Chapter Nine
Alfie
Albert’s Pub was busy even on a Tuesday night. It was the one pub in Devon that had frequent customers at all times. There was never an off day for the pub because of the excellent drinks and food mixed with the cozy atmosphere. The sultry jazz music in the background didn’t hurt anything either.
It was Albert who greeted Molly and I the second I led her inside. The floorboards trembled slightly as the older, jovial man approached to grasp my hand in a friendly shake.
“Good to see you, Alfie,” he said, grinning. “I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to leave that gated house of yours.”
“It’s work that’s been trapping me behind closed doors,” I replied, returning the friendly grin. “Someone has to deliver those phone plans and working phones to you here.”
“That you do! And mine works perfectly.” He beamed happily before his gaze landed on Molly, who was standing a bit timidly behind us, watching our exchange curiously. “Who is this pretty little lady here? Are you just going to let her stand her and steal our hearts without telling us her name?”
I ignored the knowing twinkle in Albert’s sage-colored eyes. “This is Molly. She’s—” I stopped for a second to catch Molly’s eyes, “—a friend of mine from the States. She’s here visiting Devon.”
“I hope you like it here,” Albert said, catching Molly’s hand in a quick grasp. “Excuse me, you two. I have some business to attend to behind the bar. Drinks are on me, Alfie. No arguments about that.”
“If you insist,” I said before rolling my eyes over to Molly. “He’s too good to me. He always has been.”
We found a small table that overlooked the streets. I pulled out Molly’s chair to help her sit down before taking a seat across from her. While Molly took in her surroundings with earnest curiosity, I caught sight of a busty blonde sitting at the bar. The pit of my stomach churned when I recognizedas she regarded Molly with a mixture curiosity and contempt.
Of all the nights I come into town, she has to be here.
Thankfully, a gentleman beside her laid a hand on her arm, regaining her attention. I focused back on Molly as she glanced down at the menu of drinks. If Harry’s ex-girlfriend wanted to blab back to him about seeing me and Molly, there was nothing that I could do to stop it. I had no problems facing Harry after spending the past few days in Molly’s company. He was a damn fool for letting a woman like this step out of his life.
“The food here is amazing,” I said over the music and chatter. “You have to have something to drink too.”
“It’s all so much,” Molly said, looking up at me with a shy smile. “You pick. I don’t have the slightest idea what I want.”
I nodded. “All right then.”
I waited for Albert to swing by our table before placing our food and drink orders. A few residents of Devon stopped by our table to talk happily through the next hour. It wasn’t until a few drinks later that I was able to finally face Molly with an apologetic smile.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “Everyone is family here. I usually don’t get to sit and talk with anyone because of my work schedule.”
“Don’t apologize.” She licked at the side of her mouth where a little bit of ketchup remained. “I like it.”
I could tell she was feeling the warmth provided by the liquor. Her shoulders were relaxed, her smile less shy. Fuck me; she was beautiful. Gorgeous even.
“Well, good. I’m not sure it’s going to stop.” I pulled my napkin from my lap and reached over, wiping the ketchup she missed from her mouth.
The sensual gasp that left her had my cock waking up. When was the last time I made love to a woman? It had been far too long. And the next one I wanted sat right in front of me.
She gripped my wrist, and her smile turned a little naughty. “I wanna play darts.”
“Darts?” I laughed loudly. “You’re drunk as a skunk. There’s no way I’m letting you handle a dart.”
“I’m pretty good with pointed things.” She shrugged innocently and picked up her beer.
I just watched her in full curiosity. Something told me that a wild man like Harry had been quite taken with her in the bedroom. I was a little more ballsy than he, but it was a part of myself I was trying to leave back in my younger years.
Something about her made me want to let loose all over again though.
“You want some dessert?” I needed to change the subject before I dropped my morals and pulled her into my lap. Her cheeks were flushed, and I couldn’t tell if it were the alcohol or her subtle flirting. It most likely was a bit of both.
Or it was the naughty thoughts running through her head. I’d seen her watching me earlier when the food arrived, and the need in her eyes stained my soul. There was no way around the feelings building inside of me.
Right, wrong, or indifferent, she was going to be mine. But only if she wanted to.
“No. I’m so full.” She leaned back and in her chair and let out what sounded like a contented sigh. “This was exactly what I needed. A day of shopping, a great dinner, and a handsome man to help tote my bags.”
“Handsome?” I lifted my eyebrow and picked up my beer, watching her over the rim of it before I took a long drink.
“Oh, yeah.” She glanced around and leaned in as if she were about to dish out the truth to a secret she’d been holding in. Her voice was nothing more than a whisper. “So, you might not know this, but every woman in this bar has checked you out twice.”
I leaned closer, loving how alive and full of life she was. “I do believe, my dear, that they’re all looking at you.”
Her laugh was contagious. She clapped a few times as her eyes filled with tears. “Oh, that’s funny. Peyton keeps telling me that men are pigs and I should think about getting with a lady.”
“I’m going to have to ask you to excuse me for being less than a gentleman.”
Her eyes widened, and her expression faded as confusion seemed to set in. “Oh. What do you mean?”
“If you’re going to get with another lady, well, I’m going to have to watch.” I shrugged, took another drink of my beer, and smiled like a tomcat. “You don’t mind, right? I just want to make sure you do things right. It’s in your best interest.”
Her smile widened her pretty face again as she reached out and swatted at me. “Oh. Shit. I thought I had offended you.”
“Never.” I got up and reached for her, helping her off her stool. “Come now. Let’s get you home before you piss off all of the men in the pub.”
“By being your date?” She smiled up at me and slid her hand around the back of my waist.
I mostly held her as we walked toward the door. “No, pretty girl. By stealing their women.”
She laughed loudly again and curled up beside me, letting me guide her to the front. “Oh, I love it. I didn’t even think of that.”
Albert held the door for us and offered me a cheeky smile. “Take care of the woman, eh? And bring her back, for God sakes. She brightens up the place.”
I nodded. “I would agree, old friend.” I glanced down to Molly and smirked, the poor girl too drunk to stand up. “Molly, say goodnight.”
She sighed and glanced up at Albert dreamily. “Goodnight.”
“Night, lass. Enjoy your evening with this guy.” He reached out and patted my chest. “He’s the best of the best.”
She turned her chin up and nodded lazily. “I agree, and he’s so fucking dreamy, right?”
I shared a chuckle with Albert before gripping Molly around the waist and helping her down the street.
“You doing okay?” I held onto her tightly as she sang something under her breath. Her singing voice, though slurred a little, was actually quite good. I found myself listening closely, trying to discern what song that she was hung up on.
“Yeah. I had a lot of fun today.” She gripped my side tightly as she pressed her cheek against my chest.
The position made it a little hard to walk together down the street, but I wasn’t bringing her attention to the intimacy of it. It felt too fucking good to possibly wake her up and have her pull away from me.
“I had fun too. You enjoyed the fish and chips?” I leaned down and breathed in deeply, staining my lungs with the sweet smell of her shampoo. Every part of me wanted to experience her. It was so far beyond wrong, yet I didn’t care.
I wanted to touch her soft skin and hear her moan my name. She’d shake and twitch as I rested between her taut thighs and spread her sweet lips open enough to taste her. My balls contracted tightly, and I groaned.
She stopped midsentence and moved back, surprising me a little. The curious look on her face was enough to capture a part of my heart. I needed to behave. This sweet woman had been through too damn much to have an asshole like me thinking about stripping her naked and fucking her senseless.
“Are you okay?” She reached out and pressed her hands to the front of my chest as I stood there, stone still with her bags in one of my hands.
“Oh, yeah. Why?” I reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“You groaned or something.” Her eyes moved downward, as did her hands.
I held my breath as she curled her fingers into claws and scratched softly over my stomach. Another groan left me, and her eyes darted back up to mine.
“That feels good.” I slid my fingers into her hair, holding the side of her neck with my free hand. “Be careful, Molly. I’ve had a little too much to drink to have you teasing me.”
“Like this?” She stepped closer and cupped my cock, squeezing softly as my eyes fluttered closed.
I used my grip on her to pull her closer and leaned down, opening my eyes, but stopping just before my lips touched hers. My dick was pulsing against her hands, thick and hard, as it should be. “Yeah. Like that.”
She blinked a few times as if she were coming to. “Oh. Shit.” She moved back. “Alfie, I’m sorry. It’s the liquor.”
I winked at her and reached for her hand, pulling her close to my side as I turned and walked up toward the house. “There’s nothing to apologize about. I enjoy your playful side.”
“I know, but I shouldn’t have.” She was out of breath, which was such a fucking turn on.
“Hush. I like you touching me. No matter where it leads to. We’re friends having fun. Period.”
“I like that.” She snuggled back up against me and hiccupped, the sound causing both of us to laugh. It was far more than just having her touch me that had me turned on. It was her. All of her. There was no fucking way I was backing down if she stepped up again. One more push from her side of the fence, and I was hopping over and taking her full force.
We made it to the house a few minutes later, and we laughed together over something funny she mumbled incoherently. I got the door open, and we walked into the darkness.
“Alfie?” She turned as I shut the door and reached for me.
“Yes, my lady?” I gripped her hips as my body lit on fire. Her expression was a little too sensual for me to ignore the lust pumping through my veins.
“Kiss me. Please?”
She didn’t have to ask me twice. I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers, reveling in the deep moan that left her. It would seem that I wasn’t the only one who hadn’t made love to someone else in a while.
Time to remedy that for us both.