shoots through my body as I take her in. She looks beautiful tonight, but that’s not new. She always looks beautiful. Her dress is a virginal white, off-the-shoulder number that’s cinched at the waist, making her look tinier than I remember. Her heels make her legs look like they go on for miles.
I find myself sliding off the barstool, weaving through Bert’s, just to get close to her. She must sense me coming, or her friends tell her, because she swings her gaze toward me, our eyes homing in on each other. A ripple shoots down my spine, the sensation otherworldly. It’s odd and foreign, and I’m certain she feels it, too. Her lips part, and I notice the way her chest rises and falls sharply at my presence. It’s that awareness. That current between us that’s impossible to ignore.
“Endymion,” she greets, and if I’m not mistaken, the sound is raspy. Pink slowly invades her cheeks, and I find myself smiling, despite my better judgement.
“Funny running into you here,” I mumble, raking my gaze across her flesh, soaking in every inch of her while I can. She smiles, the corners of her eyes crinkling with the laughter she’s holding in. “You look…you look beautiful.”
“My heart. I think I’ve just had a heart attack from cuteness overload.”
Selene and I turn toward the source, finding her friend Julia staring at the two of us with hearts in her eyes. Her hands are splayed over her chest, across her heart, as if she quite literally can’t take it.
“Julia,” I greet, unable to hide my grin. She’s funny; I’ll give her that.
“Greek god of Dunsmuir. It’s always a pleasure.” She curtsies, and I choke on my laughter. In my peripheral, I catch Selene pinch the bridge of her nose, likely embarrassed by her friend’s antics. “Also,” Julia says, pausing to look at me pointedly, “don’t give up on this one just yet. She’ll give in to you soon enough. Lord knows this has been years in the making.”
“Okay, Julia. Thank you,” Selene rushes out, shooing her off. Her face is the cutest shade of red, and she shifts in those heels.
“Years in the making, huh?”
Her mouth turns down, and she rolls her eyes at me, nudging me on the arm, but I still see the humor lurking there. “Don’t push it, End.”
We both turn toward our friends. Beth-Ann has taken my spot at the bar next to Landon, and Julia is being introduced to Griffin and Bishop.
“We should probably head over there before the guys try to get an easy win in pool.”
Selene scoffs. “Julia is a shark at pool. She’ll definitely hold her own against your friends.”
“And what about you?”
She pauses, then, a smirk steals across her face. It’s damn beautiful. “I guess we’ll find out, won’t we, Mr. Black?”
She turns, heading toward her friends, and the entire way I watch her go, riveted to the sight of her. And if I’m not mistaken, there’s an extra sway to her hips. Fuck, if it doesn’t make me rock hard.
Two seats open at the bar, a few feet away from our friends, so we take them. She settles in beside me, and I get a whiff of her perfume. It’s that damned honey and sweet flowers scent - something that is inherently her.
“I take it you’re a baseball fan?” she comments.
I realize I’ve been sneaking glances at her and the TV, unsure what I want to look at more. Who the fuck am I kidding? It’s her.
“I prefer football, but baseball is a close second.”
She cranes her neck over her shoulder, glancing at the screen. “I’ve heard about that guy.”
“Liam Falcon?” I ask, referring to the Giants pitcher.
She nods. “Watched an interview with him and his wife. Kind of incredible, their love, and his passion for the game.”
I know what she’s referring to. A few months back, news leaked of Falcon’s wife being assaulted. It was plastered on every celebrity news channel and website. When questioned about it, he went off on a few reporters and then later did a string of interviews with his wife, Bea, where they confronted the rumors of their past.
The guy didn’t play when it came to his wife. He was extremely protective. That showed through whenever they were spotted together in public. They looked at each other like a couple deeply in love. With a kind of passion you longed for. It’s exactly what’s been lacking in all my relationships. I didn’t date or have girlfriends because no