I turn my head to look up at Big. My heart flutters with excitement.
Glory picks up her camera and snaps a picture of him. “I’ve got you, Big. Not a hair on her head better be missing when I get back.”
“I won’t let anyone else near her.”
“Well, good luck on that front, because they flock to her.” She gives him her parting words before she looks at me.
I give her a nod. She smirks before half jogging from the bar.
I turn to Big, who has stepped closer to me now. Well, heck. How does he smell like sunshine when it's night out?
“Do you smell like sunshine because you ride a motorcycle?” I find myself asking. The alcohol seems to have burned away my shyness.
His lips twitch. My gaze drops there, and I wonder how they would feel against my skin or between my legs. He’s both hard and sweet to me. Which way would he kiss me? Is it strange that I want both?
I ask another question before he can answer my first. “Are you in a motorcycle gang?”
I’m not sure how I would feel about that. I know there are never any good motorcycle romance books. The men are all jerks and think showing sweetness for a woman makes them weak.
“Come sit over here.” He picks up my drink and my purse for me, then guides me over to the table he’s been standing by most of the night.
“Tell me about yourself.”
He hasn’t answered a single one of my questions. I’m either too buzzed or lost in him to care.
4
Big
Her eyes have a glassy sheen as she motions to Ellie. “Another shot?”
Ellie gives her an arched eyebrow.
“I think you’re good for now.” I wave Ellie away, not that she’d ever overserve. She’s a good egg.
“Oh.” Amethyst nods but frowns at the same time.
“The shots hit you hard. When did you eat last?” I want her to have a good time, not a bad night followed by a hangover.
“I had some waffles for lunch.”
“Waffles?” I have the urge to touch her hair, to run my big fingers through her golden waves.
“I’m a big waffle fan.”
“Yeah?” I smile. She’s so damn cute.
“Yeah. I can make anything in a toaster oven.”
“I have a toaster at my place.” I stop myself before I say something stupid like “You want to come over and see it?” Jeez, this girl is throwing me off. She’s been doing that from the first moment I saw her.
She holds up a finger. “A toaster oven. Did you know you could make anything in a toaster oven? You really can. You want like, a cheesy toast? You put the cheese on the bread, slide it into the toaster oven and then bam! Delicious.”
“I do like cheesy toast.” Who doesn’t?
“Me too. And waffles. And you can get these little pizza bites or even small personal pizza things and stick them in there.” She nods slowly. “Yep. It’s really an all-around machine.”
“I had no idea.” I don’t know why, but I’m fascinated by toaster ovens now, just because of the words falling from her pink lips.
“Now you know.” She hiccups.
I turn and ask Ellie for a water. She brings it quickly, and I push it over to Amethyst. “Drink some, beautiful.”
“Beautiful?” She takes a sip, her eyes on me over the rim of the glass. Something about how she does it sends a tingle of arousal down my spine. “You think I’m beautiful?”
“I know you are. No question. Now, tell me more about you, besides your proficiency with toaster ovens.”
She shrugs and hiccups again. “Not much to tell. I’m here to do photography. My parents don’t think it’s a good idea, but they need to understand—” She slurs through the word ‘understand’ with adorable drunkenness. “That I’m, you know, I’m …” She does a hand motion. “See?”
“That you’re ...” I let the question linger.
“That I’m …” She stares up at me. “Why are you so big?”
I bark out a laugh.
She giggles. “Sorry, was that rude? I can’t tell if I’m rude. I must be rude.” Her eyes widen, and she reaches out and covers my big hand with her small one. “I’m sorry. Did I hurt your feelings?”
I cover her hand with my other one. “You haven’t hurt a thing.”
“Thank goodness.” She breathes out hard and takes another drink of her water, but she leaves her other hand in mine, which pleases me more than I can even comprehend. “Hey, I’ve seen you around town, you know?”
“Yeah? I guess I can be hard to miss.”
“I look for you. I mean, I’ve seen you, but then I’m always looking for you. Because I think you’re so—” She swallows hard and blinks. “Whoa, I think I’m drunk. Am I drunk?”
“Just a bit, yes. Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”
“You do?”
“Absolutely.”
“You saved me from getting poked.”
“Poked?”
“With a dart.”
“Right.”
“What about you? You’re new here, too. That’s what Glory says, and Glory knows everything.” She says the last part conspiratorially. I love it.
“I’m the bouncer at the bar.”
She giggles. “I know, but where are you from? You’re like, older, you know?” She gasps. “But silver fox, not like a daddy.” Her cheeks turn an even deeper pink as she gets even more flustered. “Wait, you aren’t silver. But you—I um, I—”
“I’m older than you. Forty, to be exact.”
“Forty. You’re so handsome.” Her smile is contagious.
“Thank you. I moved here a few years back. I used to live back east and decided I wanted to slow down and actually enjoy things.” I don’t mention I used to work for the mob, but that’s a conversation for another day. My past isn’t one I’m ready to share with anyone, especially not the innocent angel sitting beside me.
Her eyelashes flutter. “Mysterious. I like it.” She leans over and presses her cheek to my bicep. “I’m tired. Are you tired?”
She really is a lightweight.
I wrap my arm around her and scoot our chairs right next to each other. She snuggles against my chest.
“Smell good,” she mumbles.
The judge and his wife call it a night and walk past.
She’s lovely, Mrs. Garvey mouths at me.
Judge Garvey winks as he wraps Mrs. Garvey’s coat around her shoulders and helps her out.
The music is still pumping and switching over to more of a country beat. Ellie and Clint clear chairs and tables from the dance floor, and people start moving to the music.
Amethyst leans against my chest, her eyes closed, her mouth slightly open. I can’t move. I won’t. I’m right where I want to be. If a fight broke out right now, I still wouldn’t wake the angel sleeping on me. They could tear this bar apart, and I’d keep her safe and sound.
God, how has this happened to me? I’ve never felt this way about anyone. I honestly never thought I could. That maybe that part of me was broken or missing. But I feel it now with Amethyst. I try to talk myself out of it. To chalk it up to infatuation. But I can’t deny my sudden need to protect this woman, to hold her close.