When I pull back, those bright eyes sparkle, and then she smiles. The full effect of her dimples slam into my chest, and the shot has me leaning into her attention until I feel another presence behind my back.
Frowning, I look over my shoulder only to jump back from the woman sliding herself into the booth beside me.
“Hi.” Her dark red lips stretch into a smile, but it has no effect on me. “I’m Penny.”
There’s a drawn-out pause where I say and do nothing. I just blink at her, hoping she’ll take the hint and leave. I’m not totallyhopeless with how to interact with a woman. I do just fine when I’m looking for it. It’s not often. Just when I need a release bigger than what my hand can offer. But I’m very selective when that time comes. Lately, the interest has been nonexistent. Maybe it’s all the work we’ve been doing for Smoke and Barrel. Maybe it’s the time of the year. From August until November, my mood is usually subdued.
“Hi, Penny, I’m Isabelle.”
“Oh…hello.” Penny sneers at Isabelle and reluctantly shakes her hand.
The waitress comes back with another tray of shots, with another woman following behind her with a tray of cocktails.Ah, fuck.
“My girlfriend and I need to get back to ourprivateparty now, if you don’t mind,” I say and twist my body into Isabelle’s. I don’t know why I said that. I can’t even remember the last time I had a girlfriend, if I ever did. It was just the first thing that popped into my head that might get rid of her.
I wait until I feel the distinct lack of her presence before I breathe again.
“They’re like vultures.” Isabelle giggles as more shot glasses are placed in front of us, and I grimace as I pick one up.
“Excuse me!” I call out to the waitress before she can disappear. “Can I get two bottles of water, please?” She smiles and nods, and I throw back my second shot. Surely that’s enough to make it look like I’m joining in the celebration now, and I can just stick to water for the rest of the night.
The liquid burns just as bad the second time around, and I grimace, then lean into Isabelle again. “Sorry for roping you into my excuse before, but thanks for the save.”
Isabelle throws back her own shot. Her eyes close, and her nose scrunches in the most adorable way before she licks her lips.
I’m fixated on that spot when she says, “That’s okay. When you squeezed my shoulder as she sat down, I figured you needed some help.”
“I squeezed your shoulder?” I register that my hand is no longer on the back of the booth, but draped over Isabelle. “Shit, I’m sorry.” My hand lifts, my forearm brushing against her soft hair.
The blush that coats her cheeks is noticeable even in the dim light. “I didn’t mind.”
She’s so sweet. So delicate and beautiful, and maybe it’s the two shots that make me toss my inhibitions to the wind, but slowly, I lower my hand back down.
I’m hyper aware of the contact as it lands on the bare skin of her shoulder.
I almost swallowed my tongue earlier when Isabelle came out of her room before we headed down to the taxi. A white top, with thin straps, was fitted to her torso, cut off just under her ribs. The creamy skin of her stomach was exposed just before it met the waistband of her flowy skirt. It’s covered in a pattern of neutral brown and green florals that rests high on her thighs but almost touches the floor from the back. Her tiny feet, with candy pink painted toenails, and tan leather sandals that buckled halfway up her calf, had me wanting to bite my fist.
“Dolcezza, a cocktail for you.” Romeo pushes a blue drink in front of Isabelle, and I notice my sister already enjoying one across the table. Caleb’s nursing something in a glass, probably a whiskey.
“Thank you. This isn’t too strong, is it?” Isabelle asks as she picks up the glass and guides the straw to her lips.
“No, only the sweetest for you.” Romeo smiles, and I pinch my nose.You can’t hit him, Gage.
“One for you too, big man.” Romeo lifts his chin to a glass in front of me. I hold it in my hand, with the intention of nursing itthrough the night, but Romeo lifts his hand for the three of us to clink our drinks together in cheers.
I take a small sip, and it goes down much smoother than the lighter fluid they served me before.
“To the success of our new partnership,” Romeo says and holds his glass up for another cheers. I take another small sip, ready to crack open my bottle of water next.
“And to new friends,” he continues, holding his drink up again. I oblige and knock my glass with his and Isabelle’s and sip again. “And to the beautiful company we keep.”
I boycott a fourth cheers and neck the whole drink. Slamming it against the table and daring him to try one more. He laughs and turns to Ace, who sits beside him.Fucker.
“We didn’t get to make a toast of our own,” Isabelle says when it’s just the two of us again. She’s tilting her head and sucking that straw between her lips. I’m certain she’s far too innocent to realise just how fucking tempting she looks right now. I’ve been hearing about her for months, spoken to her a few times, but only laid eyes on her thirty-six hours ago, and already, I find it hard to say no. I raise my hand to call over the waitress and order a whiskey. After this, it’s just water.
Isabelle holds her cocktail between us as the waitress delivers my fresh drink. “To making dreams come true.”So damn sweet.
Chapter four
