"I have two suggestions for where we can go," Killian said, once Emma and Ruby told him their decision. "One is called Red Coconut Club and has a tropical theme. They have live music during the day and through dinner hours, but by this time, a DJ has started playing club music. The other one is Rising Star, which is a karaoke bar with a live band and backup singers. I do have to tell you that my roommate loves to sing, and since we both have the day off tomorrow, he'll more than likely be there tonight."
"You have a roommate? What's his name?" Emma asked.
"Graham Humbert."
"What's he like?" Ruby questioned.
"Nice guy, tall with light brown hair. Actually, he's also from Ireland…"
"I vote for the karaoke bar!" Ruby interrupted loudly. "Point me in the right direction!"
Killian laughed, then turned to look at Emma. "Is that good with you, Swan?"
She shrugged. "Sure, just don't expect me to sing."
As they started along the sidewalk around the end of the waterway, Killian noticed how quiet she was. "Are you alright, Emma?"
She nibbled on her lip for a few short moments before answering. "Look, Killian, you seem like a really nice guy, but…I just don't want to put myself in a situation that could be…dangerous. I mean, at the Chocolate Emporium with Ruby there, it was fine; but now we're going to a club and your roommate will be there and it just seems a little…less safe."
He stopped and turned toward her and she came to a halt, too, keeping her eyes firmly fixed on the sidewalk. "Emma, I promise you this is not some kind of set-up. I don't even know for sure if Graham will be there, and I'm sure he has no idea that I will, because I've only been there a couple of times. I just thought it would be fun to show you more of what CityWalk has to offer, but if you feel uncomfortable, you absolutely do not have to go."
Emma looked up at him. "I appreciate that, but Ruby really wants to…"
"If you would feel better going only with her, I'll bid you goodnight and take my leave.".
She studied him and saw nothing but sincerity and a hint of concern in his expression. After hesitating another moment or so, she said, "I don't want you to do that, but if we go with you, Ruby and I will buy our own drinks so we're sure no one has tampered with them. I know that sounds paranoid, but…"
"I don't think it's being paranoid, Swan. That's very reasonable and smart, and I understand completely. After all, you barely know me and you can never be too careful."
Emma huffed out a breath. "Thank you for understanding. I already made a deal with Ruby that if I start to feel uncomfortable, we'll leave." She glanced up to see her friend quite a distance ahead of them. "We better catch up to her. I don't think she even realizes we're not with her."
Killian laughed. "She does seem rather eager, doesn't she?"
"Yeah, well, offer her a man with an accent who can sing and a karaoke microphone, and she's off to the races!"
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"Is your roommate here?" Ruby asked, as soon as they were inside the club.
Killian began looking around the perimeter, craning his neck to see over the crowd of people. "Umm…that might be him…yeah, there he is," he said, pointing toward the area in front of the stage.
"Which one? What's he wearing?" Ruby inquired, directing her eyes to the place he indicated.
"He's got a blue button-down shirt on."
"The one with the wavy brown hair?"
"That's him."
"Well, they must grow them gorgeous in Ireland, that's all I have to say!" Ruby grinned.
"If only that's all she has to say," Emma leaned in to mutter to Killian, causing him to chuckle.
Ruby looked over her shoulder at them. "What are you waiting for? I need to be introduced to that perfect specimen of man."
"What did I tell you?" Emma smirked.
Killian grinned as they started to follow Ruby, working their way through the crowd. "She might scare him. He tends to be a bit shy when meeting new people."
"As you might have guessed, Ruby is not," Emma laughed.
"Yeah, I could tell."
By this time, they were in the vicinity of the table where Graham was sitting. His attention was fixed on the stage, where two people were singing "Shallow", accompanied by the band. Ruby stopped short of approaching him and motioned for Killian to speak to him first.
He tapped Graham on the shoulder to get his attention, then gestured for him to follow them, planning to introduce him to the ladies in a quieter location. They found a corner over by the restrooms, away from the direct line of the speakers.
Graham's eyes were flitting between Ruby and Emma. "What's up, mate?" he asked Killian.
"Graham, this is Emma Swan and Ruby Lucas. I met them at the park today when they rode the Velocicoaster. Ladies, this is Graham Humbert."
"Oh, uh, very pleased to meet you," Graham greeted, holding a hand out to shake first Emma's, then Ruby's, who held onto it longer than necessary, stepping closer into his personal space.
"You look familiar," she said, studying his face intently. "Do you work at Universal's Islands of Adventure, too?"
"I…I actually work at Harry Potter World."
Ruby finally released his hand and snapped her fingers. "Weren't you working at the Hogwart's Express?"
He dipped his head and scratched the back of it. "Uh, yeah. That was me."
"I thought so!" she crowed. "Well, you can board my train anytime!"
"Oh, my gosh!" Emma groaned. Killian watched his friend closely to see his reaction.
Graham's face reddened, but a grin stretched across it. "So, Ruby, do you like to sing?"
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After buying drinks and finding a place where all four of them could sit, they chatted and listened to people sing for about twenty minutes.
"When do we get to hear you sing?" Ruby asked Graham.
"Would you like to come with me to put my name on the list and pick out a song?"
"You bet!"
Emma and Killian watched them leave the table, then turned back to their drinks. "Those two seem to be hitting it off," he commented.
"Yeah, Ruby has a type."
"Which is…?"
"Male and good-looking."
He laughed before asking, "So what else do you ladies have planned before your vacation ends?"
"Tomorrow we were going to take a break from the amusement parks and go shopping at Disney Springs. I'm not sure about Thursday. We talked about going to a water park, but it will probably depend on the weather."
"Are there certain stores you want to visit tomorrow?"
"Well, World of Disney and The Lego Store for sure, just because everyone says to go there. Is there a Disney Christmas Store, too?"
"Aye, there is."
"I'm sure we'll go there. Have you been to Disney Springs very often?"
"Quite a few times."
"Are there any other stores you would recommend?"
"It depends on what you're looking for - clothes, accessories, toys, food, name brand merchandise?"
"Yes!" Emma giggled.
"Ah, well, you'll have plenty of possibilities then. You should probably make a plan before you go. Otherwise, you could wander around for hours and not see everything you want to see."
She sipped her drink for several moments while they listened to another singer. When the song was finished and the applause died down, she reached over to lay her hand on Killian's forearm to get his attention. "Did you say you have the day off tomorrow?"
"Yes, I did."
"Would you, um…would you be interested in showing us around Disney Springs? I mean, unless you have something else to do. It would just be nice to have someone who knows their way around to…"
"I would be happy to show you around, Swan," he said, interrupting her nervous babble.
"You really wouldn't mind?"
"Not at all," he assured her. "In fact, I think Graham would probably be quite willing to join us, too, if that's alright with you."
"It's fine and I'm sure Ruby would like that." They both looked toward the stage as another singer began to perform, then noticed Graham was the next one in line.
"I wonder what they chose for him to sing?" Killian queried. Turning back toward Emma, he said, "May I make a suggestion for a restaurant at Disney Springs tomorrow?"
"Of course."
"Raglan Road. It's an Irish Pub and Restaurant and is one of my favorites."
"Gee, I wonder why?" Emma smirked.
He grinned, his dimple becoming very pronounced, which sent another flutter through her chest. "The food is good - a little expensive, but worth it. I'd really like for you to see the entertainment though; they have Irish dancers that perform while you're eating and a couple of musicians before and after the performances. There's also a store right next to it that has souvenirs with an Irish flair," he told her, waggling his eyebrows.
His teasing made her smile as she answered, "That sounds great! Will we need to make reservations?"
"Yes," he said, pulling out his phone. "I can take care of it online. Do you want to go for lunch or dinner?"
She pondered for a moment before answering. "Maybe we could go sometime in the afternoon and make it the big meal of the day? The hotel where we're staying has a pretty good breakfast, then we can just grab a snack if we get hungry in the evening."
Killian felt a warmth go through him at hearing her talk about plans to spend the entire day with him. "What time shall we meet tomorrow?"
"Ruby and I haven't been getting up very early; we are on vacation, after all. We'll probably eat breakfast around nine, so how about if we meet at ten?"
"Works for me. The Lego Store has an outside display of Sleeping Beauty's prince fighting a dragon. We can meet there."
"We still need to figure out what time to make the lunch reservations."
"Since you'll be having a late breakfast, how does two-thirty sound?"
"Perfect!"
She watched him tapping on his phone screen for several seconds, and then he looked up. "All done."
"That was quick! Thank you, Killian. I'm looking forward to it!"
"So am I, Emma." The way he was looking at her, his eyes full of warmth and sincerity, made her breath catch.
The applause of the crowd for the previous singer's performance broke their moment. Turning toward the stage, Emma and Killian saw Ruby give Graham's hand a squeeze before he took his place, gripping the microphone. The band began to play and he looked at Ruby standing off to the side as he started to sing:
Hey there, little red riding hood,
You sure are looking good,
You're everything a big bad wolf could want.
Little red riding hood,
I don't think little big girls should,
Go walking in these spooky old woods alone.
"Have you ever heard this song before?" Killian asked.
"Yeah, Ruby has it on one of her playlists. Her nickname is Red, and we tease her about being Little Red Riding Hood. I'm sure she's the one who picked it out."
"I've never heard Graham sing it before, but it seems like he's familiar with it."
What big eyes you have,
The kind of eyes that drive wolves mad,
Just to see that you don't get chased,
I think I ought to walk with you for a ways.
What full lips you have,
They're sure to lure someone bad,
Until you get to grandma's place,
I think you ought to walk with me and be safe.
Gonna keep my sheep suit on,
'Til I'm sure that you've been shown,
That I can be trusted
Walking with you alone.
"From the way Ruby is looking at him, she might be the one who can't be trusted," Emma laughed.
"It might be mutual," Killian commented, noting the looks his roommate was giving the dark-haired beauty.
Little red riding hood,
I'd like to hold you if I could,
But you might think
I'm a big bad wolf, so I won't.
Emma saw the huge smile on Ruby's face and knew her friend really wouldn't mind if the man singing did decide to hold her.
What a big heart I have,
The better to love you with.
Little red riding hood,
Even bad wolves can be good.
I'll try to keep satisfied,
Just to walk by your side,
Maybe you'll see things my way,
Before we get to grandma's place.
Little red riding hood,
You sure are looking good,
You're everything a big bad wolf could want.
Emma and Killian began clapping as soon as Graham finished the song. When Emma saw Ruby rush up onto the stage, throwing her arms around his neck, she groaned and dropped her face into her hands.
"What's wrong, Swan?" Killian asked, confused by her sudden change of disposition.
"I just have a feeling Ruby might want to bring Graham back to the hotel room tonight. You don't have any noise canceling headphones I can borrow, do you?"
"Does she make a habit of doing things like that?"
"Not a habit, but if she meets a guy she likes, she usually jumps at the chance. Is Graham the kind of guy who would accept that kind of offer?"
Killian rubbed the back of his neck as he contemplated his answer. "In the three years we've been roommates, he's dated a lot, but has only brought a handful of girls home with him. Ruby does seem to be his type, though. If she presents him with the opportunity, I wouldn't be surprised to see him accept."
Emma blew out a sigh and slouched in her chair. "This could be a very long night."
Killian was still chuckling about her comment when Ruby and Graham returned to the table. She had her arms tightly wound around his waist and one of his was draped over her shoulder.
"Did you hear him? Wasn't he spectacular?" Ruby gushed. "He sang that song for me!"
"Yes, we heard him. You really have a great voice, Graham," Emma said.
"Thank you. It's easy to sing when you have such a lovely source of inspiration," he beamed, then brushed his lips across Ruby's temple.
Emma didn't think her friend's smile could get any wider without splitting her face in two. "We're already signed up to sing a duet, but there's still a few people ahead of us. How about another round of drinks?" Ruby proposed.
Killian spoke up. "Sounds good to me. Same thing for everyone?" At their nods, he rose from his seat and asked, "Would you like to come with me to help carry them back, Swan?"
After placing their order at the bar, Emma reached over and laid her hand on top of his. "Thank you for sticking to our deal, Killian."
He tried to keep the pleasant shiver he felt as a result of her touch inconspicuous. "Of course, Emma. I wouldn't do anything to betray your trust."
She blinked rapidly several times before giving him a warm smile, and had just opened her mouth to speak when the bartender reappeared, setting the four drinks in front of them. They paid and worked their way back to their table, where Graham and Ruby were sitting close together, listening to a trio of giggly young ladies attempting to sing "Love Shack".
The four of them talked and enjoyed their drinks, until it was Graham and Ruby's turn on the stage. They had chosen "Hungry Like the Wolf", which caused Emma to wink at Killian. "I'm sensing a theme here."
"They sound really good together," he observed.
"They look really good together," she admitted, watching them move in sync with the music and each other.
Their duet drew the most boisterous round of applause of the night so far. Ruby bowed ostentatiously and threw kisses to the crowd, while Graham grinned like a Cheshire cat, before they returned to their seats.
Another hour of sharing drinks and conversation passed and Emma felt herself gravitating closer to Killian. Soon, she was leaning against him and felt a thrill of excitement at the feel of his firm muscles under his polo shirt.
After much persuasion and a little more alcohol, Graham finally talked Killian into singing "All Right Now" with him. As soon as Killian sang the first few words, Emma's jaw dropped. His voice was sexy and mesmerizing, the sound of it practically causing her to melt into her seat. When he made eye contact with her and threw her a roguish wink, she felt heat pooling between her thighs and rubbed them together in an effort to alleviate it. She couldn't remember the last time a man had affected her like this and she knew it wasn't just due to the three tropical drinks she'd finished.
Her only saving grace was that no one was paying attention to her, until Ruby turned around. Squinting her eyes for a few seconds, she suddenly burst into laughter.
"What's so funny?" Emma demanded to know.
"Oh, girl, you are horny for that man!"
"Ruby!" Emma hissed. "That is not true!"
"Liar! Your face is all flushed and your pupils are dilated. You are completely turned on!"
Emma brought her hands up to palm her reddened cheeks. "It…it's just the drinks. They're really strong."
"Uh-huh, sure. Whatever you say, Em." She gave her friend a wide, disbelieving grin, before turning back to listen to the rest of the song.
Emma squirmed in her seat until the final notes the guys sang drifted away, then quickly excused herself to go to the restroom. Before returning to her friends, she splashed cool water on her face in an attempt to calm herself down. As she pushed open the bathroom door, she felt it connect with somebody on the other side and heard a muttered 'oof'.
"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" she gasped, then chanced a peek around the edge of the door, where Killian stood rubbing his shoulder. "Killian! Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Swan. No harm done." To prove his point, he dropped his hand and gave her a sheepish grin. "Guess I was in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Her hand moved almost instinctively to massage his upper arm. When she lifted her eyes, they connected with his electric blue ones, sending a shockwave through her body. His hand landed on her waist and she stepped into his touch, while her other hand slid up his opposite arm, across his shoulder and into the soft fringes of his hair. She guided him towards her and tentatively brushed her lips against his before she could come up with any excuse not to kiss him.
He pulled her closer, moaning against her lips and it shot heat down to her core. She breathed into him and slid her mouth over his, feeling him respond with a slight flick of his tongue. It was all the encouragement she needed to become bolder. Tugging lightly on his hair to shift the angle, she traced the seam of his lips with her tongue, tasting the rum and coke he'd been drinking.
He granted her entrance and allowed her to explore his mouth, while his hands slid up her back and found her silky tresses, gliding his fingers through them like he'd been yearning to do all night. Her mouth was as sweet as he had imagined, and it was more intoxicating than anything he'd ever tasted.
They were so lost in the moment, they didn't hear someone trying to get their attention, until a loud "Excuse me!" broke into their consciousness and they ended the kiss abruptly. Opening their eyes to look around, they saw a woman glaring at them. "Could you please move? I'm trying to get into the restroom and you're blocking the door," she spat.
"Sorry," Emma and Killian both mumbled, shuffling out of the way without letting go of each other. They laughed after the woman went through the door, then Emma dropped her forehead to rest it on his chest.
"I was wrong, Swan," he murmured against the crown of her head.
"About what?"
"I was in the right place at exactly the right time."
She looked up at him with a bright smile and hummed her agreement, then stole another quick kiss. "Maybe I should hit you with a door more often."
As his deep laugh resounded in her ear, she snuggled under his collarbone and sighed contentedly, feeling his heart hammering under her cheek.
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While Killian used the restroom, Emma returned to the table to find Ruby and Graham engaged in a heated kiss. She sat down and tried to look anywhere but at the two of them, remembering the feeling of Killian's lips against her own. She couldn't bring herself to be upset for giving in to her attraction for him in a moment of weakness. She had thoroughly enjoyed kissing the man and hoped to do it again very soon.
She could blame her boldness on the pleasant buzz from the alcohol, along with the warm looks and smiles he'd been giving her, but the truth was, he had been nothing but a gentleman all evening and she knew he wasn't going to push her any further after his daring first move that afternoon. So even though it was completely out of character for her to kiss a man after only knowing him for a few hours, she had no regrets.
Killian slid into the seat beside her just as Ruby and Graham came up for air. Both of them licked their kiss-swollen lips and grinned at their friends. "We were thinking…" Ruby began.
"Looked to me like you were doing more kissing than thinking," Emma teased.
Ruby's smile widened. "Very true, but before that, we wondered if you guys would want to get one more round of drinks, then head out."
Emma and Killian exchanged glances and he shrugged. "It's up to you, Swan."
"Uh, yeah, sure. If we're going to go shopping tomorrow, we better not stay out too late tonight."
"Okay, so one more round, you two sing a duet, then we leave," Ruby smirked.
"Wait…what?" Emma questioned, as her brain caught up with what her friend just said. "Nuh-uh, no way! When we decided to come here, I said I wasn't gonna sing."
"Oh, come on, Em! Just one song?"
"Nope, not gonna do it," she insisted, folding her arms across her chest.
Killian's eyes darted between the two women, seeing determination on each of their faces and wondering who was going to win the battle.
"I hate to interrupt this standoff, but perhaps we should go get the drinks, Swan?" he suggested.
She continued to stare at Ruby until he put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed lightly. Sighing, she said, "Fine, we'll get the drinks and when we come back, I don't want to hear another word about me singing, got it?"
Ruby very maturely stuck her tongue out at her friend, which made Graham laugh. Emma pushed herself out of her chair and took Killian's offered hand to follow him to the bar.
As they waited for the bartender to fill their order, Killian put his hands on Emma's hips and drew her closer to him, looking into her eyes. "Why don't you want to sing?"
She heaved a sigh. "Not you, too."
"I'm just curious."
"I…I don't know. I don't have a very good voice and I'm afraid I'll look like an idiot."
"Like I did when I was up there?"
Her eyes widened dramatically. "Are you kidding? You sounded fantastic! You've got an amazing voice!"
He ducked his head and looked up at her through his lashes. "Thanks very much, Emma. As you know, I didn't want to go up on the stage either, but then I thought, what the hell? I'll probably never see any of these people again, so why am I worried about what they think? And guess what? When I got up there, I had fun! Now, I'm not going to pressure you into doing something you don't want to do, but why not give it a try? I'll be right there with you and if you falter, we'll get through it together."
She chewed her lip thoughtfully for several seconds, then slid her hands up to rest them on his chest. "I've never done anything like this before."
"It will only be one song, Emma…"
"I'm not just talking about the karaoke, Killian. I mean, I've never…kissed a guy so soon after meeting him, or…or felt as strong an attraction to someone like I feel for you. This is…it feels…"
"Right?" he offered, voicing what he himself felt.
Her eyes met his, searching for the honesty she already knew would be there. "Yeah, it feels right and…it feels good."
He grinned and nodded in agreement, then dipped his head to place a tender kiss on her lips.
When they separated, she sighed, "Okay. One song."
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Their drinks were almost gone before they were called because it was their turn to sing. They had chosen "Don't Go Breaking My Heart". Emma cringed at the whoops and whistles Ruby unleashed as they made their way to the stage, and in the moments before the band started to play, she stood on shaking legs, her nerves threatening to overwhelm her. Then she felt Killian take her hand, squeezing it reassuringly. When she looked up, he was wearing a brilliant smile that immediately put her more at ease.
Once they sang the first few lines, Emma started to focus on the song and really began to enjoy herself. The alcohol in her system, combined with the pounding beat of the drums, the encouragement of the crowd, and the touch of Killian's hand, helped her to let go of the lingering insecurities about trying something new.
When they began the repetitive back and forth lines of Don't go breaking my heart / I won't go breaking your heart near the end of the song, they were facing each other and she saw a change in his demeanor. He no longer had a playful, lighthearted look on his face. His eyes grew serious when he sang "I won't go breaking your heart" with more intensity than before and she felt goosebumps raise on her arms.
As the last notes of the song faded away, Emma moved into his arms and hugged him tightly. The applause and cheers from the crowd were loud and boisterous, but all he heard was Emma's voice in his ear saying, "I'm very glad you sent me that text today, Killian."
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It was nearing one o'clock in the morning when the four of them left the bar and walked out into the Florida humidity to wait for their Ubers. Ruby and Graham shared more lengthy kisses, while Killian wrapped his arms around Emma and she laid her head on his chest.
She had been a bit surprised when Ruby told her she wouldn't be inviting Graham back to the hotel. "I can't promise the same thing tomorrow, after I spend the whole day with him," she'd warned. "He's such a hottie and if I don't get a piece of that before we go back home, I'll never forgive myself!"
"I'll consider myself warned," Emma deadpanned.
After they received the notification that Ubers would be arriving in less than a minute, Killian used his finger to tip Emma's chin up, then bent to press his lips to hers. She couldn't remember being kissed so softly and sweetly. In fact, she couldn't remember being kissed by anyone else, because Killian Jones was driving every thought of any other guy she had ever known from her mind. He was intoxicating, and she didn't mind being under his spell at all.
When they finally broke the kiss, they realized both cars were sitting at the curb waiting. Killian nudged the other couple, who reluctantly separated with promises of seeing one another in a few hours.
Emma and Killian murmured the same words to each other and shared one more lingering kiss. "Thank you for a great night," she breathed against his lips.
"Trust me when I say it was my pleasure," he returned. "Goodnight, Swan."
"Goodnight, Killian."
They kept their fingers linked until the last possible moment before getting into their respective Ubers, all of them giving small waves before sliding into the back seats.
"We're not gonna get a lot of sleep tonight," Emma yawned.
"No, but it was damn worth it. I think I may be in love," Ruby sighed theatrically.
"I've heard you say that before, you know."
"Yeah, but I think I may actually be telling the truth this time!"
"After knowing him for just a few hours?"
Ruby threw her head back against the seat. "He's just so sweet, and handsome, and sexy and…and perfect!"
"He does seem like a nice guy," Emma agreed. "And so is Killian."
"And you thought he was gonna be a serial killer!" Ruby laughed.
"Well, I was wrong."
Ruby put a hand to her ear. "What's that, you say? I couldn't quite hear you!"
"Shut up," Emma growled, with no heat in her voice and the corners of her lips curving up. Flopping back against the seat, she sighed happily. When they finally got back to the hotel, cleaned up and in bed, she knew she would have sweet dreams of Killian Jones.
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