Chapter Seven: Wyatt

I was as nervous as a high school virgin out on his first date. What the fuck was wrong with me?

I looked in the mirror hanging on the wall for the umpteenth time, smoothing my hair down and looking for imaginary creases in my clothes.

I turned away, making an impatient sound at my lovesick behavior.

It was fucking ridiculous how hung up I was on this woman.

Even now there was an uncomfortable snugness in my jeans just thinking about her. My attraction to Hailey was undeniable from the moment we sat in that lab almost eight years ago. It grew with every day we spent together and blossomed into heated desire when we started dating. Now though…

Now was a whole other ballgame.

The desire I felt for Hailey back then felt like firecrackers compared to the fireworks I felt now.

Hailey was all grown up. She had always had a curvy figure but the way she filled out her clothing now damn near left me panting.

It was puzzling how strongly I felt for her now. My feelings for her before seemed soft and innocent compared to the basic rawness of them now.

I wanted between her thighs and my brain was clouded by thoughts of how I could get here.

I couldn’t claim that my offer to be study buddies was completely innocent. Yes, I would love to have her as an academic partner again but plain and simple, I needed to be close to her as often as possible and this was the perfect excuse.

I moved over to where I had my laptop, textbooks, and notebook set up at the kitchen table.

After rearranging the tools on the surface yet again before I began to pace the hardwood floors. I threw a look at the clock on the oven.

It read six forty-three.

Seventeen minutes until our scheduled study date.

The anticipation and nerves drove me to the refrigerator and I grabbed a bottle of beer.

I acted confident but I felt anything but. I was so far out of my element it was almost laughable. The feelings Hailey stirred in me left me unsettled and I had no idea what to make of them.

Hailey’s knock on the door, announced her arrival a few minutes later.

I put my half-finished bottle on the kitchen counter and made my way across the space. I wiped sweaty palms down my jean covered thighs and took a look around to make sure everything was tidy.

Of course it was.

I had never been a messy person but being in the military had drilled being tidy into my bones. I had only just moved into my apartment and so only the essentials were here. The space was open concept. The kitchen and living room were separated by a small table.

The kitchen carried all the essentials for cooking but I barely used them. The living room carried a two piece set, a center table and a huge television mounted on the wall. A hallway led to the only bathroom and bedroom.

I hurried to open the door when she knocked again.

I opened the door and promptly lost my breath.

Fuck. She was smoking hot.

She was dressed in a sleeveless top and plain dark blue skirt that skimmed her knees. Her feet were encased in a pair of sandals to reveal her toes, which were painted a light pink color. Her book bag hung off her right shoulder.

Without trying, she was easily the most gorgeous woman I had ever met.

She looked at me with those shy eyes framed by widened lenses. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun, but a few strands had broken free of the confines to fall over her grey-blue orbs.

She pushed them back impatiently, the movement automatic.

The fact that she seemed completely unaware of how sexy she was just made her more appealing,

“Hey.”

Her breathy greeting pulled me out of the spell I was under.

“Can I come in?” she asked as I continued to stare at her.

“Of course. Where are my manners? I’m so sorry.”

I moved aside so she could come in. Her light floral scent made my dick try to pop out of my pants.

I closed the door, then we were completely alone together.

She made it to the center of the living room, looked around briefly, then turned back to me.

I cleared my throat and tried to act normal, turning slightly so that she didn’t notice the hardened state of my body. Thankfully I was wearing a shirt that fell over the unruly organ that was overpowering my brain.

“I hope you didn’t eat yet. I ordered dinner. It should be here in about an hour so I was thinking we could get some studying done then chow down,” I said.

“Okay,” she replied.

A moment of silence stretched out between us after. We looked at each other.

I cleared my throat again. I wracked my brain trying to come up with a suave line but all I came up with then was, “Okay. Let’s get started, shall we?”

She nodded and followed me to the table.

We got to work and it was all very innocent as we bounced questions and answers off each other.

I was even able to simmer my attraction down enough so that I could concentrate ad retain most of the information we went over. Hailey was in her element, repeatedly pushing her glasses up her nose and pushing her hair out of her face as her forehead frowned slightly in concentration.

Controlling my desire for her was one of the hardest things I had ever done.

Dinner arrived and we took a break.

We had moved our books to the side and dinner was set up. I had ordered from one of my favorite restaurants across town. The food smelled delicious, a meat and potatoes deal that tasted as good as it looked. The dinner came with a bottle of red wine and we indulged in a glass even though Hailey had said, “I don’t think we should.”

“Come on. Just one glass.”

The stiffness between us had slowly melted away and the conversation between us flowed smoothly. Our plates were almost empty and the wine glasses were in the same condition. We were both on our second glass.

Hailey lifted her glass to her lips for another sip then commented, “This is really good.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

“So,” she said stretching the word. “This suddenly seems more like a date than a study session. I’m thinking you tricked me, Mr. Murphy.”

She didn’t sound mad about the possible trickery but I thought her relaxed attitude had a lot to do with the wine. She wouldn’t feel the same if she was clearheaded. She would be back to the girl on the hike, pissed and cold.

She took another sip and her drop of liquid glistened off her lower lips before she licked it off.

I wanted to lean forward and taste those lips.

I followed suit and brought my glass to my lips, trying to control the impulse. I wasn’t drunk in that moment but neither was I fully sober.

My eyes dropped to the fullness of her lips and she noticed, if the way her nostrils flared and her eyes darkened were any indication.

“And would it bother you if this was in fact a date?’ I asked, subtly moving closer to her. We were sitting on the same side of the table and we had already drifted far closer than when we studied.

“I am pretty sure it is the wine talking but I am completely okay with it. Although if I had known earlier, I would have worn something a little more fitting for the occasion,” she said, playing with her lock of her that had fallen over her shoulder.

She was flirting with me and I loved it. Hailey was very reserved but once she came out of her shell, it was a sight to behold.

I very much doubted her words though. She had been so harsh on the hike, but now I realized maybe that was all a show for her younger brother. And if it was, then I was a lucky man.

Another sip of wine. Then she continued, “So now that you have wined and dined me, what’s next?”

I leaned closer still until her lips were only a few centimeters from mine. I inhaled her every exhale and she did the same for me.

“That is entirely up to you,” I said, my tone lowering. Becoming more intimate.

She sighed, pulling away slightly. “You’re bad for me Wyatt. Trouble.”

“Always have been, I’ve never denied that.”

“We were just supposed to study.”

“Then we will,” I agreed.

Her lips tilted up in one corner. “Are you telling me you have no ideas on what you would like to happen next? Besides study I mean.”

My lips curved too although I felt absolute predatory in that moment,

“Oh I had quite a few knocking around my noggin,” I answered suggestively. “But I believe in letting a lady go first. In everything. You remember, right?”

Her cheeks became pink and I knew she remembered how I liked to make her come first at least once before I took my pleasure when we screwed around in the past.

“I remember. Good policy,” she agreed.

There was hardly any space left between our lips now. Just the slightest move forward on either of our parts and our lips would be locked.

I was about to make that move when a noise had us both jerking our heads around to see what caused it.

A pen and notebook had fallen to the ground, pushed over by the dishes crowding the tabletop.

The loud clatter effectively broke the spell.

Hailey jerked away from me, the light in her eyes suddenly very much sober.

“Fuck, what am I doing?” I heard her whisper to herself.

She stood quickly and moved around the table to start gathering her books.

I followed close on her heels.

“I should leave. It’s getting late and- oomph”

I didn’t want her to leave.

Understatement of the century if there ever was one.

No, I needed her to stay.

I only meant to delay her parting with words.

Even without things getting physical, this little flirtation we shared in the last few minutes was a far better than the tenseness that existed between us since we reconnected. I didn’t want things to revert back to that uneasiness.

So I kissed her.

She froze then so did I, expecting a slap to the face.

But she didn’t slap me. Thank God.