“Shut up and eat your cookie, bitch,” I growl, unable to hide my grin.
They’re wrong though. The last thing I’m going to do is let Rowan Cole get that close, ever again.
twenty-nine
Friday night can’t come soon enough.But I sure as fuck wouldn’t be mad if the world imploded, taking me along with it, just so I could avoid the inevitable.
Lizzy.
It reminds me of how I felt on prom night. How I stood just out of sight at the top of the stairs, nervous as shit. Not because of my date—the girl I was seeing at the time was nuts, and I’d been wanting to break it off for weeks—but because I was out of my mind about seeing Lizzy in her prom dress. Torn between drinking in the sight of her and wanting to tear her dress off and show her just how much I’d missed her.
With my tongue.
I didn’t want to care about her. I didn’t want to be out of my mind for her blossoming curves and her full, pouty mouth. And I sure as hell didn’t want to be reminded of how she was the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen in my life. And I’d known her for most of it.
Keeping my baseball cap low, I climb out of the car and head inside The Brew. The bar slash restaurant is a new experience for me as it didn’t exist the last time I was home.
Home.
Used to be that Lakeside was the only real home I’d ever known. Now? I plan on sticking around. Even if it’s only part-time.
A loud cacophony of voices hits me dead on. Music thumps and glasses clink as I scan the bar for the one person I came to see.
The place is packed with locals, most of whom are gathered around tall, round tables in the center of the large room. The energy is almost tangible in the air. It takes me a moment to spot her in the corner, surrounded by her friends.
She’s stunning. Her tight black T-shirt hugs her curves, showing a dusky sliver of skin, with blue jeans and a pair of Chucks completing the look. Her dark hair, loose around her shoulders, catches the light when she throws her head back to laugh at something Sasha says, making my heart do a little flip.
Holy hell. What I wouldn’t give for a chance to run my tongue along that tiny exposed section of midriff.
“Rowan!” Logan’s voice breaks through my Lizzy-induced trance as he waves me over from where he’s standing by the bar. “Over here, man.”
I make my way through the crowd, nodding at a few people who recognize me as the whispers of: “Holy shit, that’s Rowan Cole!” nip at my heels. But I’m used to it.
“Hi,” I say, clasping Logan’s hand and pulling him in for a quick bro hug.
“Hey, my friend.” He grins, sliding a beer toward me. “Lizzy mentioned you were coming. Figured I’d better be here to run interference in case things go south.”
I take a deep swig from the bottle. “Your confidence as usual is unsurprising.”
“Just being realistic,” he shrugs, clapping me on the shoulder. “Come on, we’ve got a couple of tables saved.”
As I follow Logan through the crowd, I can’t keep my eyes off Lizzy. Still caught up in whatever story has her friends doubled over in laughter, she hasn’t noticed me yet. The sight of her so carefree, so vibrant, makes my stomach ache with familiar longing.
“Hey! Look what the cat dragged in,” Jax announces as we approach the table.
Lizzy’s head snaps up, green eyes locking with mine. For a split second, a surprised grin flickers across her face before she schools her expression to casual indifference.
“Hey,” she says with a small nod.
“Hey yourself,” I reply, sliding into the empty seat across from her.
Before I have the chance to tell her how beautiful she looks, someone taps on a microphone, cutting through the dissonance in the bar. A tall, bearded guy steps onto a small platform at the front of the room.
“Alright, folks! Welcome to The Brew’s monthly Trivia Night!” His voice booms through the speakers, drawing cheers from the crowd. “For those who don’t know me, I’m Drew, the owner of this fine establishment, and your host for the evening.”
Logan leans over, whispering, “Drew’s cool. Ex-military. Opened this place about eight years ago.”
I nod, keeping my eyes up front as the large, burly man continues.
