He made me want to open up. He wasn’t creepy like the other men who had hit on me in the past. He showed me how tastefully a man could strike up a conversation with a woman. He was genuinely curious and made no game of hiding his interest.
And I was sold.
“Well,” he shrugged, a darkness coming over his eyes. “I can’t blame them, honestly. It’s a dangerous world out there. I’ve got sisters too. I like to keep an eye on them, you know? It’s not you we don’t trust, it’s the world out there.”
A shiver ran down my spine, a strange awareness. This man wasn’t just charming; there was depth there, experience. It made me wonder what he’d seen, what he knew that I didn’t.
“Anyway.” I changed the subject. “What about you? Family?”
“My parents passed away.” A sadness flickered over his eyes.
“Mine too,” I whispered. “I’m sorry.”
His eyes met mine, and for a moment, a brief understanding passed between us, bridging a strange gap between strangers.
“But yeah.” His voice was hoarse after the silence stretched too long. “We’ve got a big brood of siblings. None of them is married yet, though.”
“Oh damn!” I squealed, moving to lighter territory. “Family weddings are a drama of their own. Wait until they start. It’s the ride of a lifetime.”
“Oh yeah?” he grinned, leaning forward. “I can already imagine my sisters being bridezillas.”
“Hey!” I protested, swatting at his arm. “In the name of sisterhood, I defend their right to keep their brothers on their toes!”
“Lord save us,” he laughed and shook his head.
I laughed too.
“Four cocktails for the beautiful lady,” the bartender announced just then, placing the drinks on the bar. “That’ll be eighty-four dollars.”
I reached for my clutch, but Viktor slid a hundred-dollar bill across the counter before I could even open my wallet.
“Oh no, you don’t have to do that!” I protested.
“Please,” he said. “Allow me.”
“But we just met!”
I wasn’t used to strangers being this generous. In my experience, men who paid usually expected something in return.
Viktor waved away my concerns with a warm smile. “Consider it a thank you for brightening up my otherwise dull evening.”
His smile reached his eyes—dark blue, gorgeous eyes I could stare at all night. I felt my cheeks warming as Marekreturned with Viktor’s change, which he immediately left on the counter as a tip.
Generous, too. Damn those butterflies, again.
I reached for the drinks, already imagining Elena’s proud high-five when I returned with free cocktails from a stranger.
“Hold on.” Viktor placed a gentle hand on my arm. “You’ll spill in this crowd.” He turned to the bartender. “Marek, can we get someone to deliver these to the lady’s table?”
“Of course, sir,” Marek nodded.
The bartender flagged down a waitress who quickly gathered the drinks onto her tray and took off in the direction of our table.
Viktor leaned close to me, his breath warm against my ear. “Do you have to go back just yet?”
There it was, an invitation to stay just a little longer. My brothers would have a collective aneurysm if they ever found out I’d been chatting up a stranger, but for some reason, Viktor made me want to throw caution to the wind.
“Maybe in a bit,” I suggested, settling against the bar to take a sip of my margarita. “Oh my god, this is so good!”
