Page 13 of Fighting Salvation

Ordering his usual, he made small talk with Bob before scanning the small space again. His eyes fell on a familiar dark head and he had no hope of stopping the smile which tinged his lips as his feet walked him across the pub to the corner where Val was bent over a book, deep in thought. Her lip was trapped between her teeth, her cheeks pink, and she had a look of excitement on her face.

“This chair taken?”

Warm brown, expressive eyes lifted to him and her cheeks got even pinker as he grinned at her. “Yes, of course.”

He watched her discreetly close the book, noticing the naked chest on the cover as she tucked it in her bag at her feet. Interestingly, she liked to read romance books.

“How come you didn’t go into town with the others?”

Val scrunched her nose in a way that made his body heat and electricity prickle over his skin.

“Not really my scene. I’d rather stay here have a nice quiet dinner and catch up on some reading.”

“Have you eaten?”

A blush stained her cheeks again as she shook her head. “I got engrossed in my book.”

Bás felt his lips twitch in a way that only seemed to happen around this woman. She was different from the others. He didn’t know how or why but she was. From the first meeting he’d been drawn to her, and every day since he’d found himself gravitating to her. “Would you like to join me or am I keeping you from your happy ever after?”

Her eyes widened before a grin creased her face, causing the dimple on her right cheek to make an appearance. His dick thickened behind his jeans as desire swam through his veins. Instead of ignoring it, he let it flow through him, wondering what it would be like if he was a normal man without the threats of the world at his feet.

“How do you know about happy ever afters and my books?”

Without thought, he leaned forward and tugged lightly on the silk of her hair that fell across her shoulder. Valentina’s breath hitched and electricity seemed to fill the air around them. Her pupils dilated and he could see the desire pool in her eyes and knew it mirrored his own.

“I know a lot of things, Valentina.”

“I’ll bet you do, Bás.” Her nose wrinkled again and she frowned. “Is that your real name?”

His heart beat wildly inside his chest at her question, every neuron coming alive at the question nobody bothered to ask anymore. Without thinking he shook his head. “No.”

He watched the pulse in her neck beat wildly, fighting the desire to place his lips over her smooth warm skin and taste her.

“Is it a secret?”

Pulling back, he took a sip of his pint to try and clear his thoughts but it did no good. She intoxicated him, and he felt a pull into her orbit. Having worked with her for months, he’d seen who she was, watched her with the team, and seen the beauty below the stunning façade the world admired. “Not a secret.”

He wrestled with why he didn’t want to say his name to her. Deep down he knew that if she called him Niall it would make things intimate in a way he couldn’t come back from. Hearing his name on her lips was something he wanted so badly he could taste it.

“I’m going to order. Do you want something?”

His shoulders relaxed as she changed the subject. Her innate sense of his mood should have frightened him more than it did, but he was just glad the tension had passed.

“I’m starving.” Grabbing a menu off the table, he scanned it before glancing at the specials board. “I’m going to have the mixed grill, what about you?”

“Same.” She moved to get up but he stilled her with a hand on her shoulder. A zing shot up his arm where they touched and he pulled back as if she burned him, hoping she wouldn’t notice but the way her spine stiffened he knew she did.

Walking to the bar he ordered for them both and grabbed more drinks, wondering why he was subjecting himself to this torture when he knew he couldn’t have what he wanted. Tucking his wallet back in his pocket, he picked up the drinks and walked back to the table.

“Thank you.”

She sipped her pale ale, the foam kissing her top lip before she swiped it away with her tongue. God, he needed to get laid if his dick’s reaction was any indication. The bastard was so hard it was as if he’d spent the last few minutes watching porn.

“So where are Monty and Scout tonight? It’s unusual to see you without them.”

“The little assholes rolled in fox shit. After spending two hours bathing them, I left them in a time-out.”

Bás chuckled at the disgust on her pretty face. “Ah, so no playtime for them.”