Be Mine, Always

chapter eleven

Melody’s POV~ Present Day

        It is nerve wracking meeting your old boyfriend for dinner. Especially when you haven’t seen each other in four years and things didn’t exactly end well. My palms sweat as I smooth them on my light blue jeans and adjust the scoop neck red shirt that is much too tight. In actuality it is exactly my size but I hate wearing form fitting shirts. Mostly, I wear flowy tank tops or a shirt just a tad big. 

        The restaurant is abuzz with conversations and there are multiple TV’s that play various sports games or music videos, one even has America’s Greatest Fails. After I decided to be honest with Xander, he invited me out to dinner. I don’t know where he got the money to pay for dinner, but I have every intention of paying for myself. He just got out of prison for Christ's sake. 

        My eyes are attracted to movement in my periphery and I see Xander stride through the doors, wearing a button down shirt and dark wash jeans. His hair is styled to keep the strands off his forehead, and when his eyes catch mine, my heart stops. 

        My breathing hitches as I wave him over and then take a healthy gulp of water. The room has become much too hot and I can feel a flush start to creep over my cleavage and neck. With a quick glance down I curse as I see the red splotches. 

        Fuck, fuck fuckity fuck fuck. Jesus fucking christ. How splendid! 

        He sits across from me in the dimly lit booth and I can see he has shaved. I find I miss the stubble that has been kissing his jaw, this baby face reminds me so much of the past. He chuckles as he runs a hand over his smooth jaw, his thumb snagging on his lower lip causing my stupid stomach to flip. 

        When we were younger he was in good shape, but he was thin and lean. Now, after almost four years apart he is… buff. Broad and thick, a man in every sense of the word. 

        Can he not be so damn hot? It’s not fair. How am I supposed to not eye fuck him when he looks like that. He’s doing it on purpose, I swear. “Don’t worry, it won’t stay this way for long. It was just getting too itchy.”

        Oh no, he can’t grow it back, he’s even more attractive with it. Swallowing hard, I force a giggle and twist the black cloth napkin. “I wasn’t worried.”

        He smiles as the waitress comes and orders a water and a beer. When she leaves with his drink order, those hypnotizing eyes take me in. I try my best not to fidget, but my hands won’t stop wringing the napkin. He leans back in his seat and manspreads beneath the table, invading my space. 

        I glare at him over the table and tuck my feet in closer to my seat. He tosses me an infuriating wink but I can’t help but smile a little. He’s always been so full of himself. “Do you remember when you hated even a little stubble? You wouldn’t even kiss me, you said it poked you.” His eyes dance with the memory. 

        The same memory floats around in my mind and I allow myself to feel the fond feelings the memory brings. “Yeah, I hated it, it made you look so… grown. Plus I didn’t find facial hair sexy. I liked…” Oh hell I can’t finish that sentence. That I liked feeling his smooth skin brush against my neck, or between my legs. Yeah, I can’t say that. “It suits you now,” I finish, pushing my hair behind my shoulder and tucking my bangs back behind my ear.  

        “You look really good,” he says, eyes flicking over my face and chest. 

        My face heats and I take another long sip of water and a drop falls onto my cleavage from the condensation on the glass and his eyes dip, watching the bead slip down and out of view. His gaze heats and I focus on keeping my breathing even. He has always had such a strong effect over me. “I’ve been working out a lot,” I admit.