Harry Styles - Instant Attraction Ch. 03

3. In The Desert

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Charley fussed with her appearance a moment longer in the mirror. She'd chickened out of wearing the tight, baby pink two-piece skirt and crop top ensemble Caroline had once given her, and had put on her favourite pair of high waisted denim jeans. They clung to her like a second skin, and she'd chosen not to wear underwear, making her feel a little naughty. Harry wouldn't have to know that.

She'd paired the medium blue jeans with a white, off-the-shoulder, cropped top, revealing an expanse of tan midriff. The top had cute, puffy sleeves, and she pulled one up over her shoulder and left the other down. She'd put on natural makeup, eyeliner, mascara, highlighter, a small tinge of blush and brushed gloss over her lips. A touch of bronzer under her cheekbones and over her eyelids created a subtle sculpted look. Charley's lustrous, black hair tumbled down around her shoulders, offsetting the white top and making her skin glow. The addition of a thin gold chain around her neck that dipped into her cleavage below her top, and the dusting of her collar bones and shoulders with highlighting powder, helped enhance the glow even further.

Since the day was going to be fairly warm again, Charley had opted to wear flat, white sandals with gold fasteners, her toenails painted a summery coral pink. She fumbled in her closet and pulled out a small, tan bag she could put over her shoulder and fit the basics in -- phone, key card, a small purse, lip gloss and a compact mirror.

Reaching for her gold-rimmed sunglasses, she blew out a breath taking one last look. Well, she didn't think she was going to blow his socks off with this casual look, but she had done her best. She'd wanted to look good for him. She swiped at her cheeksto reduce the glow a touch, worrying it was too much, but finally gave up. What was done was done. He'd be downstairs in five minutes.

Looking around her apartment, she backing out of her apartment door to leave, and shrieked as she bumped into someone behind her, her hands flying to her throat as she spun around, nearly losing her balance.

"Harry!" she squealed, her heart thundering as strong hands steadied her, green eyes very close to hers. His wide smile spoke volumes as he prevented her from stumbling backwards.

"We've got to stop meeting like this," he murmured teasingly, his breath minty fresh. Charley felt like she might melt into a puddle on the floor. The chemistry was really real. Immediate and palpable. She couldn't speak.

He seemed to realise this, and slowly took a step towards her, making her step back until her back was pressed against the wall next to her apartment door, which was still wide open. Her big, hazel eyes gazed up into his and he was mesmerised. She was shorter today with flats on, and he liked it.

"Hi," he murmured. His mouth was only inches from her slightly parted lips.

"Hi," she breathed back, feeling rooted to the spot. Harry watched her mouth form the breathy word, her tongue darting out to wet her suddenly dry lips.

Hell. The decision not to kiss her was one of the hardest he'd ever had to make, but the allure of her apartment door being open, and this crazy sexual tension between them meant they might not end up leaving on their date if he didn't reel himself back in now. He flicked his eyes back up to her eyes and pulled back a little, noting a small flicker of disappointment in her gaze before she hid it. He stifled a smile. They were both as affected as each other.

Staying close, he produced the car keys from his pocket and dangled them in front of her face. "I guess you win," he smirked. She didn't react for a second, confusion evident, and then her eyes sparked and she shoved him away, snatching the keys from his grasp. She recovered.

"You betcha I do," she smiled smugly. Charley took a step away from him, turning to lock her apartment door to give her a moment to regain control and she took a surreptitious breath. He'd just acknowledged she'd blown his socks off. She tried to push back the pleasure at that realisation, the smile tugging hard at her face.

Wheeling back to face him, she feigned being easy and breezy, sweeping past him to the elevators, dangling the keys from her hand in triumph. She heard him laugh behind her as he caught up with her and he immediately slipped his hand into hers. Pleasure flooded through her at his familiarity. She flashed him a shy smile as he tapped the elevator button. Since it had only been sent up, the doors pinged open immediately and they stepped in.

The mirrored walls made it hard for Charley to concentrate as suddenly Harry was all around her. He was looking especially sexy today. A simple, black v-neck t-shirt was paired with black skinny jeans, and brown, expensive-looking loafers with no socks. He had two chains around his neck today, one gold and one silver. He looked like he'd just walked out of a runway magazine, he was so effortlessly stylish. She noted the black sunglasses tucked into the neck of his shirt, pulling the V down even lower, the silver necklace ending in a cross pendant, and the gold one dipping too low for her to see if it held anything on its end. The shirt neckline was so low she noted the top of two tattoos, which intrigued her. They looked like wings, the lightly tan skin under them pulled taut over lean muscles. They made her want to investigate the rest of his body and her fingers itched to touch them.

A flush suddenly burned up her neck and rushed into her cheeks at the thought and she turned away slightly from him, clenching the fingers of her other hand and biting her lip, hoping he wouldn't notice. No such luck with all the damn mirrors. Harry tugged her closer, suddenly releasing her hand and placing his fingers very lightly instead on the bare part of her back. She flushed brighter at the butterfly touch of his fingertips on her sensitive skin. He leaned down and whispered teasingly into her hair, "What were you thinking about just then?"

Charley couldn't speak, so she just shook her head and brought a hand up over her eyes in mortification as Harry chuckled but didn't press her further. Thankfully the elevator pinged and the doors flew open, and Harry, still smirking, gently pushed her out and guided her toward the lobby doors.

This...thing...between them was becoming painful. Desperately, Charley pulled her sunglasses down from her head over her eyes as she tried to gain some sort of equilibrium back. She was already so off balance and they hadn't even left on their date yet. She could sense his quiet smugness and it annoyed, for a reason she didn't understand, but it helped her re-focus. Oh he was so unaffected was he? Charley thought in a huff. Her competitive nature suddenly roared to the forefront.

She straightened her posture and a wide smile came over her face as she abruptly stopped, causing him to run into her before taking a half step back as she bent over in front of him, "Oh sorry Harry, just need to get this strap on my sandal." She fussed with the white and gold strap for a moment, then stood up and walked with a slight sway to her hips to the driver's side of the car. She glanced back over her shoulder to see him standing quite still where she'd stopped to bend over, his eyes fixed on her backside just as she'd hoped.

His eyes flicked up to hers and she quirked her eyebrow at him. She noted a faint flush in his own neck as he realised he'd been caught out staring. She grinned at him and lifted a shoulder in a half shrug and heard him growl quietly as he stalked closer, "You little witch. You're not wearing underwear are you?" It only widened her smile further as she unlocked the car and slid into the driver's seat, shutting the door, deftly avoiding him.

Charley laughed in delight as he bent to give her a look through the window, then stomp around to the other side of the car and climb in beside her.

"You're not are you?" Harry insisted, staring at her with vivid green eyes, but Charley was back in control and she just laughed, choosing not to answer and hummed a merry little tune as she started the car.

"Hmm," he said. "You're mischievous today." His mouth finally quirked back up into a smile as he gave her another sideways look. "I like it."

Charley just grinned at him, then pulled out into traffic, loving how the Jaguar purred under her hands as she guided it through downtown L.A. "Where to, flirty boy?"

Harry shot her a dirty look. "Head east out of the city," he directed, and his expression changed to one of smouldering intensity as he looked at her. Charley tried to concentrate on the road, but he was making it difficult -- he had nestled his body on an angle in the passenger seat so he could stare at her as she drove.

"Do you mind?" she asked finally, irritated. Her body was tingling all over, and she was very aware of her bare shoulders and midriff under his gaze. Charley's pulse was jumping at her neck and her inability to control her body around him was making her grumpy.

"Not at all," Harry said breezily, smiling guilelessly at her, the wind ruffling his stupidly cute curls. It annoyed her that he looked so sexy draped against the passenger door like that, one arm braced against the window frame and the other hand tapping on the centre console between them, very close to her right side. It was starting to cause all sorts of tingles and goosebumps there. It became very tense and quiet and Charley was very aware it was now some sort of stand off. Who would win? The silence intensified, the car seemingly full of unsaid things, and she was aware of his eyes lazily running up and down her body.

"Okay!" she burst out at last, unable to stand it any longer. "You win this round! Now please, let me drive in peace if you don't want to see your car crushed into the side of a truck."

Harry laughed and stretched, smiling smugly at her. He plucked his sunglasses off his shirt and put them on, hiding his intense green gaze and settling his body into a more natural position facing forward. He didn't reply, but Charley silently fumed that he'd played the game better than her. Part of the attraction between them was that they both knew now how the other felt, but no one was saying it outright just yet. She didn't know why she was so mad, but it was better than feeling like she was going to spontaneously combust under his gaze.

And then suddenly, his warm hand enveloped hers over the top of the stick shift, and she looked down, startled. Then she glanced at him and she saw him smile at her, then glance out the window. She looked straight ahead and tried to stifle the small smile that threatened to overtake her scowl. Damn him, she thought, losing the battle as the smile won out. Harry glanced back at her and smiled wider, but not teasingly, and rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand in a soothing manner. She gave him a look over the top of her glasses, but she wasn't at all mad any more. Just like that, the tension evaporated and they started to chuckle.

"Okay, no more games," Harry laughed, squeezing her hand before holding both of his up in the air to show he surrendered. "Let's agree to behave ourselves today."

Charley grinned. "I will if you will," she countered teasingly, changing lanes.

One eyebrow raised above his sunnies. "Does that mean you'll be naughty if I am, too?" he teased, his British accent licking deliciously up her spine on the word 'naughty'. His tone was much more playful now though, and she squirmed happily as their light flirting resumed.

"Maybe," she looked sideways at him with a smile. He smiled back and dropped his left hand back over the top of hers on the stick shift again and traced his fingers on the back of her hand in an absent-minded way.

"Take a left here and then we've got about 20 minutes on this highway 'til our destination," he said mysteriously as she obeyed and turned left at the next set of lights leading out of the city.

"Will you tell me now where we're going?" Charley tried, mischievously trying to stroke his fingers with her own from underneath his hand.

"No! And I thought you were going to behave yourself, woman!" He complained loudly, and slapped her hand lightly, making her giggle. Charley wound down her window a little further and then Harry pressed a button on the dash and the whole top started to pull back over their heads. Charley glanced up with an exclamation of delight. The wind was fast, but was coming from the front, so her long, thick hair was swept behind her in a trail of inky blackness.

Harry was mesmerised once again by her, and couldn't drag his eyes from her, smiling at her pleasure as she laughed, her hair whipping around her neck and over the head rest. He was ridiculously pleased he'd let her drive -- she looked crazy sexy right now, and he could watch her unabashedly. Her enthusiasm was catching, and he laughed, hanging his arm out the window, palm to the air as she let out a whoop and changed lanes to speed past another car, honking the horn.

They spent the rest of the trip laughing and flirting and chatting about every day nonsense, his hand occasionally stroking hers when she rested it back on the gear stick. Eventually they came to the turn off, and Harry directed her to Luca's. She smiled and peered eagerly through the windscreen as she parked, looking at the pizzeria's sign.

"I love pizza!" she exclaimed and Harry grinned, leaping out of the car and dashing around to open her door before she could get out. She smiled.

"Very gentlemanly Harry," she commented, injecting surprise into her voice as he helped her out of the car.

"I'm not usually so badly behaved as when I'm around you," he winked, but he meant it. He'd never acted so crazy, or so hot for, a woman before. He wondered if getting her into bed with him would quell or stoke his desires. He wasn't sure, but he wanted to find out. Harry had always been a gentleman, and very respectful of women like his mother had raised him, but Charley seemed to make him forget who he was, and that made him nervous. He had to try harder around her to slow down and be normal. He locked the car, pressing the button to put the roof back up, then stuffed the keys in his pocket. "I'm driving home, remember?" He liked how she pretended to stick her nose in the air, then grin back at him, linking her arm into his as they walked towards the pizzeria. The touching and physical connection between them was becoming a more and more necessary thing for both of them. He tucked it tightly inside his own and smiled down at her.

"Harry!" boomed a heavily accented voice from the kitchen, and Charley saw a big, Italian man, grey at the temples, with a big, grey moustache, coming towards them.

"Luca," Harry greeted, letting go of Charley and giving the man a hug. "This is Charley."

"Ah! You haven't brought a young lady with you here before, eh?" Luca raised an eyebrow at Harry, then turned to Charley and took her hand. "Lovely to meet you, cara. You are a true beauty. Why are you with this lout?" Luca raised an eyebrow at Harry who rolled his eyes.

Charley blushed a little, muffling a laugh at his words and returned his greeting. She saw a handful of other diners curiously looking their way before they were ushered out the back onto a private patio balcony overlooking the desert, a table already set for two.

"Thank you Luca, it's perfect," Harry commented as Luca left, and he seated Charley and then himself, pouring them both water from the terracotta jug sitting on the table.

"Wow, this is great," Charley commented in awe. The patio had four small tables, but only they were out here. Café string lights were above them in ribbons; they would be beautiful lit up at night. A big red umbrella cast shade over them and they both pulled their sunglasses off. The entire café was the epitome of traditional mixed with trendy, and the balcony they sat on looked over a beautiful vista of red mountains and desert landscape. They could barely hear the sound of the traffic on the highway whizzing by a few hundred metres away. Italian music was piped in gently from high quality speakers, creating a great lunch time atmosphere.

Very quickly, two glasses of red wine were brought out in big glasses, served by Luca himself, and some home made bread with olive oil and balsamic. They thanked Luca as he left them alone again. Charley tore a bit of bread off and dipped it in the oil, popping it into her mouth with a moan. It was so fresh! She commented as much to Harry after she swallowed, then tore another piece off.

Harry watched Charley dig into the appetiser, liking her more and more every second he spent time with her. He loved that she didn't pretend to sparrow around the bread, she just ate normally and appreciated it. It was a rare trait amongst girls he'd been out with. He grinned and did the same.

He eventually held up his glass of wine to her, and she quickly wiped her hands, smiled and touched her glass to his. "To blind dates," he toasted, and she echoed him with another smile and sipped at the wine.

"Oh Harry! This is to die fore," she exclaimed, her eyes dropping from his to look into the glass. She inhaled deeply and took another sip.

She was so full of expression! Harry decided right then that he wanted to observe her experiencing new things all the time. "It's my favourite, I rang ahead and told Luca to open a bottle for us," he smiled easily, holding the glass by the bowl, his other arm draped casually over the back of his seat.

He was sitting opposite her but he longed to be closer again. Why the hell can't I? he mused, and promptly stood up, dragged his chair around the small table to her and plopped down directly next to her with a grin. Charley laughed and to him it was like music. She had a beautiful laugh, and this close he could see the light sprinkling of freckles he'd noticed in her photo online, small creases either side of her mouth, and the beginning of one, small dimple in her left cheek.

He angled his chair in towards her, and propped an elbow up on the table, resting his face in his hand, looking at her. "You're very beautiful, did you know that?" He said, wondering why he hadn't told her before now. She captivated him. Charley blushed and looked down. "I love it when you blush," he murmured and reached out to touch a finger to her rosy cheek before dropping his hand away again.

Charley's eyes rose to meet his, and he was floored by how gorgeous she was all over again, her expression showing slight embarrassment and nervousness. Hell, he thought. Harry leant in and gently touched his lips to hers. He hadn't meant to, but he couldn't help it. It was a quick, gentle pressure, feather light, and then he withdrew. The effect on her expression was transformative. No embarrassment lingered, only surprise mingled with what he thought was desire. Her eyes were a touch darker. It made his breath catch in his throat.

"What was that for?" she murmured quietly, looking questioningly at him. He shrugged and squinted one eye at her with a playful smile to lighten the mood.

"Because I wanted to," he replied, watching as she smiled shyly and glanced down again into her glass of wine. She took another sip then peered sideways at him nervously like she was mustering up some courage. He waited, taking another drink of his own wine.

"I...I like you too," she said quietly. He felt a little thrill run down his spine at her words. He knew she was referring to when he'd told her he'd liked her on their blind date, before the Uber picked them up.

Luca cleared his throat behind them as he brought out their pizza, and Harry and Charley leaned apart, the moment broken as the Italian man set the masterpiece down in front of them.

"Wow!" Charley exclaimed again. "Luca, this looks amazing. Thank you." Luca beamed and nodded, leaving them to eat.