The Heart Of You ♚ Jim Moriarty

Eight

His vision was swimmy, blurry with the sight of her. Jim leaned back in his chair to watch Alaina sip her white wine. She radiated with the glow of the candle lights, the gloss of her eyes caught the flame like a TV screen. Her lips were tacky and wet as she talked, warm from the alcohol. He considered how sweet it would be to reach out and run the plush of his fingers against them.

From her peripheral Alaina could see his security team scattered around the otherwise empty room. There were three men, tall and bulky, and a woman who looked like she had no trouble holding her own. She flicked her head in their direction, subtle enough only Jim saw.

"Are they always this scary?" She whispered.

"Don't worry about The Wolves," he snickered. "they're kept on a tight leash."

Alaina crooked her head back, none of them stared directly at the table, like they were avoiding the area completely. She glanced around the room, other than The Wolves, and the waitress, they were alone in the restaurant. How fitting, Jim thought.

"Where is everyone?" She asked. Her light brown hair rolled down her chest in waves and Jim was glad he was the only soul to savor her elegance.

"I told you," he grinned. "I had a reservation I didn't want to take alone."

"You had a reservation for the entire restaurant? For an hour?"

He tipped his head. "Well, I wasn't sure what time you would come by so I booked it for the day."

"Wow," she sang. "you were so sure I would have dinner with you, huh?"

Jim couldn't pull his gaze away from her pillow lips. They pursed with a teasing smile.

"You're here aren't you?"

Blush spread across her cheeks and down her chest as a triumphant star gleamed behind his eyes. He wanted to push further, talk until she was red as a rose and covered in flattered goosebumps. He was about to speak when their waitress zipped in and set down their meals. The aroma danced around Alaina, spices and herbs introducing themselves to her palate for the first time. Jim was right, the taste burst in her mouth and coated her tongue with unbelievable flavor.

"This is fantastic," Alaina said after wiping her mouth. "but you can't keep me in suspense forever. In fact you only have thirty minutes left."

"For my own vanity I'm going to pretend you're not counting down." He baited. Alaina rolled her eyes, fish hooks held the corners of her mouth catching a smile she couldn't get rid of. "My job is a little hard to explain."

"You said you were some sort of businessman. For what company?" She crossed her legs under the table and accidentally rubbed his ankle. Jim bit back his fervor.

"I work on my own. And I'm more of a specialist. An adviser for people who have nowhere to turn, no one to help them."

"Help them with what?" Alaina asked leaning in. Jim followed her movements and placed his right hand next to hers on the table.

"Anything," he whispered letting his fingers draw a trail over her knuckles. His touch sent an icy thrill to her knees. "'Dear Jim, please help me get rid of my neighbors yipping dog.' 'Dear Jim, please can you help me get out of the country.' 'Dear Jim, will you please make my cheating husband disappear.'"

Alaina drew back at his last words, his voice never wavered. He said it with an uninterested tone and Alaina cringed to think it was a normal request for him.

"Excuse me?" Her throat had dried out and she quickly took a sip of wine.

Jim studied her frantic movements, concerned he ruined their evening. He leaned back and sucked in a quick breath. It took a moment for her to meet his eyes but when she did he noticed the flame dancing in her pupils, bright and large. Maybe she wasn't afraid, he contemplated. Just caught off guard.