My fingers tremble as I reach into my purse, pulling out the tin of mints that’s empty except for one.
One mint that’s not a mint at all… it’s salvation.
It hits my tongue with an explosion of euphoria, a tasteless wonderment that can cure all my ailments… even the ones I have no control over.
My eyes slide shut, waiting for the haze to takeover, the fog that will cover me and make me forget this night even existed.
It doesn’t take long. Ten minutes becomes twenty, and by the time it’s fully taken effect, my entire body is humming with uncontrolled desire.
If he can find someone to sleep with tonight, so can I.
It doesn’t take me long. The guy who was ogling me from the bar is now standing outside the bathroom, almost like he’s waiting for me, and this time I don’t pretend not to see him.
Iwanthim to notice me.
“Hey,” I say, swaying a bit until my back hits the wall across from him for support.Crap, I forgot I drank a few drinks before popping the tab. This isn’t good.
He’s not the knight I was expecting to ride in and save me from this night, but he’ll do. He’s tall and lean but also has a bit of bulk to him, like he spends hours at the gym just to stay that perfect kind of fit. He’s a bit older than me, maybe in his mid-thirties with a face that’s almost handsome if you block out his slightly crooked nose and the right eyebrow that’s a few centimeters higher than the other. His eyes are a deep, penetrating blue, and he has a carelessly strong jawline that’s heavy on the stubble, especially around his goatee. Faded denim clings to his thighs, worn in all the right places, and tucked into brown boots that are scuffed at the toes like they’ve seen morebars than dance floors. The way his shirt hangs open shows off a few American flag tattoos that parade up and down his bicep with country pride.
I’ve decided I like tattoos even though Wesley has them too.
Those big, blue eyes watch me with great fascination, lingering when they shouldn’t, tracking my movements like he’s mapping the exits without realizing he’s doing it.
Up close, there’s nothing visibly wrong with him, and that’s the unsettling part.
Because he looks like a man you’d laugh with. A man you’d flirt with. A man you wouldn’t clock as dangerous until he’s already standing too close, and by then, it’s too late.
“Hey there, darlin’,” he drawls out, the country accent almost addicting.
The buzz under my skin is supercharged tonight. Like every pump of blood is aroused and ready for something more—something I’m not quite sure I can give.
But I push those thoughts aside.
I need him for personal reasons.
Wesley reasons.
He has his boot kicked back up on the wall, hands crossed over his chest, those light eyes perusing every inch of me as a thick portion of bangs drapes over them, casting his face in shadows.
He doesn’t say anything else, just keeps looking me over, waiting for me to initiate our next move.
“Well,” I murmur, a bit too tipsy for my liking, “are you gonna say something?”
He grins, showing off his teeth that are slightly yellow. “I think we had a moment back there.”
I laugh, knowing whatever moment he thought we had, it was all in his head. Did we make eye contact?Yes. Did it mean more than just eye contact? Not until right now.
But despite everything, I lean closer, goading him on. “Did we?” My fingers skim over my hair, twirling a piece of it as I tilt my head ever so slightly. It’s a practiced move I haven’t used in years, but it seems to be working. I let my gaze drop to his mouth, then lift it back up slowly, smirking when he wets his lips. “Guess I must’ve missed it.”
He moves across the hall, his confidence growing. “It’s hard to miss a woman like you.”
Good. Let him think that.
I step closer, invading his space until I can smell his cologne, that earthy, woodsy smell that normally brings me to my knees. “Funny,” I whisper. “There’s someone in this bar who could learn a thing or two from you.”
The words slip out without warning. I’m trying to block Wesley from my head, not let him waltz back in to mess with me.
“What’s your name, darlin’?”
