Page 5 of Taking A Chance
“Ben likes her, I can tell. I’m not so sure about your friend.” He turns his attentions back to me. “What can I get you to drink?”
“I doubt if they’ll have Tatratea, so I’ll have a Vodka with ice. In regard to Kat, well, I’ve known her for years and she keeps her emotions well hidden.”
“Hold that thought,” he instructs, raising a finger in gesture. He turns and chats to the barman and I take the opportunity to check the room, looking for any other familiar faces. Very few of the guests are from work. I recognise Josh, who had been based out in Pittsburgh for a while, but has moved back to Bath with his lovely wife, who is currently pregnant with their second child. Layla, Josh and Cami’s daughter, and flower girl for the day, stands beside them looking every bit the angel that she seems to be.
“There you go,” Cade interrupts, handing me a tall glass with lots of ice and a substantial measure of amber liquid.
I take a sip a matter of seconds before Cade does.
“Mmm, Bohemian,” I lick my lips as the hint of blueberries hits my taste buds.
Cade coughs and splutters, so I give him a couple of sharp slaps between his shoulder blades.
“Holy shit!” he chokes out. “What the fuck?” He holds the glass up and inspects the liquid before smelling it. “How, on God’s earth do you drink this stuff?”
“Bohemian is 62% proof, so you ordered the potent stuff,” I can’t help but laugh as I take in his red face. I wave towards the bartender. “Is there any champagne left?” The bar tender nods and brings over two flutes. I pour some of the contents from one of them into Cade’s glass. I grab a swizzle stick from a container on the bar and give it a quick stir. “Try it now.”
Cade takes a tentative sip, then nods his head.
“Better?” I giggle, unable to hide my amusement.
“Much better,” he laughs. “Shit, I think I just lost my drinking credibility.”
“You should try Outlaw. That would really make you lose your shit,” I tease. “They do make more subtle versions of Tatratea. Why don’t you try coconut and work your way up?”
“That’s a hard pass,” he gripes out, grimacing at the glass in his hand. “I think I’ll leave this devil’s fire water where it should stay. In the bottle.”
“This is one of my homeland’s greatest creations and you’re slagging it off?” I gasp with fake disapproval.
“Sorry,” he grimaces, which makes me feel a little guilty for the teasing. “So, Amy tells me you’re Slovakian?”
“You couldn’t tell by my accent?”
“Would you be mad if I said that all Eastern European accents sound the same to me?” he says with a cringe, as if expecting an onslaught. I’m tempted, but I decide to cut back on the wind-up.
“I am a little, but seeing as I can’t tell the difference between an American and a Canadian accent, I’ll let you off.”
“Touché!” Cade hits me with one of his amazing grins. I glance the other way before I go into meltdown. The urge to squeeze my thighs together is almost unquenchable. “Can I redeem myself a little, by telling you I find your English exceptional and your accent very sexy?”
“Maybe,” I wonder why the room has suddenly become a lot warmer, then I realise I’m blushing. What is Cade doing to me? I don’t do blushing. I need to take back control, so I tilt my head to one side, drop my gaze to the floor slowly, then snap it right back up to meet his. This guy is getting my flirtatious side to the max. “I’ve been in the U.K. for years now. I’ve even picked up a few typical English phrases.”
“I must admit, I struggle with some of them. Even Isaac still has to get Amy to interpret occasionally.”
I take another sip of my drink, looking over the glass, making sure I keep eye contact. His gaze drops slightly, and he watches as I run the tip of my tongue across my lips, boosting the already glossy shine of my lipstick.
He steps a little closer.
“Have you come over to Florida just for the wedding?” His hand comes forward, fingers slipping under the fabric strap at my shoulder. I shiver at his touch. “Or are you staying a little longer?”
He teases the fabric between his fingers. His knuckles skim my skin, sending tingling sensations across my body. I swallow hard before I speak. “It seemed a shame not to get the most out of the nine-hour flight, so Kat and I decided to stay for the week.” His hand moves further down, and his fingers brush the side of my breast. Forget tingles. Now I have a full-on power surge going straight to my suska. In other word’s… vagina.
We stare at each other for a few moments. Everything around us seems fuzzy and insignificant. I go to take another drink, only to find that the glass is empty.
“I think I need another drink.”
“Do you want the same again?”
“Why don’t we stick with the champagne, if that’s okay with you?”