His arms look huge right now. And the line of his jaw is so sharp, I’m surprised I’ve yet to cut myself on it whilst touching him.I can’t believe this guy had his face buried in my ass not too long ago.
I shiver against the thought—the reminder of how he felt.
“You cold?”
“Huh?” My gaze snaps up from where I was ogling his arms a moment ago to meet his vibrant green eyes that are now trained on me. “Oh, no.” Then, to steer the conversation away from myself, “What are we going out of town for?”
“Fort Myers doesn’t offer much in the date department. Plus, there’s a place I want to take you to. It’s called Cocktails and Consonances. It’s a karaoke bar,” he says.
“A karaoke bar?” This surprises me.
“Yeah, why? Don’t want to go?” Rowan peeks at me again, and this time it’s with an edge of nerves that matches my own.
“I’m not saying that. I just didn’t imagine you’d be into something like that,” I say gently, studying his profile.
Rowan shrugs, gripping the steering wheel with a slight hint of pressure.
“It had really good reviews—and it’s a really popular date spot.” He sounds as if he’s trying to justify himself, and it was not my intention to make him self-conscious about his date destination choice.
“Well, I think it’ll be fun.” When he turns to peer over at me, I give him a cheery smile. “We’ll have plenty to laugh at as the drunk guys get up to sing ‘Mr. Brightside.’”
This makes Rowan laugh, and I let the deep, soft sound sink into my skin as I turn to watch the passing trees in the darkness that surrounds us.
We spend the rest of the drive bantering about nothing—mostly my job and the shows Rowan is binging at the moment. And soon enough, we’re parking in the gravel lot of a small, dingy-looking bar.
The neon sign glows the letters C&C with a cocktail next to it, and we take the last parking spot available. People are streaming in and out of the door as I unbuckle my seatbelt.
Before I can open my door, Rowan is there pulling on the handle.
I just stare at him for a moment—I’m not used to this level of chivalry. I’ve never really allowed it. But now, with him, I feel as if my heart will explode.
“You coming?” he asks, and I hop down from my seat and onto the gravel below.
As we’re pushing into the karaoke bar, I feel the presence of Rowan’s large hand at the small of my back. I turn my head to look up at him, but he’s not paying me much attention.
Instead, he is scouring the place for somewhere to sit. Being Saturday night, C&C is packed to the nines, and once we finally find a small high-top table, we find there is only one chair at it.
“One sec,” Rowan says, and then he’s walking to a table a few feet away.
I watch him lean into the girl sitting there, and how her eyes widen in appreciation at his face. Then she’s nodding, and Rowan is dragging a chair from their table to ours.
“You stealing chairs now?” I ask him, and he grins.
“Borrowing, actually. They weren’t using it. Now sit your sarcastic ass down while I get us some drinks.” He runs a gentle hand over my hair as he departs, and I’m unable to suppress the shudder that passes through me.
Now that we’re officially on a date—now that there is a potential formorein the cards for him and me—Rowan seems to have become more confident. More assertive.
Not that I mind. In fact, I kind of like it.
As long as I can still put him on his knees at the end of the day, he can tell me to sit my ass down whenever he wants.
A woman who appears to be in her late thirties takes the small stage in the back of the bar, the beginnings of some old country song playing from the speakers at a screeching volume.
All around me are crowded tables, and a small dance floor is situated in the center of the room. Behind me is the bar, and I spot Rowan leaning against it, speaking loudly to the bartender as he waits for our drinks.
The vibe of the bar seems to be some kind of old western theme, but people from all over are mingling around. I see men in suits, gothic clothing, and even a few college kids who probably aren’t even old enough to be here.
It’s an interesting environment, and I find that I like it very much.
