Ignite Me: Shards of Glass, Part One (11 page)

I had quite clearly been a threat to her. It didn't excuse how rude she'd been though. It made me wonder just how things had been worked out with other women. Maybe she had a crush on him. He was late twenties, so the age gap for her wasn't that big. I understood what she saw him in. He was powerful, rich, and somewhat overbearing, but it was something in his eyes and how he touched me that made me stay. I could only imagine what she might have experienced to have it all ripped away by a younger women. I'd hate me too, but I'd never act like she did. I didn't like the idea of her and him together like that though. It made me feel a little sick at the idea of him having sex with her. She was so stiff and prim I'd be surprised if she was ever any different in other situations. I sniggered to myself.

She glanced over at me giving me another dirty look so I flipped her the bird with my right hand and mouthed the words “fuck you bitch” then shoved my hands back into my pockets and stared intently across the road so if he looked around I'd look busy.

I didn't risk looking back until I heard him walk back over. His arm slipped around my back. “Please forgive me for that! That was more aimed at me than you! I've been avoiding her!” He sighed.

I glanced up at him. “Is she an ex?!” I liked how his hand felt on me but I was straight to the point I wanted to know, more than that I had to know.

He led me away and I turned my head for a second to see if she was still there. I saw her wipe her eyes with her hands. Was she crying?! She was looking at him like she'd just been broken up with. I turned my head back around and concentrated on not tripping over. My head was so full of questions and concerns that I'd probably trip over my own feet.

He sighed. “She was never my girlfriend! She liked me, we had an agreement that it was just sex no strings, but she developed feelings for me and I cut her loose!”

Wow, don't sugar coat it. I coughed unsure what to say. I didn't know how any person could sleep with another and not develop feelings.

“Oh. I see. So, uh are all your past relationships been on a casual basis?! And it's impossible to have sex with someone and not develop feelings!” Since he'd been so honest, I figured I'd get away with that.

He sighed. “You make it sound seedy Evan, but yes, they were but before you ask or over think it! I don't what anything casual with you, the idea of another man touching you how I want to makes me feel sick and I've never felt that way before! I have never wanted a woman the way I have you!”

I didn't know what to say or how to answer him so I just walked with him until we reached the corner where a sleek and imposing black Land Rover SUV stood with its engine running.

“I didn't mean to sound so intense, but you did ask!” He pulled the door open for me.

“It's okay.” I was thinking it over. Trying not to imagine him and her together.

“Good afternoon Mr. Ballard! Where are we headed?” A Welsh accent floated back to us.

“I said I'd take Miss Watson home Jones, that's Butlers Wharf!” He'd forgotten his manners again.

“Seat belt please Miss Watson!” I saw him grin sat in the driver’s side.

“Oh, sorry I forget it's compulsory here!” I pulled my seat belt around me and did up the buckle.

I glanced at Cameron. Then back out of the windows. They were heavily tinted, but I could just about still see out. I felt his hand cover mine on the seat.

“I have no idea what she was even doing there. Her office is nowhere near here!” He stroked his thumb over my knuckles.

“Yeah.” I was still lost in thought. All these things were flying around my mind at 100 miles an hour all banging into each other making it hard to concentrate.

He sighed. “Evangeline?!”

I chewed my lip. “Hmm?!” I'd not registered what he'd aside from my name.

“I don't want you to over think what she said! She's just bitter and probably jealous of you!” He stroked his hand down my cheek.

I turned my head and smiled at him. “Sorry I was just thinking about something! I'm not bothered about her, but I have all these feelings and thoughts that I'm sure aren't normal to feel after only knowing you for like a week!”

I had no right to be jealous that he'd touched her, or slept with her. It was the past yet I hated it.

He smiled. “And you think I don't have the same about you and Sean?! Evan, you have no idea how other men look at you!”

I glanced awkwardly in Jones's direction. How many conversations had he been party to overhearing?!

“It's still not normal though! I have no right to feel...” I rolled my eyes. “To feel jealous!”

I turned and looked out of the widow as London whizzed by. The SUV drove beautifully.

“You’re jealous of her?! What on earth for?!” He sounded confused.

I wanted to punch myself in the face because it'd be less painful than telling him why. I blushed there was no way I saying it out loud.

“Forget I said anything!” I glanced at him and found him looking at me with a raised eyebrow.

“Jones does a very good job of not hearing! Isn't that right Jones?!” He said it, matter of fact.

Jones didn't bat an eyelid instead he turned on the radio loud enough to drown us out in the front. It didn't seem to connect to the back.

“You can talk freely now!” He turned as much as he could to face me and I did the same.

“It's wrong that I hate the idea of her touching you! Of you touching her!” I rubbed the back of my neck with my left hand feeling a little embarrassed.

His mouth turned up at the corners until he couldn't stop himself from grinning at me. “Really?! Well, now you know how I feel! The idea of Sean or your little friend Damon touching you in the way I wish to makes me feel sick!” His hand brushed mine.

I didn't know how to answer him. Inside I was doing the cancan in celebration.

“I don't want Damon to touch me like anything!” I didn't get why he'd bring him into this.

“It's normal Evan! Its human nature to be envious and I guess it just proves me right that we have feelings for each other that are very strong because this is an alien emotion for me! I've never made proper connections outside of my family before!” He looked at me intently.

I wanted to take his face in my hands and kiss him. I licked my lips. “Oh.” I was just staring at him now. “Did you never love any of your...” I searched for the right word. “Friends?!”

He stroked his hand down my cheek and left it there.

“Evan, there weren't my friends, I'm going to be honest with you and hope that it doesn't scare you off because I don't want this for us! I'm only telling you in the hope you will understand afterwards!”

“Okay.” I braced myself for whatever he was about to reveal.

He took a breath in. “I’ve been associated with a lot of women, but I was never with them in a traditional sense! I like sex, a lot and they were willing! I’ll admit some I searched out, some I just knew and where convenient, but they all had one thing in common, a contract of sorts! They all sighed one to say whatever happened in them hotels stayed there! I know it sounds bad, but my job is very stressful and I liked a lot of relief if you knew what I mean! They were just aids to de-stress me when ever and where ever I wanted it but they didn’t go without, they were paid very highly to entertain me but I can't stress this enough please to god, don't think that's what I want from you because it's so far from all of that! I've never met a woman that I've wanted to spend time with before, I've never even felt anything like this before!” He paused a second. “I have never had a girlfriend, I’ve never wanted one until you.”

I stared at him. I had the sudden feeling that I wanted to get away from him as fast as I could, but at the same time I wanted to kiss him as hard as I could and never ever let him go. I had guessed right about his women, just aids for his busy life but his confession was what made me stay, he wanted me.

He had paid for sex, I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.

“Where they professional call girls?!” I was curious.

He shook his head. “Evangeline I think you’ve got the wrong end of the stick, they weren’t call girls or anything else, they were just woman that enjoyed the same predilections as I do, from the same scene! I didn’t feel anything for them, but they were well looked after. I can’t properly explain here.”

I still didn’t understand 100%.

“If you’re so busy, how do you suppose to fit any kind of normal relationship into it?!” I really did wonder about that.

His thumb brushed over my cheek again. “Because I actually want to make time for you! Much like in any situation, I will make time for us!”

My mouth felt dry with words I just couldn't verbalize correctly in the back of an SUV.

“Please tell me what you’re thinking! You look scared of me again!” He didn't drop his hand, but his eyes filled with concern.

I let a breath go. “Part of me wants to run for the hills because you treated sex like it was just an aid for stress relief instead of a union between two people that love and respect each other, but part of me wants to stay and prove to the other side that you are capable of loving someone! You just need to be shown how! Because sex between two people that love each other can be a powerful thing.” I reached up with a trembling hand to stroke his face. I bit my lip as I felt his smooth skin under my fingertips as I stroked my fingers behind his ear, my thumb stroking over his cheekbone. His skin felt like fine silk, he looked after it.

His eyes went wide as I touched him. He mirrored how I touched him on my own face. “I'm glad you’re not going to run from me, I know I can love you and I know you can love me in return! I am more than happy to have you show me the way!”

I let a shaky breath go, I was being impulsive, but I needed to tell him how I felt, but I couldn't do it verbally because it was a physical thing.

“Can I kiss you?!” I'd never asked that of Sean. I'd just grabbed him and kissed him, but I knew Cameron was learning still and I didn't want to assume I could just force myself on him.

“Yes, please!” He smiled at me.

With the radio on I'd pretty much forgotten about Jones. I shifted myself over so I was closer to him and placed a hand on his chest as I closed the gap between us and closed my eyes as I brushed my lips softly against his.

His lips felt a few degrees hotter than mine. When he didn't kiss me back, I started to pull away from him feeling gutted that he'd not responded how I thought he might but his hands found their way into my hair and his lips melted against mine as he kissed me back with passion.

I moved my free hand into his hair and moaned as he pulled my hair gently so my head was back giving him access to my lips better.

After a while we both pulled back, he was panting as he looked at me, my lips felt a little swollen.

I'd never felt such an intense kiss, but I wasn't scared of it.

“Your lips are swollen.” He smiled a shy smile at me and my heart slammed up a gear.

“It was pretty good for me too!” I reran the kiss in my head. It had felt so good, if we hadn't of been separated by seat belts I got the feeling he'd pulled me flush to him.

“We have arrived!” The radio went off and Jones pulled the SUV over. I didn't want the journey to be over.

“I'll come and open your door for you!” He grinned at me.

I sighed. I was more than capable of opening and shutting a door.

I took my seat belt off and waited for Cameron to open my door. After a moment he opened the door and held it open for me to get out. I didn't even look over at the door, Cameron held my attention the whole time.

“Thank you for today Evangeline! I will look forward to your company again tomorrow afternoon.” He smiled at me.

I grinned from ear to ear. “I've not had a lot of reasons to smile recently, but you make me smile!” I chewed my lip.

“You'll chap your lips doing that!” He chastised me, but his tone was soft.

“Then do something to stop me!” I grinned at him.

“Don't dare me Evan cause I will do something that you might not want others to see!” He said it with a raised brow.

I stepped forwards so I was only centimetres from him, ignoring his warning. “How are you going to stop me from doing this?” I deliberately chewed my bottom lip.

An impish smile spread across his face as he reached up with his hand and pulled my lip from my teeth with his thumb. “Never dare me, darling!” He pulled me flush to him and kissed me, pulling me so I stood on tiptoe. It felt so good to be flush to him, I could feel his heart beating hard in his chest.

He pulled away from the kiss and stepped back so I could move past him.

It wasn't until I moved that I understood what he'd meant. Damon was standing at the door staring at us. My face fell as I saw the hurt look in his eyes.

Cameron laughed from behind me. “That's Damon then... Oh well its best he gets the message now!”

I turned around on the spot, giving him a glare. I was angry for a split second. He'd done it on purpose, I guessed he'd known it was him and that was why he'd stood where he had but I'd dared him so if I was angry at him I'd have to be angry at myself. I didn't see the point. I had wanted him to kiss me.

He studied me with interest.

“Before you go Cameron I forgot to give this to you!” I dug around in the bag until I found the frame. “I figured you could put one of the photos you took in it or whatever!” I held it out to him.

The smile spread across his face as he stepped forward to take it. “Thank you I will treasure this!” He smiled and went to step away.

It hit me I didn't have his phone number. “Wait! One more thing before you leave!” I grinned as I rummaged around in my coat pocket. He gave me an odd look, but stepped back toward me.

I pulled out one of my business cards and held it out. “It's got my cell phone number on it, email etc!” I bit my lip.

“Ah yes of course, well hold on one second!” He grinned as he took it and it slipped into his pocket and then dipped his hand into his other pocket and brought out a business card and a pen. He wrote something down and then handed it over. “Evan, that's my personal mobile number! Hardly anyone has that! I will look forward to seeing you tomorrow for our date!” He smiled lopsidedly at me as he stepped back forwards the SUV.