Ignite Me: Shards of Glass, Part One (7 page)

“Thank you, I don't even know where to begin with him! He doesn't love me and I don't love him...” I let a breath go. I turned my phone off before he had the chance to ring back and shoved it back into my pocket.

“You’re welcome! His type are all the same!” He sipped more of his champagne.

“Yeah, you’re right there! He pushed me too far! I can't have him in my life anymore!” I literally couldn't, I came undone around him and that had to stop. Distance was good, it was helping me work through it. Mostly because he couldn't just turn up here like he could in L.A or New York.

Elliot came back into the room all smiles. “Was everything okay for you both?!” He picked up the plates.

“Yes, thank you, we'd like the dessert menus... Please.” He smirked at me.

The smile spread across my face that he'd actually said please.

“It was really delicious! Had to save space for the chocolate cheesecake, though!” I grinned.

“Okay, that's one chocolate cheesecake, and anything for you, sir?!” He looked at Cameron.

“No thank you, I will get just as much pleasure watching Evangeline eat!”

I swallowed hard. Oh god he was going to sit and watch me eat. Why did men do that?! What was so sexy about eating?!

Elliot raised a brow. “Okay, one chocolate cheese cake coming up!” He smiled a brilliant smile at me and I returned it. He was sweet really. He blushed red and scuttled off keen to get away from us.

“See I told you! It's best not to encourage these kids!” He rolled his eyes like he was correct all along.

I pulled a face. “Well, what harm does it do?! A smile here and there prolly made his day more bearable!” I winked at him again.

He smirked. “If you keep winking at me like that I may not be responsible for my actions Miss Watson!”

I tried not to smile, but I but I couldn't help it. “Well, I'll look forward to that Cameron!”

I'd used his owns words against him, but I could only imagine what he might do and I had a very active imagination!

“You shouldn't tempt me!” He brought his head level with mine as our eyes locked.

“Maybe I like to live dangerously!” I was flirting now and I was feeling good about it.

“Oh, I can see that!” He reached out with his hand and placed it on the right hand side of my face.

I drew a breath in. I would normally have lent away, but I couldn't look away from his intense eyes. His thumb stroked down over my cheek bone. Every nerve in my body tingled. I clenched again.

“You shouldn't have tempted me Evan, I'm not good for you.”

I closed my eyes for a second as I leant into his hand. I didn't understand why he was saying he was bad for me, but he'd said my name so sweetly. I was the one who choose who was good for me and who wasn't. When I opened them again, he was still staring at me.

“I think you’re wrong!” I brought my hand up to his, it shook a little. I was nervous he'd pull his hand away if I touched it. I placed my hand over his. “I think you've just never meet a girl that can stand up to you and get away with it or should that be that you let get away with it.”

I couldn't speak anymore. His face was almost unreadable but his eyes gave him away. He looked freaked out. I dropped my hand. I'd not meant to scare him.

“Why did you drop your hand Evangeline?!” He looked a little hurt.

I blinked. “You looked freaked out so I um didn't wanna push my luck!” I smiled at him.

My smile was greeted with one in return. “It's okay, I'm just not used to people acting of their own accord around me but I like it! I like you a lot Evangeline.”

“You've only just met me, how can you tell you like me like that?!” I blinked rapidly trying to understand what he'd meant. His stare was intense and it scared me. He stroked his fingertips over my cheek as he removed his hand.

“I don't know I just know that I like you! Would you permit me permission to be your friend?!”

I took a breath in. “None of my friends have ever stroked my face the way you just did, but there is something about you that I'd like to know.” It didn't make any sense that he'd want to be my friend, the way he looked at me made me feel he wanted more than that and I wasn't sure I could even cope with dating someone so obsessive.

He smiled at me. “Evangeline I think you’re very special, no other woman has ever caught my attention the way you have, naturally I'd like to get to know you better and see where things take us! Trust me, I'm not like the Sean's of this world! I won't treat you badly!”

Elliot came back into the room and gained a dirty look from Cameron.

He rolled his eyes and placed the cheese cake down in front of me. Sensing the atmosphere he didn't say anything, he just glanced between Cameron and myself and turned on his heel and walked away.

I didn't know what to say. I hadn't expected any of this to happen. When I'd woke up this morning all I wanted to do was go shopping and explore, but what I'd got was so much more than I'd bargained for. My brain was spinning. On the one hand, I liked him, I even fancied him if I was honest and I knew he'd be nothing like Sean but on the other hand, I knew he'd be obsessive and I knew things would be always be intense and his need to be in control all the time scared me! I also knew he had traits I intensely disliked. I didn't have a passive bone in my body yet part of me wanted to see him again regardless of all of that.

“Please say something Evan, you've been staring at the cheesecake for five minutes and the silence is driving me crazy.” His fingers touched my chin as he lifted my head up. So I had no other choice but to look at him. I liked it when he called me Evan.

“Okay, I'd like to be your friend, but I need you to understand something about myself and I don't know how things worked with you and your little supermodel girlfriends but I'm my own person! I won't stand for you telling me what to do and when to do it... Unless it's going to help me!” Sometimes I did need telling.

He licked his lips. “I understand and as to how things with me normally work, none of that applies to this situation! Normally it would have but I don't see that for you! They were never my girlfriends never in the sense you mean. So this will all be new to me too, so please give me a chance.”

I chewed my lip. I wanted to ask how it had worked for the others and why I was so special, but part of me knew I'd probably not like the answer so I just nodded. “Okay, I'll give us a chance.” I didn't know what else to say. I just felt confused. How did I feel like this for one guy I'd only known since last week?! But I couldn't deny I had some kind of feelings for him.

“It's okay, I understand that things are moving fast, I'm just a man of action! If I see an opportunity I take it! I don't like hanging around and then having someone else take what I want!”

I stabbed the cheesecake with the fork. It looked so good. It smelt even better.

“Am I what you want or is this interest in me just because I challenge you?!” I cut a small piece off and brought the fork to my mouth. “Because I'm not some video game that you can play until you've completed all the levels and then dump me off cause you’re bored of me or another new game has come along.”

I placed the fork in my mouth and used my lips to pull the cheesecake off the fork. It tasted so good I couldn't suppress the moan.

He shifted in his chair. “Evangeline I can assure you I do not use women like video games! And besides, I rather think I'd be playing for keeps with you! You do challenge me though, maybe we might even challenge each other in many ways, but I knew when I met you last week that you were special! I can honestly say no one else would even have bothered to look at the situation, how you did!” He studied me.

I glanced up at him through my eyelashes. I was confused how things had worked with his other female friends, but he seemed keen to prove he wasn't going to mess me around.

“Okay.” I wasn't sure what else to say so I just continued eating my cheesecake. “You want to try some?!” I smiled as I cut another piece of cheesecake off.

“Yes, please!” He grinned and leant forward.

I lifted the fork to his lips and carefully fed him the cake.

His eyes sparkled at me as he eat what I'd fed him. “Wow that really is good!”

I licked the fork clean as I eat the last piece. “I love chocolate cheesecake! It's my all-time favourite!” I placed the fork down.

“You have a little in the corner of your mouth.” He said it with a smile.

“Oh!” I blushed. Quite clearly I'd failed at eating it lady like.

I was about to pick up the napkin when he reached over with his own and gently cleaned my face.

“Thank you.” I blushed. I stared blankly at him, not sure what to do. No one or indeed no man had ever taken the time to clean my face if I had food on it normally I would have had to check myself. He wasn't like any other man I knew.

“Would you like to see the view from the very top?! It is open to the public, though so I can't guarantee that someone won't recognize you!” He smiled.

I licked my lips. “I would like to see the top, I wanna go to gift shop too! And as for being recognized I'm mostly okay with it! Most people are quite polite and the ones that, aren't I walk away from!” Over the years I'd learnt how to deal with it.

He frowned. “I'll be there to look after you! I'll just get the bill!”

I put my fork down. “Let me pay for half since you were kind enough to send me those beautiful roses today!” I smiled.

He shook his head. “Thank you Evangeline for the kind offer, but its okay, I got this covered! And as for the roses you earned them! How is your hand now?!”

He held his hand out for mine, palm facing me. I sighed. I hated not going half’s on bills, but I knew he'd never let me pay so I sighed and placed my right hand in his and let him inspect it.

“Mostly it just aches now! I had it scanned and it wasn’t broken!” I smiled.

He cast his eyes down on my hand as he inspected it. “Nasty bruise though! Do you sleep okay with it like that?!” His eyes flicked up to mine.

I thought for a while. The way he looked at me made me nervous. “Mostly fine, I have pain killers for it.” I smiled.

He grinned at me. “I saw your photo with the rose!”

I smiled. “You have social media?! I'll have to find you and follow you!” I laughed. “Always makes me sound like a stalker!”

He grinned. “It's a private account, but please do follow me, I'd rather like it. I can follow you back then!” He traced his fingers over my tattoo on my wrist. “Do you have any others?!”

I took a shaky breath. How was he even doing this to me?! I wasn't able to concentrate enough around him. It was the way he looked me. With want in his eyes, like he’d happily just take me right here and now.

“Yeah a few and even some that even social media do not know exist!” I raised a brow at him. I'd got various tattoos on both arms and legs and a couple in places only Sean had seen. Private.

He licked his lips. “Really?! Like where?!” He studied the tattoo of my Dads band symbol on my right wrist.

“Like somewhere only people I'm intimately acquainted with and trust me that is very few, can see!” I was a quite a private person in that respect! You didn't see bikini clad photos in the magazines or some trashy photo shot with my goodies out for display, it wasn't who I was. I mean, sure I wore bikinis I just never let them see more than what I wanted them to.

He let go of my hand and smiled. “Normally I don't find tattoos attractive, but I know without even asking that yours will have stories and meaning behind them! I look forward to working out all the meanings!” He smirked at me.

I could just imagine him tracing his fingers over them one by one, asking me things about them and I'd actually tell him. I looked up as I saw Elliot come back in.

“How was the cheesecake?!” He eyed the empty plate and then my hand in Cameron's.

“Divine! It has a really nice rich texture!” I smiled.

“Good, it's one of my favourites! Would you like coffees or anything?!” He smiled.

Cameron shook his head. “No thank you, just the bill! You will have my details on file for all the payment info! Just charge it to that!” He looked back at me dismissing Elliot.

“From level 72 you can the top of the shards of glass, it's what they call a breathing building!”

“Wow, really?! Awesome!” I hadn't meant to ignore Elliot stood there it was just Cameron was very distracting.

He picked up the plates and walked away without saying another word. I glanced as he left and chewed my lip.

“They get paid very well here so please don't worry about him! He's just annoyed because I held your attention!”

I frowned. “I doubt that! I'm just a normal person! I don't consider myself to be all that interesting!” Even though over the years I'd done a good job of creating this mysterious image for myself, everyone thought I was so cool and I guess in part I had fuelled that image as I grew up, to the point that I was this huge mystery, but underneath I was just normal! I was clumsy, uncoordinated and superbly aware of myself, of my flaws. I just did a pretty good job of pretending to be cool and interesting. I had spent so long acting up to the mystery I had created that I didn’t really know who I was, not truly. Maybe he could see what I couldn’t?!

He shook his head. “You are far from ordinary!”

“I make a good effort at pretending to be cool when I'm not, but whatever you wanna believe!” I smirked.

He sat back in his chair. “I do believe you aren't very good at taking compliments! That will have to change!”

I snorted. “I am what I am Cameron!” I added jazz hands for effect as I said it.

He threw his head back and laughed. His hair seemed to have a life of its own.

Elliot came back into the room and placed a silver tray down with the printed receipt on it with two mints.

“Ooh free mints!” I grinned as I reached out for one.

“Um, would you mind, and I know it's really unprofessional of me to ask, but could I get a photo with you Evan?!” He loitered around looking nervous.

I glanced to Cameron, whose face was a mixture of annoyed and confused.

I wasn't sure what to say. Normally I would have said yes, but I didn't want to offend Cameron but what harm would it do?!