Home > Love is Contagious : A Charity Anthology(9)

Love is Contagious : A Charity Anthology(9)
Author: J. Saman

Katie is stunning.

She’s wearing a dark pink halter neck dress that looks like it’s made out of the softest cotton, hugging her curves and stopping just above her knees. Matching strappy wedge sandals adorn her adorable feet. Her long, platinum blonde hair is piled on top of her head in a messy bun and she’s wearing just enough makeup to make her golden skin look sun-kissed and radiant. Her lips are a glossy raspberry and her eyes sparkle with a hint of something silvery. She’s a princess. A fantasy.

“You look beautiful,” I say before I can stop myself.

She smiles sweetly. “You look good yourself,” she nods at my graphic tee, and for once, I wish I were wearing something nice. I look down with a slight scowl. “No,” she says quickly, obviously noting my expression. “I’m serious.” I look up at her and she’s nodding in approval.

“You ready?” I ask, and she nods, taking a step back to allow me to walk out. “You’re taller,” I comment, staring down at her, unable to drag my eyes away.

“Four inches, but I’ll take what I can get. You make me feel like a Lilliputian,” she laughs. “I needed to help that out a bit.”

“Does that make me Gulliver?” I laugh.

“Yeah. Sorry,” she peeks up at me with wide blue eyes. Blue eyes that are the most intense blue I’ve ever seen. Like the sky before it storms. “You are sort of a giant next to me.”

We step off the elevator, and I point in the direction of the bar where we’re meeting Tommy. “How tall are you?”

“Five foot one and a half,” she mutters, and I laugh out.

“That half an inch makes all the difference, huh?”

“You bet your ass it does. Us little people need those precious half inches.”

We enter the well-lit bar, and I spot Tommy nursing a beer down at the end of it under one of the televisions. “Well, tonight you’re five foot five and a half.”

She nods, smiling big like that was the best compliment anyone has ever given her.

Damn… this girl. She hits me on a different level. On a level I wish I didn’t have with her since she absolutely does not look at or think of me the same way.

Tommy spots us, holding a finger up in the air before tossing some money on the counter as he downs the rest of his beer, then heads in our direction. His eyes widen as he takes in Katie, and then a slow, easy smile spreads across his face.

I know that look.

And it pisses me the fuck off.

Tommy stops in front of us, staring right at Katie and waiting patiently for an introduction I now don’t want to make.

“Katie, this is Tommy Madigan,” I say to her before looking at Tommy. “Tommy, this is Kate,” I emphasize her name to him.

Tommy sticks out his hand and she places hers into his. “A pleasure,” he says in a sultry tone, and instead of shaking her hand, he kisses the back of it. Douchebag.

Katie doesn’t fall for it. “You too.” She gently pulls her hand out of his grasp. “Thank you for the room; it’s very nice.”

“It’s my pleasure,” he purrs, taking a small step into her personal space. “I would have offered for you to stay with me in my apartment. It’s so big and I rarely have people to share it with—” I roll my eyes. “—but Ryan here,” Tommy juts his thumb in my direction, “insisted on a hotel,” he says this like it’s the most selfish thing in the world. Dick.

“That’s so kind of you to have offered your home to us, but Ryan knows how much I love hotels, so he was doing me a favor with that,” she smiles sweetly, and inside I’m half-shocked and half-smug. She just fucking nailed him, and we all know it.

“Well, I’m glad you’re enjoying it then,” he looks to me. “We should go.”

We walk into The Hamilton and are seated quickly in one of the livelier bar areas. This place is big and crowded and loud, and Katie has gone quiet since we entered.

The waitress comes over, and after Tommy flirts with her for a few minutes, he orders us a round of tequila shots and margaritas. I have no idea what kind of drinker Katie is, but I don’t want her getting sick so when the waitress comes back with our drinks, I suggest that we order some food.

After we place our order, the waitress leaves and Tommy raises his shot glass after he and I both salt-up our hands. Katie doesn’t, I note.

“To nights we’ll never remember, shared with friends we’ll never forget.” It’s the same toast he’s been using since college, but I don’t comment, and neither does Katie.

I lick my salty hand, smashing the granules between the roof of my mouth and my tongue before tossing back the clear liquid. It burns all the way down my throat and I quickly take the lime into my mouth, sucking out the juice to ease it.

Tequila has never been my favorite. I’ll do it because it’s there, but I don’t order it for myself.

Katie closes her eyes as she drinks hers down, lowering her glass back to the table and licking her lips like she’s savoring the flavor.

I stare, mesmerized, and I can feel Tommy doing the same, because damn that’s sexy as hell. Her eyes open and she picks up a lime wedge, sucking on it once before dropping it into her glass and licking the remaining juice off her fingers. I’d give anything to know what that tastes like on her. My cock twitches at the thought.

“Jesus, Kate, if I knew you took shots like that, I wouldn’t have ordered anything else.” I’m not really disagreeing with him on this, but I still throw him a look that says be careful.

Katie blushes, clearing her throat.

“How long have you lived in DC, Tommy?” she asks, changing the subject away from herself.

“I moved here after I graduated MIT.” He pretends to think about this, but I know he’s hoping that Katie will remark on where he went to school. She won’t. She’s not impressed by bullshit like that. “Nine years, I guess,” he finishes when she doesn’t indulge him.

Katie nods, pulling the elastic from her hair and letting her long blonde mane tumble down her back as her fingers massage her scalp. Does she have to do that? Be the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen?

“Look, Mommy.” A little girl’s voice startles us, our heads turning in unison to the sound. “It’s Rapunzel,” the little girl with brown hair and eyes says, pointing at Katie.

The mother looks mortified and bends down to her daughter. “No, sweetie. That’s not Rapunzel.” She looks up at Katie. “Sorry.”

Katie waves her away like it’s nothing before she looks at the little girl with a soft smile that lights up her eyes.

“Is Rapunzel your favorite princess?” she asks, and the little girl nods enthusiastically. “Mine too,” she winks conspiratorially. The little girl, who can’t be any older than five, giggles.

“Mommy and Daddy are taking me to Disney World to meet her next week.”

“You’re such a lucky girl. I’m jealous,” Katie smiles, and the mother thanks her with her eyes before leading her daughter away from us.

The second they’re gone, Katie’s smile falls and her expression morphs into utter devastation.

“Excuse me,” she whispers, getting up and walking in the direction of the bathroom.

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