I tried to tune them out as they continued their speculation about who Ben Murphy was or wasn't sleeping with, who he might be dating, and how well he filled out a pair of Levi's. While I didn't give a damn about the first two topics, I had to agree with the last. The man had a fantastic ass.
Okay, so I lied to myself. I did care about the first two topics because I was just as thirsty for Ben Murphy as these women, which made me even more determined to ignore them. Yeah, I'm perverse like that. I hated that I had that in common with them, but, well, that was the power of that man and his Levi's.
Methodically, I took each one of the three lime wedges and squeezed them into my drink before dropping them into the glass. I stirred it a few times and lifted it to my lips. As I took a sip, I glanced up and my eyes met Ben's.
He was leaning on the bar, a bottle of beer held loosely in one hand. In the dim light, I couldn't read his expression but somehow I knew he was studying me. As it had during lunch earlier, my skin prickled as if his stare had substance, an actual touch against my face and neck.
"He's looking at us," Blondie-slash-Gina hissed to her friend.
Rolling my eyes, I sipped my drink again. Ben smirked and rose from his barstool, making his way around the bar. Somehow, he managed to weave his way through the crowd without bumping into anyone or spilling his beer. It was almost hypnotic to watch him shift and move with the bodies surrounding him.
"Oh, my God, he's coming over here," the friend whispered.
"Don't look too desperate," Gina retorted.
I had to choke back a laugh at that. Then, I sobered. It was actually kind of sad. These women were looking for something from the men they hooked up with, which was going to disappoint them every time. What they truly needed was inside them. I briefly wondered who or what had convinced them that their sole chance at happiness could be found with a man.
I was distracted from my thoughts as Ben rounded the bar and I got the full effect of his AC/DC tee and faded jeans. It had only been a few hours since I'd last seen him, but the picture he created was still like a punch in the gut.
As he drew closer, I could see his hazel eyes locked on me, keen and bright. The intensity of his gaze was unnerving, as if he knew I was sitting here, throwing myself a pity party for one. I didn't smile at him but I did cock my head, trying my best to give him plenty of attitude without using words.
He grinned at me and I think Blondie moaned. They both straightened up a little, like two hunting dogs who'd locked onto the scent of prey.
Ben walked around them and stopped beside me. "Hey, there, Friend of Cam."
"Hey, there back, Other Friend of Cam."
His grin widened as though he liked my sass. Shit, he was handsome in any light, but up close and wearing an amused smile, he was in a whole other league.
"What brings you to The Boot tonight?"
I lifted my drink to my mouth, taking a hefty swallow before I answered because I was suddenly thirsty. Very, very thirsty.
"Vodka," I answered. "Cam doesn't keep any in the house."
That was a dirty lie. Cam kept plenty of liquor in the house but the real reason I'd left is because I couldn't stand to be penned up, alone and drinking. It was too pathetic. Especially since Brian hadn't been the one to break my heart but the other way around.
Oh, and the fact that I didn't want to get drunk and blurt out the whole sordid story to Cam when she got home from work.
I absently wondered if men felt the same guilt I did when they broke a woman's heart. Other than J.J., I didn't have a lot of male acquaintances.
"Ever broken someone's heart, Ben?" I asked, taking another sip of my drink.
He shrugged. "When I was younger, yeah."
"Did you feel guilty afterward?"
His gaze sharpened as he looked down at me. "For a little while. Hurting someone is never easy, even if you don't mean to."
I nodded. "I agree. I just wondered if men feel the same way about that sort of thing as women do."
"Well, we're all human, so I would think that they do." He leaned a little closer. "What about you? Broken a lot of hearts?"
Oh, wow. Yeah, I'd invited that question. Nothing left to do but answer it. "Yeah, a couple of times. Apparently, I get off on it." I crunched on a piece of ice to relieve the tension on my jaw.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the two women staring at us with a mixture of shock and annoyance. Probably because I was dressed in black leggings, a loose Dr. Who t-shirt, and a beanie. My black glasses sat on my nose and, other than mascara, I wasn't wearing any make-up. Like I said, I didn't come here for attention.
Ben shifted, putting himself between me and Blondie. I scooted the stool a few inches and found my back against the wall and my inner thigh against Ben's hip. Whoa. It'd been a month since I'd had sex and my body was used to a fairly regular amount. I hadn't even been getting myself off since that night with Brian, completely uninterested in an orgasm of any kind.
