Page 6 of Petty AF (At First #1)

six

~ Deaton ~

T he annual Concert on the Square event was in full swing with hundreds of people filling Circle City’s downtown plaza.

Some had brought lawn chairs or blankets, while others posted up on the brick retaining walls. Doors of nearby shops had been opened wide for the night, and even passersby would pause for a few minutes to enjoy the free music before continuing on to their destination.

The scent of garlic, melted cheese, and vine-ripe tomatoes floated on the humid night air, while melodic guitar chords harmonized with the drone of conversation.

Many of the local restaurants offered deals every Saturday night throughout the summer to capitalize on the event, but the pizza paired with a bottle of wine had always been a clear favorite.

To keep things fair, nowhere took reservations on those nights, so River and I had arrived early to secure a patio table at Giovanni’s.

I knew he was nervous about being out in public, but he couldn’t hide forever.

It had been over a week since he had left his house, and the self-imposed isolation had already started affecting his mood.

Despite being surrounded by people, I still considered it a low-risk venture. He held mostly neutral opinions about food and music, and we had a semblance of privacy at our little table. Even if his mouth did run away with him, I doubted many would hear it over the din of the square.

He sat with his elbows propped on the table, idly tracing the rim of his wine glass. It might have appeared casual if not for the tension in his shoulders, or the way his gaze darted over the crowd as if searching out potential landmines.

“River, relax.” Pinching his glass by the stem, I carefully moved it aside and took his hand to stop his fidgeting. “No one is even paying attention to us.”

His fingers curled around mine, and he shook his head. “I know. I just don’t want to embarrass myself.”

I couldn’t promise that wouldn’t happen, but I’d do everything I could to minimize the likelihood. At the same time, I couldn’t blame him for thinking he might be ambushed at any moment. After all, he’d already been minding his own business when this whole mess had started.

“How do you know Joss?” he asked, his tone brisk and agitated. Though he winced, he didn’t offer an apology or take it back. “I know he’s the Warlock Regent or whatever, but at the party, it just seemed like something more.”

It was a fair question, and one I didn’t have a problem answering, but I wondered what had provoked it. “How long have you been holding that one in?”

He shrugged. “Just now. I said I didn’t want to embarrass myself. Then I started thinking about ways that could happen.” Lifting his free hand, he waved it carelessly, barely missing the top of his glass. “Typical spiral stuff.”

“Naturally,” I said, chuckling at his dismissive tone. I still didn’t see how the two thoughts related, though.

“Which made me mad because it wouldn’t even be an issue if it wasn’t for that stupid warlock,” he continued.

“That made me think of the gala, and I remembered that he had greeted you first.” He paused and took a deep breath, his shoulders rising and falling with the action.

“So, I started wondering about how you knew him, and the question just kind of fell out of my mouth.”

I stared at him, unblinking, marveling at the way his mind worked. When laid out like that, it made sense. It also sounded kind of exhausting.

“I actually don’t know him that well,” I answered. “I worked security at a couple of parties he hosted. That’s about it.”

“Well, you must have left an impression because he certainly remembered you.”

The huffiness in his voice amused me, as did the way his mouth twisted as if he’d tasted something bitter. “Jealous?”

His eyes snapped up to meet mine. “Obviously. And I hate it.”

It would have been funny if not for the implications of that statement. “You don’t think you were hexed because of me, do you?”

“No.” Deflating, he exhaled slowly and shook his head. “I think I was hexed because Joss is a dick.” He slumped back in his seat, but he didn’t pull his hand away. “And maybe because he wants to get in your pants.”

That time, I did laugh. I couldn’t help it. “Even if that’s true, I assure you, the feeling isn’t mutual.”

“Good.” He turned to look out over the crowd again. “I’m the only one who gets to see you naked.”

“Duly noted.”

He seemed to settle after that, appearing more relaxed as he bobbed his head along to the music. “The band is pretty good,” he offered, unprompted. “It’s not really my type of music, but this isn’t bad.”

The words came out thoughtful rather than blurted, making me think it had been an intentional statement rather than effects of the curse. I took that as a good sign.

“Not a fan of country music?”

I flinched inwardly, belatedly realizing my mistake in asking him to voice his opinion. While I wanted to hear the answer, however disorganized it might be, I hadn’t meant to bait him.

River shrugged as he returned his attention to me. “I don’t have anything against it. It’s just not my favorite.”

“Perfectly reasonable.” Smiling, I slid my thumb back and forth over his hand. Partly to comfort, but mostly because I just liked touching him.

His eyes glazed over, soft and unfocused. It only lasted for a moment, but the reaction intrigued me.

“Everything okay?”

“Yes.” He ducked his head, no longer meeting my gaze. Then he bit down on his bottom lip, clearly trying to hold something back. It didn’t work. “Stop smiling at me like that. It makes my dick hard.”

His response caught me off guard, and laughter puffed from my lips. I should have been used to it by now. The fact that he hadn’t even blushed at the admission proved just how often it happened.

It always surprised me, though, probably because most people weren’t usually so blatant, particularly when it came to their desires. With that said, I had to admit that being so openly wanted was a heady feeling that I thoroughly enjoyed.

As a bonus, if I had his full attention, he didn’t have to worry about accidentally offending anyone else.

“Like what?” I asked, purposely prodding him this time. Tilting my head, I relaxed my mouth so that it barely curved at the corners. “How am I smiling at you?”

His hand twitched inside mine as a quiet groan rolled off his lips. “Oh, my god, that’s even worse. Stop it.”

Releasing his hand, I brushed my fingertips up his forearm to cradle his wrist. “Just when I smile?”

Goosebumps broke out across his skin, and his gaze locked on my hand as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world. “No. Just you existing is kind of a massive turn-on.”

I chuckled again, the sound rougher this time as my own body began to respond.

River jerked his head up, his eyes narrowed. “You are evil, Deaton Horne.”

His words lacked any real heat, though. And he hadn’t told me to stop.

I tightened my hold on his wrist, possessive without being demanding.

His gaze returned to his arm, his eyes wide and a little unfocused.

I could practically see him coming undone in real time, the tangle of thoughts and emotions unraveling, quieting. The rigid set of his shoulders relaxed, the stiffness melting away as he swayed toward me from across the table.

“What about this?” I asked, speaking just loud enough to be heard over the music. “Do you like this?”

He bobbed his head. “I’d like it more if we were alone and naked.”

Normally, I would agree, but there was something deliciously satisfying about the tension building between us. We weren’t being overt or scandalous, but teasing him this way, knowing neither of us could do anything about it, only made the anticipation more palpable.

“What else do you like?”

He laughed, the sound soft and breathy, and it sent a thrill through me that made my fingers twitch against his wrist.

“Believe it or not, I like it when you tease me mercilessly,” he admitted, tone playful but threaded with sincerity.

I softened my grip and traced my thumb across the soft skin of his inner wrist in slow, deliberate circles. “You can stop me anytime you want.”

The corners of his mouth twitched, and for a moment, he looked torn between a grin and a scowl. “You and I both know that’s not going to happen.”

The heat in his gaze burned bright, sending a jolt of lust straight to my cock.

Before either of us could say more, our server arrived with the pizza. The spell broken, River blinked and pulled his hand away, sinking back into his seat with a flustered laugh.

I smirked, letting the silence settle between us for now, allowing him this small reprieve. But I hadn’t finished with him yet.

In fact, if I had my way, we were just getting started.