Nine Marines' Shared Property - Nicole Casey Page 0,7
to show them that I wasn’t quite the stuffy, stay-at-home anti-social person they always insinuated I was.
The next day, at the cafe, I had an extra spring in my step. I was even humming while I baked!
“Well, aren’t you cheerful today,” said Christy.
“What can I say? I love my job.”
Christy smirked. “And it has nothing to do with the fact that four hot guys were drooling all over you last night?”
“I don’t know what you could possibly be talking about.” I said with a knowing grin.
Christy frowned and shook her head. She started toward the door.
“What?” I said.
She stopped at the threshold and turned to me. “I can’t believe you didn’t take one of them home.”
“They’re not puppies,” I said.
“You wouldn’t know that from the puppy-dog eyes they were making at you.” She shook her head. “Such a waste of good meat.”
I smirked. “I told you: I’m not dating.”
“Who said anything about dating?” She turned and walked out of the kitchen.
Truth be told, when I got home after the ‘date’, I did regret going to bed alone. It would have been nice to be held in those muscular arms, to have my inhibitions and hesitations cast off of me, if only for one night. But I’d stayed guarded, regrettably so.
It was in that confused state of mind that I prepared a tray of muffins and walked out to the front of the house.
“Hello, Gwen.”
A tall man with blond hair cut high and tight military style, wearing a tight T-shirt that hugged his bulging muscles greeted me with a smile. He knew my name, but I didn’t recognize him. I stared blankly at him, perhaps longer than I should have, until I finally got a grip and replied meekly, “Hello.”
“My name’s Taylor,” he said. “Taylor Montrose.” He stuck out his hand. “I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure.”
I turned in half circles looking for a space to set down the tray I was holding. Jenny came to my aid and took it from me. I shook his hand. “Hello, Taylor. What can I do for you?”
He held on to my hand, not too firmly, but firm enough, as if he wasn’t going to let go just yet. His ocean-blue eyes locked on me and fixed me as strongly as did his hand. He smiled in a slightly mischievous way and said, “More than I deserve, I’m sure.”
I did not understand him. My confusion must have shown on my face because he laughed. Lightly, at first, but then I joined in, and we both stood there laughing and holding hands.
Finally he let go. I left my hand suspended in the air, thinking perhaps he would take it again. “I have to say,” he said. “my friends were not exaggerating.”
“Your friends?”
He leaned back and tilted his head as if he were studying a painting. “You are truly mesmerizing.”
“I’m flattered.” Usually at this late hour of the morning, the cafe was busy and loud with conversation. But I heard nothing. It was like we were alone in a vacuum.
“I’m sorry I was on duty last night,” he said. “It seems like I missed out on a fun night.”
I smiled, finally piecing it together. “Yes, we had a good time.”
He nodded. His eyes wouldn’t leave me, and I was starting to feel self conscious.
“I’m sorry I missed it,” he said.
“Maybe next time.”
“I have the night off tomorrow night,” he said. “Is there any chance we could go out? Maybe take a walk on the beach? Maybe go out for dinner?”
I looked around for Jenny or Christy, someone to help me out of this exchange. Jenny was nowhere in sight, and Christy was on the other side of the room. She saw me and winked.
“I… um, I have a lot of work to do,” I said.
He nodded. “I understand. They told me you’re not interested in dating. I wasn’t planning on asking you out. I just came by because I had heard so many good things about this place and about you. But I couldn’t help myself. I would have carried a heavy dose of regret if I hadn’t at least asked.”
I swallowed and nodded.
“Forgive me,” he said. And though I’d assumed this was all just a continuation of his and his friends’ bet or competition, I thought at that moment that he was sincerely apologizing.
I shook my head. “No. I mean, yes. Of course, I forgive you. I mean there’s nothing to forgive.”
He touched me on my arm and smiled. “Maybe you’ll forgive me in