“Sassy. Unexpected, but I like it. I’m Charles.”
He holds his hand out, and I hesitate before I offer mine for a shake. I don’t want him to think I’m leading him on, but I don’t want to be rude, either. “Annie.”
“Ya don’t say?” His smirk makes me feel like I’m part of an inside joke that I know nothing about. “Nice to meet you, Annie.”
“You, too.”
“So what brings you to Bar Someday for the first time?”
I don’t think this guy is a creep, but I’m not about to get personal with him. “I just moved here and thought I’d check it out.”
He pours back a swallow of beer. “Why’d you come to Matchbook?” he prods.
“Because.”
“Because why?” When I don’t answer that, he launches right back into his rapid-fire line of questioning. “Where’d you move from?”
“Where I was before.” I’m starting to doubt my instincts about him, but the way he and Kit joked around, I’m hoping he’s just overly friendly.
His eyes rake over me, and he hums, like he’s just solved a puzzle, or he thought he did. “Smart girl.”
“Thanks, I guess?”
“Well, Annie, since you’re new to Matchbook and all, how about I take you around town and get you acquainted with all the great things our little city has to offer?”
It’s decided. He’s not overly friendly or a creep. He’s a player. I avoid guys like him, the ones who think they can dazzle a woman with their good looks and cocky charm, like the plague. Not that I went out often, but on the rare occasion I did, there was always a guy like him around.
Interestingly enough, Charles doesn’t make me nervous. Maybe a little baffled, but red flags aren’t flying. No way am I going to return his shameless flirting, but he’s hot, and admittedly, it feels nice getting noticed by someone like him…even though there’s only one man who has my heart, and he’s why I’m here.
“What great things does Matchbook have to offer that you can’t just tell me about?”
He touches my arm with his finger, and I lean back. “Well, obviously, the only way for you to find that out is for me to show you.”
“Oh, I don’t—”
A hand lands on my shoulder, and I nearly jump out of my skin, but simultaneously, I hear Ben’s voice, and that tingle on the back of my neck becomes a full-body shiver. “She’s not interested.”
“I don’t know about that.” Charles taps the top of my wrist. “She didn’t say no, did ya, Annie?”
“I’m saying it for her. And brother, heed this one and only warning you’re going to get, hands off, yeah?”
I glance at Kit, who’s watching the exchange with curiosity, then over my shoulder to find a very heated Ben. I feel like I should be afraid they’re going to get into a brawl or something, but I’m too hot and bothered to feel anything but turned on. “Ben, I—”
“Was just about to say no, right?”
“Yes.”
“I still didn’t hear a no come from your pretty pink lips.” Charles winks at me.
The deep, gruff, rumbly growl that comes from the man at my back has me questioning if shapeshifters are actually real.
Suddenly, the tension vanishes because Charles’s shoulders shake, and he roars with laughter. “You’re too easy, bro.”
“And you’re an asshole,” Ben mutters. “Not exactly the first impression I’d like her to have of you.” He punches Charles in the shoulder, and it’s not a friendly tap.
Charles didn’t flinch. “At least I liked the first impression she gave me.” He winks again.
“Stop winking. You look like a freak,” Kit says as she slides him a fresh bottle.
