“Trust me, that shirt isn’t worth dry cleaning,” he said. The little half-smile on his face softened his tough-guy look just enough to make me fully relax.
Butch went to the bar, coming back minutes later with a new drink for me and a bottle of beer for himself.
“So, tell me,” he said, once he’d settled back into his seat. “What brings a nice girl like you to a place like this?”
“Is it that obvious that I don’t quite belong?” I asked, glancing down at myself to see if something was wrong with my outfit, something making it clear that I didn’t fit in.
“It’s not your clothing,” he said, his eyes flitting down to my small chest for a second. He didn’t seem to mind the small size, since his tongue flitted out to wet his lips afterward. The action made my thighs clench.
What is this man doing to me?
“Then what is it?”
“The way you carry yourself and look around like you’re on some kind of wild adventure.”
I flinched and looked down at the table. I hadn’t realized I was being so obvious. Butch placed a big hand on my arm, and I felt calluses on his fingers.
“Hey, it’s not a bad thing. If you’re looking to walk on the wild side, I’m happy to be your tour guide.”
I looked back up at him, my eyes wide. I’d never had a man be so forward with me before. A part of me, the part that was my mother’s daughter, thought that I should be offended by his boldness and the underlying offer.
But I wasn’t. Instead, an ache formed in the center of my body.
“Do you think you could show me a few things?” I asked, biting my lip. I wasn’t sure where these alluring words were coming from. Maybe it was the sexy dress. Maybe it was the place.
But I was pretty sure it was the man. He was bringing out a seductress inside that I never knew existed.
“Oh, baby. You have no idea.” He winked.
I took a big gulp of my drink, hoping the cold liquid would somehow cool down my libido, but I noticed that Butch barely drank his beer. I glanced over at Lacey, in the middle of animated conversation with Ryder and Paige. Coming here had been a great idea.
Ryder sucked Butch and me into their conversation, which was a good distraction from my raging hormones. I finished my drink and Butch got me another. I drank it more slowly.
“So, what do you do when you’re not dumping drinks on strangers?” Paige asked teasingly. I liked her. She was very down to earth and friendly.
“I’m not currently working,” I said, shrugging. “Still looking for the right way to make use of my degree.”
“I completely understand that,” she said, exchanging a nostalgic look with Ryder that made me wonder what their story was.
“I do spend time volunteering, though. Mostly at the La Playa Soup Kitchen.”
“That’s a noble cause.”
“Yeah, it’s great, but they’re lucky to have her. She’s a hell of a cook,” Lacey added, and I felt a rush of affection for my friend.
“A woman that cooks. Sounds like a good catch,” Paige said, her eyes on Butch. She was painfully obvious as a matchmaker, but I didn’t mind. Ryder chuckled beside her and put a hand on her arm.
“Okay, babe. I think your work here is done,” he said, making her pout. “Let’s go play some pool.”
They left the table and I watched them for a moment. They were so clearly in love, and not just because he tucked his hand into her back pocket as they walked. It was the way they looked at each other. I could see how much they cared about each other, and I had a lot of respect for Ryder for not hiding his feelings for Paige even among his fellow club members. Right after that, a man built like a boxer, with a broad chest and arms the size of tree trunks, approached our table and asked Lacey to dance, so she happily joined him on the dance floor and I watched as she shook her hips with a smile on her face.
“Do you want to join her?” Butch asked, leaning close so that his lips brushed the shell of my ear. “Or should we get out of here?”
Goosebumps broke out along my arm, and I felt a tingle run down my spine at his words. This was crazy, right?
I’d never gone home with a man I’d just met at a bar. It was reckless in the most exhilarating way, and there was no denying that I wanted him. The fire in my veins made that clear. But could I really do this?
Butch pulled back, his lips brushing across my cheek, and a new yearning bloomed within my body. I wanted to feel his soft lips everywhere. It made up my mind. I was going to have a one-night stand with this man. I smiled.
