Throw Him My Way

They would always have each other’s backs.

She even met Rick one evening.

Slowly and steadily, Heidi’s attraction to him deepened into something more like affection. But the attraction did not abate.

Every time their fingers touched, there was a spark there. She wanted to take it further.

But Christian never made a move.

Anybody watching them together would’ve assumed that they were dating. They were obviously flirting, and that sense of intimacy couldn’t be mistaken.

But they weren’t dating. Heidi had started to think of it as non-dating.

It was frustrating.

She had been non-dating him for about a month, and he hadn’t even kissed her.

Finally, fed up with how slowly things were going, she told Mrs. Spinelli the whole story.

To her surprise, Mrs. Spinelli’s booming laughter filled the colorful and comfortable apartment.

“Well, my girl, what are you waiting for? Don’t you have the wherewithal to take the first step?”

That was a good question.

Didn’t she?

It wasn’t like she’d never done that before. She was fully on board with the idea of a woman taking the first step.

Still…

That night, after she finished her song – she didn’t win; that one night turned out to be an aberration, after all, though her fan following online seemed to be increasing nearly exponentially – she took her seat with him, as usual.

This time, she drank her wine without counting glasses, and was soon four glasses down.

“Your keys,” said Christian, finally, holding out his hand.

She grinned.

“I don’t have a car.”

“Then I guess I’ll have to give you a ride home.”

Heidi grinned again, wider this time.

“You don’t have to sound so disgruntled about it, do you? I don’t live too far away.”

Christian shook his head, chuckling.

“You are irreverent, aren’t you?

Heidi shrugged.

“Not as a rule.”

“But you are lovely.”

Heidi inclined her head.

That was true. She was lovely.

“Arresting, in fact.”

The way he said it, as if he was supremely annoyed by it, nearly made her chuckle.

But the look in his eyes – smoky eyes that were neither blue nor gray, but were compelling – made all such instinct fade away.

“Am I?”

“You are. I find it distracting. And annoying. I can’t be distracted.”

Heidi’s chin rose in a gesture of impudent demand.

“Why don’t you do something about it, then?”

They didn’t need words, from that moment. They knew exactly where they were heading.

They’d been heading there all along, for a month, hadn’t they? From the moment she had run to him, pleading with him to help her, frantic and distraught.

He reached for her hand. She gave it to him without hesitation.

Christian drew her to her feet, and she savored the feeling of her hand in his. His hand was large and strong, and obviously quite rough.

It would be.

She smiled at him, but nerves fluttered in her belly like butterflies.

“I’m nervous,” she admitted, to her consternation.

“Don’t worry. I won’t bite, unless you want me to,” said Christian, and the butterflies turned into something far more exciting.

It was only a short drive home.

His car had seen better times, but she saw the obvious signs of tender loving care.

He knew where she lived, of course. He didn’t need directions.

“Last chance to tell me not to come up with you, Heidi,” said Christian, and she knew it was.

Resolutely, she met his eyes, smoke meeting molten gold.

“Come up with me,” she said, and the die was cast.

He didn’t take her hand as she unlocked the door to the building and walked up the stairs.

Neither did he take her hand when she unlocked the door and walked inside.

She stopped a few steps in and turned around.

Those smoky eyes had darkened. She watched him close the door, turn the lock, and felt her heart beating faster, and faster.

“Christian,” she whispered, as he walked closer to her.

He was so close to her. She had to look up at him.

She was tall, but he was a good few inches taller than her.

Those eyes…

Now he touched her, finally. His hands took hers, just their fingertips brushing.

Bending down, he touched his lips to hers.

They were tanned, almost brown, against the rich darkness of her skin.