Valerie part II

I whirled, bringing my arm up, prepared to hit whoever it was. A hand closed around my wrist, stopping the built up momentum. I gasped. It was him! He was only inches away from my face, smirking wickedly at me. His eyebrow quirked. "Feisty aren't you?" His voice was just as mesmerizing as his eyes, deep and smooth. "You're Valerie?"
I nodded searching for words. "How did you know I was in here?" Yeah, I know, witty, huh?
He smiled as though amused. "Your friend told me you would probably make a run for it, so I assumed you would come in here." He released my wrist and took a step back. "But why, I wonder, would you want to hide from me?"
He'd removed his cloak and rolled his sleeves up to the elbows. The muscles and tendons in his arms moved under his skin as he balled up his hands and shoved them in his pockets.
"Uh..." I couldn't seem to tear my eyes from his arms. "I was just going to lie down. I'm not feeling good." Can you say lame?
He chuckled. "You're nervous. Just come talk to me, will you?" He motioned to the couch with his head.
My cheeks burned at his bluntness. Avoiding his eyes, I walked around and sat on the edge of the couch. I grabbed a throw pillow and leaned back, hugging it to my chest. I was feeling a little self-conscious.
The cushion dipped as he sat next to me, barely brushing my leg as he did so. "Why are you so uncomfortable? All I would like to do is talk."
I hugged the pillow tighter. "So talk."
He frowned, "I'm not going to do anything to you." He sighed when I just stared at him. "Okay. So, your friend said it's your birthday. How old are you?"
I had a feeling there was more than just polite curiosity in that question. I was almost afraid to answer. "Eighteen."
"Hmm." I could see the cogs working in his brain. "You don't seem happy about it. Don't you want to be an adult?"
I eyed him suspiciously. "That depends. Why do you want me to be an adult?" To be honest he didn't look that much older than me. I would have guessed he was about twenty.
He frowned and took hold of my shoulders. His eyes were intense. "Valerie, I have no intention of doing anything to you." A smiled crept onto his lips. "Unless you want me to."
It was hard to breathe. That look on his face scared me to death. It also sent a thrill up my spine. No guy had ever talked to me like that before. They usually saved that kind of stuff for Sarah.
His smirk deepened at the dumb look on my face. "The question is..." He leaned down, inches from my face. "Do you want me to?"
I'm pretty sure my heart stopped right that second.
Then it kicked into high gear, racing like I'd just run a marathon. His eyes were so hypnotic. Like huge moons hanging in the night sky. He could make me do anything with those eyes...it's a good thing he didn't know that. His long black hair framing his face didn't help either. It was the color of onyx and it looked so soft and thick. Having him this close made me want to tangle my fingers in it and kiss that perfectly shaped mouth of his. And his cheek bones stood out sharply, defined clearly by the shadows in the dark living room.
I caught myself staring and looked away. My cheeks flushed. If I had stared much longer my will would have dissolved and I would have let him do anything to me. That thought sent another thrill through me.
I heard him chuckle and he let go of my shoulders. I thought I was home free until he dragged his fingers across my cheek. Chills erupted on my neck as he caressed my jaw and down my neck to my collar bone. "You're skin is so beautiful and soft." As was his voice. He cocked his head. "What are you supposed to be again?"
"Huh?" I had lost all train of thought, concentrating only on where his fingers went next.
"You’re costume. What are you supposed to be?" He was deeply amused.
"Oh!" I had forgotten. I looked down at the skimpy little purple skirt I was wearing. "Uh...Teresa. You know, like Barbie and Teresa? She's Barbie's best friend. Sarah's supposed to be Barbie."
Thankfully he cut off my blabbering with another chuckle. "But your eyes are not brown. They're green."
I stammered, caught off guard again. I wasn’t exactly sure which question to ask first. What came out of my mouth was “Why do you know what color a Barbie’s eyes are?”
The amusement danced through his eyes. I don’t think I could have entertained him more if I tried. “I have sisters.”
I blinked and looked away, scooting as far away from him as I could with him sitting so close. His proximity was unnerving me. I could feel the heat rolling off his skin and his breath on my face. While we were talking his hand had drifted to my leg and now he was tracing a line into the skin on my thigh. Back and forth, back and forth, he was driving me crazy. Each time his finger came up it got closer and closer to the hem of my skirt as if teasing me and then he would trace the same line back down to my knee.
He saw me staring and smirked. He wrapped both his hands behind my knees and jerked me forward. I recoiled from his outstretched hand, but he only grabbed and few strands of my hair and ran his fingers through it. “I’ve told you a few times now that I’m not going to do anything to you without your permission. Why won’t you believe that?”
I looked up into those eyes (first mistake) and studied him. He didn’t seem like he would actually force me into anything, just like he was genuinely intrigued by me. Or maybe I was just hypnotized by his eyes again.
He leaned forward, bringing his lips close to the skin on my cheek. For some reason, I didn’t stop him (second mistake). Then he whispered, lips moving against my ear. “Is it because, behind those beautiful green eyes, you really want me to do something to you? Is it because you want to ask me but can’t find the courage?”
I gasped and pushed him away. “Okay, I know Sarah sent you in here to…make this the best birthday I’ve ever had or whatever, but I don’t want that.” I stood and moved back to the stairs, putting the couch safely between us. “I know how tenacious she can be so tell her what you want, but you don’t have to do all of this just because she asked you to.”
He stood with a smile on his face. “Tenacious? That’s a good word for your little friend.” He shook his head as he grabbed his cloak from the back of a nearby chair. “I’m not here because she asked me to be. I just wanted to wish you happy birthday personally. And well, after what she told me I couldn’t resist…” He broke off mid-sentence, swinging the cloak around his shoulders. With out another word he turned and headed for the door.
“Hey! Now that’s not fair. You did that on purpose.”
He stopped. “Did what on purpose?”
I huffed, resisting the urge to stomp my foot. “You said that so I would ask you what you meant and you would be able to stay and try to seduce me again. You’re manipulative, you know that?”
“I haven’t been trying to seduce you, at all. I’ve been trying to get you to recognize that you want me too. It doesn’t matter, though. You’ll see it sooner or later, whether you want to or not.” He shrugged and continued on his way.
“Wait. You can’t go until you tell me what Sarah said.” I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
He laughed once, harsh and humorless. “You think I’m just going to tell you? That easily?”
I pouted. “Yes, I do. If you don’t, Sarah will.”
He cocked his head. “I like the way you do that with your lips. It’s almost irresistible.”
I bit my lip. Everything I did, he found a way to compliment it. “Fine.  I’m going upstairs. You do whatever the hell you feel like doing. Good night.” I turned and stormed up the stairs.
It felt good to finally get away from those eyes. I sighed, practically running down the hall. Maybe it was a good thing that I’d never see that guy again. I didn’t need some guy hanging around trying to get into my pants. Because I was absolutely positive that’s what he was trying to do.

I flopped stomach first onto Sarah’s bed. I was so completely exhausted. I knew I wouldn’t be able to fall asleep though. Those silver eyes were still haunting me. That’s all I could see when I closed my eyes. He should’ve been out of the house by now, probably telling Sarah that I’d made and idiot of myself. She would probably yell at me for it later. But who was she to try to set me up like that?
He was pretty hot though. I just couldn’t get why he was trying to seduce me. Me, of all people. It’s not like I was as gorgeous as Sarah. Just plain me.
I jumped as something brushed my ankle. I flipped around…
And suddenly wished that I could disappear.