Pierce

Chapter Five

Natalie~

Looking down at her blood in the sink was a mistake, one that was about to cost Natalie the dinner she'd just eaten. Her head felt light and flighty as it bobbed on her neck.

Don't you dare throw up on this man, Natalie.

Her stomach lurched, but Pierce's deep calming voice pulled her attention from her queasy stomach to his deep blue eyes.

"Eyes on me, Nat."

He must have seen her paling as she stared at the blood spattered sink because as soon as the words left his mouth she felt him steady his weight and wrap and arm gently around her waist. He held it there as she swayed, ready to take her weight if she fell and she couldn't help but swoon at the chivalrous gesture.

She focused on his face instead of the sink, but quickly regretted that decision as well. His deep blue eyes swallowed her whole and she admired every chiseled feature of his perfect face. She watched his tongue absentmindedly sweep across his bottom lip as he focused on her hand and she felt the blood rush back to her cheeks, wishing his tongue was touching her lips instead.

Get a hold of yourself and quit being such a creep.

Unfortunately scolding herself was useless. Her body's response to Pierce was visceral and uncontrollable as if she were being pulled to him, drawn to him like a magnet that was too strong to resist. She knew she should feel guilty about her feelings for Pierce, but she didn't, which spoke volumes.

Letting him take care of her was easy and she allowed it for no other reason that it made her feel cherished and she liked that feeling. 

As the re-entered the empty bar area, he towered over her as she sat on a barstool and wrapped his large hand around hers, holding it tightly high at his chest in one hand. He was elevating her injury and keeping pressure on it as he cradled her palm, gently sweeping his thumb back and forth over her skin. It was a soothing, intimate gesture, one that he gave while expecting nothing in return.

How could I have been so wrong about him? He is thoughtful and caring. Nothing like I thought he would be. 

Natalie was flooded with every emotion imaginable - except guilt. Kenneth's absence in her heart was the most convincing evidence that her feelings for him had indeed changed, which was a thought she had wrestled with for a while, but was too ashamed to admit. 

Pierce, who was practically a stranger to her, had been more caring and attentive in the past ten minutes than Kenneth had in the past ten months and that was unacceptable. Pierce looked at her like she was a precious treasure and cared for her in a way Kenneth never had. His sweet gestures acted like a flood light that illuminated and highlight every crack in her failed relationship. Her swirling thoughts finally landed on one loud conclusion, a conclusion that she should have come to months ago.

I deserve better than Kenneth. I deserve to feel wanted and to be cared for. 

Suddenly as if she had thought him into existence, she heard Kenneth's voice and became aware of how close she was to Pierce.

"Who the hell is this?" Kenneth screamed.

The guilt she should have felt was nowhere to be found and in its place was only irritation that they had been interrupted.

Kenneth's hard, loud steps echoed off the tiled floor and she quickly spun around to face him.

"This is my friend, Pierce." The word friend tasted bitter as it left her lips.

"I cut my hand and he was helping me get the bleeding to stop." she admitted honestly.

"Well he looks like a hell of a lot more than a friend to me." Kenneth spat, narrowing his eyes at Pierce.