Making a choice

NOVA

My angel-like crush was leaning against the wall with a pint of beer in his hand. A dark half-smile curled up his mouth while his eyes thoroughly explored the giggling blonde's cleavage. She knew which part of her body stirred his attention and even pushed her chest toward him, giving him easier access.

"Seriously?" I couldn't help but let out a sharp hiss that signaled my irritation.

Jarvis let out a deep sigh. "Fortunately, Felix doesn't come here often," he commented. "Every time he does, he makes me want to have a pair of bobbies and become one of those cheap sluts around him."

I snorted, turning my eyes back to the bartender. "You can't be serious, Jarvis. I know that this guy is handsome, but that wouldn't make me lose every ounce of self-esteem like this half-naked blonde."

Jarvis leaned on the counter and smirked. "He is NOT handsome; he is a GOD of sexiness."

More laughter came out of my throat, but this time it sounded hysterical. "Oh, come on! He's not THAT hot!"

Jarvis' eyebrows rose. "You haven't seen him naked, have you?"

I cleared my throat and smiled awkwardly. "No. How would I? I only know his name," I said since I still hadn't confirmed whether or not those incredible abdominal muscles I touched in the forest were his. "Have you?"

Jarvis nodded, biting his lip. "I ran in the woods with him once. When he shifted back, I almost had a heart attack. Since that day, I started praying to Goddess to send me a mate as BIG as him."

This information did weird things to my imagination, and I had to bite my tongue not to drag the matter of Felix's size any further. I took a deep breath, trying to focus on my beer, but before I knew it, my eyes shifted to Felix's side of the bar. Our eyes met.

"Hecate, save me," I mumbled, already melting in the blue of his irises.

The half-naked blonde had her hand looped under his arm, and they were walking out of the bar, but strangely, his eyes were locked on me. I gulped. Whatever dumb expression formed on my face earned me his insanely seductive smile. I could breathe again only after he and that blonde walked out of the bar.

"Oh. My. Fucking. Goddess!" Jarvis clapped his hands, grinning at me with wicked excitement. "You are so on his radar, girl!"

I laughed in an absolute panic. What the hell was wrong with me?! That guy had just left the bar with some blonde tramp, but the image of his smile had engraved itself in my mind so deeply that I couldn't think of anything but him.

I had every reason to avoid him. A rational woman with self-respect would have rolled her eyes in disapproval or flipped him a bird, but did I react like that? No! I practically drooled while looking at him! Could I be any more obvious… or pathetic?!  

Jarvis was still grinning at me, making me want to punch him. Since I would try anything just to wipe that smile off his face, I said, "I'm not on his radar or whatever. He caught me staring at him and his date, so he offered me a smile—a charity for a dumb, mediocre witch."

Jarvis frowned. "I can agree with the dumb part, but only because you are obviously underestimating your looks. I might be gay, but even I acknowledge that you are one hot babe. With your black hair, flawless skin, and emerald eyes, you are impossible not to stare at. I also bet that more than half of my male customers fantasize about fondling those curves of yours. Those who don't fantasize about you are gay."

I chuckled and blew him a kiss. "Thanks, Jarvis. You know how to brighten the girl's mood."

A minute later, I started chewing on my burger, trying to erase any Felix-related images from my head. It worked... sort of: I was able to get rid of the image of his smile by thinking about him naked. Goddess, I should find a nice guy and get rid of my horniness problem. By the end of devouring my meal, I decided to place all my hopes in Jarvis's first statement about Felix: he didn't come to this bar often. That gave me a chance to survive the upcoming weeks without meeting him and making a fool of myself again.

***

Jarvis was wrong. Felix showed up the next day, a minute after I walked in. I panicked, thinking that perhaps my friend was right, and Felix had truly chosen me as his next prey, but he had never even gotten close to me. A few of his friends showed up, and, a little while later, another half-naked she-wolf was writhing to get his attention.

"He is bad news, Nova," I told myself. "Ignore him. Don't look at him; soon you will forget about him."

Of course, that didn't work. He was impossible to ignore. He smelled like lime and rosemary, and whenever he walked into the bar, all I could smell was him. That was why I was able to register the sole second he appeared without even looking, and he kept coming to that bar—my favorite bar—every single night. Was he doing it on purpose to torment me?! Had I done something to him in my previous life?!

I caught him staring at me a few times, and every time, his gaze ignited the hellfire within me. Luckily, I survived. I sent thank-you prayers to every higher power when I had finally finished my assignment and knew that it was the last day I was forced to dine in that bar in the evening. But that night was different...

When I walked into the bar, Felix was already there. He was alone. I walked past him and sat in my usual place by the bar. This time he got up and sat next to me. My heart started to race, and heat flooded me with the strength of a tsunami.

"It looks like I'm into witches," he said, piercing me with his alluring blue eyes, and then he added, "For the last two weeks I fucked she-wolves, but only thought of you."

My jaw might have dropped at that moment. Was he serious?! That sounded like the worst pick-up line ever! Did he think I would be impressed by his cocky confession?! Who did he think he was?! Fury rose within me. I was going to yell at him… or slap him…

He kissed me. That son-of-a-bitch kissed me! He used my moment of silence to pull me close. He snaked his arms around my waist, and his mouth crashed against mine. His tongue daringly parted my lips, giving me the sweetest caresses I had ever felt. And the worst part was that I kissed him back!

"Wow," he murmured when he finally broke our kiss. "It was even better than in my dream."

I blinked in disbelief. "Y-you dreamed about me?"

He curved his seductive lips and purred, "Every night since I found you in that forest."

I was melting again. His words fried my brain's circuits. My sanity clearly went elsewhere since he just grabbed my hand and said, "Come with me." Then he pulled me out of the bar, and I just let him lead the way.

Yes, I must have gone insane. He wasn't a "nice guy." On the contrary, there were all kinds of flashing red warning signs around him. But I couldn't resist him. I wanted him badly. I made my choice.