Page 2 of Spark

A big, sexy, rough-looking giant of a man.

He had one thick forearm covered in tattoos draped along the bar, his extraordinarily sized hand hanging over the side, fingers thick, long, and blunt. The other one of those monster-sized mitts was curled around a glass of amber liquid.

He looked a little dangerous, a whole lot intense, and was the sexiest man Hattie had ever seen in her life.

And his dark eyes were locked on her. She saw—and felt—when his gaze moved over her, like little zaps of electricity sparking all over her skin.

No, he couldn’t be looking at her. Hattie glanced around her, at the people and tables either side of hers. Maybe he couldn’t see her clearly over here in the booth? Did he realize she was staring back at him? Maybe he was looking at something else or thought she was someone else?

After several more heart-stopping moments of being trapped in that gaze, he finally looked away.

Hattie released the breath she’d been holding and watched as the sexy man-mountain stood, giving her the opportunity to take in his immense height and width. She could see with the way his navy blue shirt fit him and the way it hugged his wide shoulders that they were thick with muscle. He was strong and solid, but his stomach wasn’t washboard flat. He definitely didn’t have a beer belly, though. He looked, um…cuddly.

Sexy and cuddly, and dangerous.

An odd mix, to be sure, but one she was finding seriously compelling.

Who was she kidding? The word she was looking for was arousing. So freaking arousing.

He was wearing Levi’s and they fit him—yeah, really, really well. Like so freaking well. His thighs were solid, like the rest of him, and those jeans cupped his butt in a way that made her mouth dry. The guy had an impressive butt. Muscled and grabbable. Bitable.

Hattie blushed, heating all over. She’d been attracted to plenty of guys before, had gone out with a few as well, but the way this man was affecting her all the way from across the room, without her even talking to him, was crazy.

He planted both palms on the bar and leaned in, making his biceps bulge. He said something to the barman, then walked toward the door.

Unexpected and intense disappointment pounded through her.

Don’t be ridiculous.

Besides providing some seriously hot eye candy, his leaving should have had no effect on her. It wasn’t like she was going to walk up to him and start a conversation. She’d never had the confidence to approach a man like that.

What would she even say? “Hey, I’m new to the area. I haven’t had sex in a really long time. Care to remedy that for me?”

She inwardly cringed, stood, and headed to the bar since the waitstaff seemed to have forgotten about her. One more drink and then she’d head back to her apartment. Not that she expected to sleep with her belly in knots like it was. If nothing else, the sexy giant at the bar had been a very nice distraction.

“What can I get you?” the barman asked when she finally made it through the crowd.

“Chardonnay, please.”

“Sure thing. Anything else?”

“Just the wine, thanks—”

“I’ll get that,” an insanely deep voice said behind her.

It was also rough, the kind of voice that rasped over your skin and lifted goose bumps all over your body.

Hattie knew who it was instantly. Her belly clenched and she turned, head tilted back, staring up at the formidable man behind her.

Heavy brows framing brown eyes that were dark but also warm were aimed down at her. Her heart instantly started galloping around in her chest.

Hattie took in the rest of his features. His jaw was square and covered in a trimmed but thick beard. His mouth was unsmiling, lips wide and perfectly shaped. Not too full, not too thin. His nose was—brutish. Kind of large, and it looked like it’d been broken, maybe more than once. Hattie like it. It only added to his ruggedness.

She made herself smile up at him instead of letting her mouth hang open in awe like it wanted to. It wasn’t easy with all that unsmiling broody intensity looking down at her in return.

Why was her heart beating so fast? Her palms felt sweaty all of a sudden, and there was this funny fluttery feeling behind her ribs. “Thanks…thank you…for the drink.”

God, she sounded like a stuttering idiot.