For The Different Monster - Chapter Six

"Indulge in me. Let me be the fragrant taste your mouth desires." ~ A. A. Malee

The voice that came from his lips gave Brooke a temporary case of amnesia. For a brief moment she forgot who she was, where she was and how to speak. The dark eyes that glared into hers were hypnotizing and put her in a trance. She carefully examined this flawless being standing in front of her and saw a sweet tasty treat. Suddenly, she had a sweet tooth; a sweet tooth that craved him.

The spell was broken when Adrian turned his head to the side with a puzzled look and said, “Are you really gonna leave me hangin’ like that?”

Filled with embarrassment, Brooke gently grabbed his hand, giggled and manage to muster, “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! Hello, Adrian. It’s very nice to meet you. I’m Brooke.”

She smiled, covered her mouth and released his hand. She didn’t want to be so transparent but she was failing miserably. She felt alive for the first time and was ready to experience all the world, and Adrian, had to offer.

He leaned in closer to her, he knew she would hang on every word, “Are you out here all by yourself, Brooke?”

The question sounded devilish to her ears and it sent shivers down her spine. He was close enough that she inhaled and took in his scent. He smelled absolutely delicious to her and she did everything in her power to keep from throwing herself at him. “Yes, Adrian. I decided that I needed a night to unwind and um” she nods her head toward the group of young men behind him, “are those your friends? Shouldn’t you be getting back to them?” She flashed a quick smirk to let him know that she was being playful.

With a tone and expression so salacious that it almost made her knees buckle, “I think these guys can handle a night without me, how about you and I go get a drink? The only thing that I want to do at this moment is watch … and possibly help you unwind.” He leans in, places his face next to hers, his lips softly touching her ear and whispers, “I want to know everything there is to know about you, Brooke.”

She had goosebumps all over her body. He awakened something in her that she wasn’t aware existed and she was giddy with excitement to see where the night could lead. She looked into Adrian’s eyes, those dark eyes that showed desire for her, shook her head yes and smiled. He extended his arm in an ‘after you’ gesture and they walked down the street, his eyes focused on her, while hers focused ahead. She could feel him watching her and fell in love with knowing she had every ounce of his attention. They reached an area where the crowd was thicker, he got behind her and grabbed her sides slightly above her hips. She was amazed at the way a simple touch from him sent shockwaves throughout her body and she didn’t want it to end.

They found a bar at the end of the street that wasn’t as crowded as the rest. They walked in, had a seat at the bar and was immediately greeted by the bartender. He ordered a Heineken and she ordered a Hurricane. She lived around this area her whole life and always heard about Hurricanes on Bourbon, she felt herself lucky to be with him while having this first time experience; something that may seem silly to most.

He leans into her, his shoulder touching hers, “So, why don’t you tell me a little something about yourself.”

“There’s not much to tell,” tucking her hair behind her ear, “I would much rather hear about you, are you from here?”

“Oh no, sweetie, you don’t get off the hook that easy. Wait, let’s get our drinks … you’ll loosen up, and no Brooke, I’m not from here. I’m actually from Denver and here for only a few weeks on business. I just got in this morning.”

She was saddened to hear that he would only be in town for a few weeks, and the expression on her face showed it. He gently placed his hand on the side of her face, and turned her to face him. Brooke looked into his eyes, oh the shockwaves, she was putty in his hands. The sly crooked grin, again, she was under his spell. “I can work wherever I want Brooke. I can extend my trip and stay as long as I want. All I need is a reason.” He leaned in and softly kissed the tip of her nose, pulled back just a tad, still extremely close and with a voice so low only she could hear, “Do you want me to stay?”

The bartender brought the drinks and Adrian backed away to take a sip while Brooke was frozen in place for a couple of seconds. He looked at her and giggled. She snapped out of the trance she found herself in yet again and wondered if he was some sort of magician. She smiled and grabbed her drink, she fumbled around with the straw a bit before taking a sip and she giggled at herself. The drink was fruity and sweet, delicious … she took another sip. She was thinking that she should say something, she didn’t want him thinking that she had no interest in him, although she thought he knew better than that. “Thanks for the drink, it’s yummy.”

“You’re very welcome. Are you really not gonna answer the question? You’re gonna start giving me a complex.”

They both smiled. She took another sip, “Well, we can’t have that now, can we?” She turns in his direction so that her whole body is facing him, she really doesn’t want to seem too eager but feels that he can see right through her, “I think I’d like to spend some time getting to know you. What kind of girl would I be if I automatically said yes to that question?”

He turned toward her, they’re knees were almost touching, “I can live with that … for now.” He grabbed her hand, leaned in and gave it a gentle kiss and placed it on her knee. He seemed to know exactly what he was doing. “So tell me, Brooke, are you a local or a tourist?”

She took another sip of her drink. She noticed her face starting to feel warm. “Can't you tell, I'm a southern belle?" She giggled, "I was born in the city and grew up just a few miles away. This is my first time on Bourbon though. I haven’t gotten out much lately.”

He studied her when she spoke and she opened up a little more with every sip of her drink but she was very careful not to bring up the events of her past, no matter how much alcohol she consumed, that part of her was already programmed. She talked a little about her family, but the majority of the conversation was about her time at the university. Her work, her studies … she let him in, but not too much. He seemed just as unwilling to divulge information, he was more focused on finding out who Brooke was. He knew she was holding back but he also knew that he had at least three weeks to find out more and he had hoped to charm her enough that she asked him to stay. He was just as smitten with her as she was of him. He wanted to take her back to his hotel and devour her. His primal instincts started kicking in.

They both finished their drinks. She told him that she was in the city for the weekend but would have to return back to school Monday morning. He grabbed her hands “Brooke, would you spend the weekend with me?”

Her heart skipped a beat and without thinking she said, “I would love to, Adrian.”