Page 48
Hoping he would stay, but expecting him to leave, I practically fluttered when Cam set his glass on the wooden bar top and faced me. “Your post worked.”
The lounge did seem particularly crowded for such an early hour. Bodies in the outdoor area steadily multiplied despite the chilly air, and the tables inside had nearly filled. Pride welled in me, but modesty won. “Ivy just has a large following. Plus, free drinks.”
“Yes.” He turned back toward the bar and sipped his bourbon. “Her following. I’m sure that’s all it was.”
My shoulders slumped a tad.
“It definitely wasn’t the two beautiful women inviting the whole county to come to the Lounge tonight.”
Did he just call me beautiful? First lovely, and then beautiful? “To be fair, there’s not much in the way of nightlife in this town.”
He bent close to my ear. “Take the compliment, Honeycutt.”
His breath on my skin woke impulses I hadn’t felt in…years. My throat went dry, and I reached for my drink. “I’m surprised you’re capable of paying them.”
“I have my moments.” He gestured around the bustling room. “This was ingenious.”
“Ingenious? Hmm. He speaks it, but does he believe?”
That honey-slow smile appeared on his face. “He believes. Thank you for this.”
Oh, dear. The sincerity. The smile. Those eyes.
I forced my gaze away. “It’s my job.”
“Even so. I appreciate that you’re trying. I know it’s been difficult.”
“It wouldn’t be difficult if you didn’t shut down perfectly good ideas.” My eyes widened even as the words spilled from my mouth. Did that just come out of my mouth? “Oh my god. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”
Was the alcohol loosening my tongue? I sensed his focus on my face, but couldn’t find the bravery to check. Instead, I drank more and expected him to defend himself, argue even.
He didn’t.
“I suppose you have a point,” he murmured.
My attention darted to him.
“Would it help to know there’s a reason for the decisions I make?”
My answering laugh was brief. “No. Since my running hypothesis is that your decisions are simply absurd.”
He took hold of his glass and peered into it. “Interesting. And how do you plan to test that hypothesis?”
“By assaulting you with better and better ideas until I catch you rejecting perfection.”
He looked skeptical. “That’s unsound science.”
“What do you mean?” I took a prim sip of my whiskey. “Perfection rejection would prove my hypothesis. Who rejects perfection? Only the absurd.”
Surprisingly, Cam leaned into the joke. “What is your definition of perfection?”
I checked them off on my fingers. “Without flaws or defects. Sublime. Exquisite.”
He hummed as if considering.
“So will you turn that away?” I asked.
The alcohol warmed my skin and blunted the edges of my vision, but it didn’t hide the death of the teasing glint in his eyes. “It wouldn’t be the first time.”
