“You look really sexy tonight,” Shane whispers against my ear, leaning down over my shoulder and giving my waist a squeeze.
I inch my way out of his grip, throwing him a small smile. “Thank you.”
“I mean, you’re always sexy. Even that night at the brewery in your oversized hoodie and messy hair… I couldn’t take my eyes off you.”
I remember that night.
It was the night I almost killed myself.
Swallowing, I bob my head. A wave of guilt infiltrates me, knowing I feel nothing for this man, despite the fact that he’s kind, attentive, good-looking, and smart. On paper, he fits. Shane could easily be a compatible partner.
But his eyes aren’t green like the Everglades. His build is too broad, and he smells like a department store instead of the great outdoors. His hands don’t look like they’ve ever really built anything before, his hair is coarse, not soft like silk, and his voice… his voice doesn’t shoot tingles up my spine and goosebumps across my skin.
I’m ruined.
Leah strolls up to me with two shot glasses, an unidentifiable liquid splashing over the rims. I immediately scrunch my nose up. “Absolutely not.”
“Aw, shucks, fine. Worth a shot,” she teases, handing the extra glass to Shane, who takes it eagerly.
I’m shaking my head at her awful joke when I notice her eyes skip over my shoulder and widen as she sets her sights on something. “What? What is it?”
“Holy hell, babe…” Leah steps closer to me, eyes still fixed on an unknown subject. “Don’t look now, but your contractor is sitting at the bar, and he looks really, really good.”
What?
My heart nearly detonates. “Parker?”
“I think so. Mr. Silent and Tortured?”
I nod mutely.
“That’s him. Shit, he’s looking over here.” Leah jerks her head until she’s fully facing me, eyebrows wiggling with mischief. “He’s hot, Mellie. Poor Shane doesn’t stand a chance.”
Biting into my lip, I blurt, “I slept with him.”
Leah’s eyes bug out, gleaming gold and gobsmacked. Her lips shape into a glossy O, and she instantly snatches my wrist to drag me towards the bathrooms.
“I choked. You’re up, Mel,” West intervenes, trying to call us over before we disappear.
“Be right back!” Leah shouts. When we’re out of earshot of the two men, Leah pulls me towards the far wall across from the restrooms, cupping my cheeks with her hands. Her long, talon-like nails are blood red, matching the lip stain on her mouth—her mouth that quickly curls into a Cheshire grin. “Oh, my God. Shut the fucking front door.”
“It was a mistake,” I croak out.
“It most certainly was not. That man is not a freakin’ mistake, babygirl.”
Amusement forces its way through the swelling anxiety, and I crack a smile before choking it back down. “It’s a mess, Leah. He has the emotional capacity of a spatula.”
She frowns, dropping her hands. “Not ideal.”
“He said he doesn’t even like women.”
“Possibly concerning…”
“He won’t kiss me. He said he’s never kissed anyone before.”
Leah slides her lower lip between her teeth, her gaze flickering across my face with quiet assessment. “But you like him,” she concludes, tender but firm.
I blink, letting her words soak through all the doubts and misgivings. Through the dark clouds and bleak thoughts. If I chip away long enough, maybe I’ll wind up at the meaty center of it all, which basically comes down to: “Yeah… I like him.”
Her smile embraces me like a warm hug. It’s the last thing I see before Shane wanders up to us, his beer dangling in his hand, tapping his thigh as he clears his throat.
“I was wondering where you ran off to,” he says, his blueish gaze raking over me. “It’s your turn.”
Leah gives my arm a comforting pinch, almost like she’s reminding me of my unhindered confession. I gift her with a soft grin, then share it with Shane. “Sounds good.”
We follow him back over to the pool table, and I instantly scour the room for Parker. He’s easy to spot, sitting alone at the bar with no beverage, and only a familiar scowl to keep him company. His knee bobs up and down, his one foot propped along the rung of the bar stool as his hand scratches at the back of his head while he fidgets in place. He looks nervous, uncomfortable. Totally out of his element.
Why is he here?
Did he come because of… me?
As I approach the table, Parker glances my way.
Our eyes lock, my heart skips, and my breath stalls in the back of my throat, causing my feet to halt mid-step. My blood pumps hot, my insides singing.
And that’s when Shane wraps his arm around my waist, tugging me against him and swallowing me up—as if he’s staking a claim and asserting what’s his. I watch the muscles in Parker’s neck distend, veins dilating. His lax posture turns rigid as his eyes dip to the arm curled around my middle. When they lift back to me, they are violent and virescent.
Suffocating.
“Is that the guy who fixed your ceiling?”
Shane’s voice kisses my ear, and I flinch back, his proximity invasive. His hold on me tightens. “Yes.”
“Want me to tell him to get lost?”
“No.”
My response is quick, leaving no room for interpretation. Shane guides me back to the pool table, his hand sliding to the small of my back, and I finally pull my attention from Parker. I’m tempted to approach him, to find out why he’s here, but West steals my courage before I can flee, handing me a cue stick.
“It’s all you, little sis. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
I inhale a calming breath, trying to shake the weight of his gaze as my fingers curl around the cue. “I’ve definitely got this… three ball, side pocket.”
“Risky.”
My eyes skip to my brother. “Really?”
West chuckles as he swallows down the rest of his beer, abandoning the empty bottle on a high-top table. “Just go, will you?”
“Okay, okay…” Gnawing the inside of my cheek, I try to concentrate on the shot as I near the table, refusing the pull from the opposite side of the room.
Deep breath.
Leaning forward, I move into position, eyeing the number three on the red ball and sliding the stick between two fingers. I should have realized something was amiss when Leah’s giggles cut short and West’s words eclipse, but I continue with the shot, my backside jutted out and my focus fixed.
That’s when I feel him.
A potent heat closing in on me, prompting the little hairs on my arms to dance to life while my skin warms with want. Parker angles himself over me, arms encompassing me from either side, his hands sliding down my own arms until he reaches my wrists.
His face lowers to the crook of my neck, lips grazing my ear, and he whispers, “Hey.”
Hey?
A surge of heat spirals south at a single word. I realize all eyes are on us right now—my brother, Leah, my freakin’ date—but I can’t seem to move. I can’t seem to withdraw from the lure of his spell.
I find an ounce of bravery and tilt my chin up, canting my head to the left. He’s right there—our noses almost brush as our eyes meet. I swallow. “I didn’t know you played pool.”