Maneater

Chapter Thirteen

    Austin could have been cheesy. He could have invited Crystal up to his bedroom on some ridiculous premise that the sound system in his bedroom was amazing...or that they'd have the convenience of his bedroom minibar if they watched the movie in there. But he didn't want to be cheesy. Chances were that she'd see through it, anyway. The woman seemed to have a phenomenal bullshit detector. If he chose the cheesy route, there was a high likelihood that it would blow up in his face. Not only that, there was something about her that made him want to leave all of the corny lines and usual antics at the door. There was a brokenness about her, one that the casual observer would probably miss. She wore confidence like armor and was so well put-together that the average person might miss those brief flashes of who she really was as a woman.

    Because Austin made a hobby out of studying women, their habits and their tics, he didn't miss much. Even if he lacked the ability to be observant, the broken girl underneath the facade of the confident woman was all-too apparent outside of the club in the rain. The vulnerability in her eyes had rocked him.

    It was remembering that vulnerability that ultimately caused him to lead her to his home theater instead of upstairs to his bedroom. Well...it was remembering that vulnerability and wanting the chance to impress her a little.

    The home theater was on the main floor, complete with thirty plush cream-colored seats with loveseats built into the seating arrangement. Recessed lighting cast a golden glow throughout the room as they entered. He grabbed one giant remote and one slimmer remote control from a panel built into the wall. Aiming the bulky remote at the closed cinnamon-colored curtains, he told Crystal, "A lot of people think that because they see me out at clubs, that I live for partying and wilding out. They're wrong to make that assumption." The thick, heavy curtains pulled apart to reveal an expansive custom projection screen at the front of the theater. "I'm actually somewhat of a homebody."

    Crystal moved past him and walked down one of the aisles, trailing her fingertips across the tops of the seats as she passed them. "Bullshit," she called back to him.

    He grinned and followed her down the steps. "You doubt me?"

    "The photos you post on Instagram are all of you partying or clubbing. You've taken maybe one or two selfies at home, or a place that looked like it could be your house. Who knows where you actually were. I've heard about your dirt, Mister. Homebody my ass."

    Touching the top of the slim remote control to his lips, he studied her for a moment.

    He must have been quiet for awhile, because she turned and looked up at him as if awaiting a comeback.

    "So...you follow me in Instagram?"

    Realization dawned in her eyes, realization that she'd fucked up and busted herself out.

    He chuckled and proceeded down the stairs. "Thanks for the follow."

    "Who doesn't follow you these days?" she asked, dropping down into one of the middle chairs in the third row.

    Claiming the seat next to her, he shrugged. "Plenty of people don't follow me. But I'm glad you do."

    She narrowed her eyes at him, her bullshit radar in full effect.

    He flashed her a wide smile.

    "We should have brought drinks in here," she said with a flip of her hair. A swift change of subject to distract from the flattery he'd dropped on her.

    "You want drinks?" he asked, setting the remote controls in the cup holder built into the armrest. He slid a hand into the pocket of his sweatpants. "I can get you drinks."

    She arched a brow at him and watched as he dialed one of his on-site staffers.

    "Yeah, it's me. I'm...entertaining company. Yeah. But we're in desperate need of drinks. So...drinks, glasses - or you can go with the red Solo cups, I don't care. Hmm...oh, could you also bring something to snack on? I don't care what it is. You know what I like. I'm asking for a lot, I know...get Tony to help you, if you need to. He is? Wake his ass up, then."

    Crystal shivered and wrapped her arms around herself.

    Austin's eyes slid down her slim thick frame. Other than his sweater, she really didn't have much on. He licked his lips and said into his cell phone, "Could you also bring a blanket? One of the big ones. Perfect, yeah. Definitely have Tony help you. Thanks much, man." He ended the call and returned his cell phone to his pocket.

    "You got it like that, huh?" she asked. "Waking up people who work for you to bring you drinks and blankets."

    "The blanket is for you, actually," he told her. "I saw you shivering a minute ago."

    "Oh." She studied him again.

    He turned to face her, granting her an all-access pass to stare at him for as long as she wanted. "Like what you see?"

    Rolling her eyes, she shifted and twisted around to face the front. "Not really."

    He laughed. "Ouch."

    "You're not my type. No offense."

    Lying through her pretty little teeth. "Not attracted to me at all, huh?" he asked her.

    She shook her head. "Nope. Sorry."

    "You know...you still haven't told me why, out of all places, you drove back to that club."

    Her hands started to fidget with the armrest. "I wasn't thinking straight."

    "Right."

    "Can you chill with the pyschoanalyzing?" she asked, glancing at him.

    "Yeah, sure. Of course." He faced forward and grabbed both of the remote controls from the cup holder. "What are you in the mood for tonight?"

    "Movie-wise?"

    "Unless you had something else in mind." He would have wiggled his eyebrows at her, but that would've probably thrown her off or freaked her out. Instead, he powered on the projector with the slim remote control and used the large brick of a remote to turn down the lights in the theater.

    "Hmm...I don't know. Something funny. Or action, maybe."

    "No chick flicks?"

    The answer was written all across her face. "Do I look like a chick flick kind of girl?"

    She most certainly does not. "All right. Let's see what we have."

    Her thigh brushed against his, and it was like a jolt of electricity was sent spiraling up his leg.

    He turned his head sharply and stared at her.

    She was looking back at him, but he couldn't read the expression on her face.

    Did she just feel what I felt? he wondered. What the hell was that?