back of me, hands circling around my waist as he began grinding himself into the back of me.

  I froze for a second before trying to move his arms and walk away. He wrapped his arms more tightly around me, and I tried to catch Kelly's eye, but she was facing the other way dancing with some other guy.

  I knew instinctively it wasn’t Nate. I looked down at the arms even though I didn't really need to. He smelled of alcohol and sweat.

  I tried to pull away, but he had my arms pressed to my sides. I called to him to let go, but he continued to push himself into the back of me, trying to make me sway with him. I didn't know if he couldn't hear me over the music or was just choosing to ignore me.

  My pulse was starting to race again, but I was trying to remain calm, as much from fear as temper. I knew I could get out of his hold if I wanted to, but I didn’t want to overreact and slam the guy into the ground just because he was dancing too closely with me. That would just be complete overkill. I couldn’t be losing it just because a guy was dancing with me.

  “I'm on a dance floor with people everywhere; nothing can happen.”

  I kept reminding myself as I tried again to pull away. I shouldn’t have drunk so much, I’d be able to keep my anxiety and temper under control better if I was sober.

  Suddenly I felt him move abruptly away from me before a loud growl heard easily over the music, "Back the fuck up, guy!"

  The relief I felt at hearing Nate’s voice was overwhelming. The guy shouted something in response but seemed to wither under the force of Nate’s glare, backing away with a scowl.

  Nate placed his hands on my shoulders steering me back towards the table. Despite the fact I was grateful, I turned to him indignant.

  "I'm capable of taking care of myself, you know!

  "Sweetheart, I've seen you in action so that's not up for debate, but no fucker is gonna put his hands on you like that when I'm around."

  I lifted my chin at him in defiance. "What's it gotta do with you?" I sounded like a petulant teenager, but he just grinned at me, his arrogance riling me up further.

  "We'll see."

  He pushed me back toward the table before addressing Christian and Maddie, "I'm gonna take her home."

  He indicated at me with a jerk of his head, and I exploded, my temper finally getting its release after the arsehole on the dancefloor.

  "Excuse me! I'm right here! I'll go home when I damn well please, not when you say, who the bloody hell do you think you are!"

  His grin didn’t slip as he rolled his eyes, infuriating me almost to the point of combustion.

  Maddie pulled herself upright into a sitting position trying to extricate herself from Christian’s grasp.

  "We're going now, too. C'mon, Lee, I'll come as well," Maddie tried to pacify me but Nate shook his head.

  "You guys stay, or go together. Whatever," he shrugged. "I'll take Lena."

  Maddie’s eyes flicked to me uncertainly as I looked at him, stunned, trying to think of a response more eloquent than “Fuck off!"

  Maddie started to speak, but Christian whispered in her ear just as Nate cut her off.

  "It's not a request. I'll have her text you." His playfulness from earlier had been replaced by a cool, confident authority.

  I gaped at him as he spoke to Maddie, turning back to me I met him with a face like thunder which caused a huge grin to break across his face again.

  I glanced at Maddie for
help, expecting her to be outraged at Nate's behaviour but she was smirking at me, looking somewhat impressed with him. Trust her to be taken in with his caveman behaviour.

  I felt like stamping my foot and shouting. This is not how I was used to being treated. This was not how I allowed myself to be treated. I was a grown woman of nearly 25, I did what I wanted when I wanted. I was practically running a company for God’s sake.

  As if sensing my newfound resolve, Nate cocked an eyebrow at me, a small smile playing on his lips as he leaned in. "Don't make me throw you over my shoulders, Princess. There are a number of ways you can make your exit, but you should know every one of them involves me." He winked at me looking relaxed, an arrogant smirk on his face.

  I scowled back but allowed him to lead me from the bar.

  The cold night air hit me, and I realised how unsteady on my feet I felt. He was beside me in an instant.

  "If I'd have known I'd be taking you home, I'd have brought a jacket," he said with a smile, as he gently rubbed my arms before wrapping his own around me in a warm embrace.

  I stood tucked inside his arms, my back pressed close to his chest while we waited for a taxi.

  "If I'd known you'd be taking me home, I'd have stayed in," I quipped back and he laughed, a deep rumbling sound that had me grinning back in spite of myself.

  "No, you wouldn't have." He grinned at me as he stepped forward. Throwing out his arm to grab the attention of a taxi, he opened the door, and I climbed in.

  He came and sat next to me, giving the driver what I presumed to be his address. He pulled me in close next to him, chuckling softly as I resisted for barely a second before reluctantly giving in and moving against his body.

  He threw his arm around me and draped it over my neck, lazily drawing circles on the top of my arm as he looked out of the window.

  My phone beeped, and I rummaged in my bag. It was a message from Maddie - four simple words, "Stop thinking, start living".

  Nate

  We were playing pool when I got a message from Kelly telling me, "That Ninja Barbie from the other night," was with her and her friends in our usual bar.