smile, but her lips quiver. “I’ve been waiting for you.” She places her hand on my chest and plasters her body against my side.
I snake my arm around her shoulders, holding her closer. “Sorry, I got caught at work.” My gaze swings back to the asshole who’s still staring at us. “You better get—before I make you go,” I tell him, eyes narrowed, lip curled.
He doesn’t move right away, his eyes locked on the woman as he grunts. A second later, he’s gone, vanishing into the crowd.
I tip my head down, looking at her as she clings to my body like a life preserver. “You okay?”
She sags against me, letting out a long breath. “Jesus,” she mutters as her head falls forward, planting her forehead against my chest. “I don’t know how I’m doing.”
I keep my arm around her, still holding her shoulders and not letting my hands drift any lower.
Her body begins to tremble as the adrenaline starts to wear off and the fear settles in.
“He’s gone now,” I reassure her. “You’re safe.”
Her other hand joins the first on my chest before she tips her head back, bringing those big, wild eyes to mine. “I’m sorry,” she whispers.
“For what?” I furrow my brows as I stroke the soft skin near the thin strap of her dress with my thumb.
“I shouldn’t be touching you.” She pushes herself away, grabbing on to the bar to hold herself upright as her body continues to shake from everything that happened.
“I’m pretty sure I touched you first, and don’t be silly, you needed a rescue, and I was more than happy to give it to you.”
Her cheeks turn pink as she tucks a lock of her dark-brown hair behind her ear. “I shouldn’t need a rescue.”
“We all need a rescue sometime, babe.”
“Arlo,” she says, glancing at her shoes.
“What?”
She sways a bit but keeps her hand firmly planted on the edge of the bar, holding herself upright. “My name…my name is Arlo, not babe.”
“I’m Carmello.”
“Hi,” she says softly, blinking slowly. “Carmello.”
I step forward, placing myself next to her at the bar, and on cue, she turns, resting the front of her body against the counter. “Let me buy you a drink. I think you earned it.”
She smiles a genuine smile for the first time since I laid eyes on her. “I owe you a drink.”
“Fine. You can buy this round,” I lie. “What do you want?”
She leans over, placing her arms on top of the bar, flattening her palms. “Champagne. No, wait.” She pauses, her gaze moving across the bottles against the wall. “I need something stronger. Whatever you’re having, I’ll take.”
I nod, motioning toward Jimmy, the bartender and someone I’ve known since I was a kid. “Two shots of whiskey and two whiskeys neat to sip,” I tell him, not bothering to look at Arlo.
“I can’t…”
I hold up my hand off to the side. “And two waters.”
He nods, making quick work of the drinks as Arlo fidgets at my side. The girl is wound up, but after what she just went through, I’d be wound tight too.
When the drinks are in front of us, I push three glasses in front of her, finally bringing my attention back to her pretty face. “Shot first,” I tell her.
“I really shouldn’t…”
I lift my shot glass, ticking my chin toward her shot. “It’ll take the edge off, and from the looks of you, you need it, darlin’.”
“Arlo,” she whispers like I forgot.
“I didn’t forget.”
Her eyebrows rise for a brief moment before she wraps her slender fingers around the glass and brings it toward her lips. The liquid inside sloshes. “I’m shaking,” she says, her eyes focused on the drink and the movement I didn’t miss.
“I know. It’s why you need two. The first one will hit quick, and the second is to enjoy.”
Her gaze darts to me and then back to the glass in her hand. She pauses, and I use my free hand to push the shot closer to her lips.
“Down the hatch.” I smile before tipping back my shot, swallowing the liquid.
She follows, immediately grimacing and then wincing as the whiskey no doubt burns her insides as it slides toward her belly. “Shit,” she hisses, clutching her chest and slamming the empty shot glass back on the bar. “That was…”
“Sip your water.”
She blinks, sucking in a breath as if she can’t shake the burn. “What?” she whispers.
I push the tall glass of ice water closer to her. “Drink the water. It’ll help.”