Cocktail - Lauren Smith Page 0,1

swung open and a man stepped out behind the bar.

She couldn’t help but stare at him. The man was gorgeous. Okay, way beyond gorgeous. He had broad shoulders and wore a light blue button up shirt with the cuffs rolled up to his elbows, exposing sun-tanned muscled skin. His trim waist accented by dark blue jeans that fit like a glove. Aubree’s mouth ran dry as her gaze traveled up his body to his face.

He looked like Chris Hemsworth with a chiseled face that held a hint of delicious edginess. She usually fell for men who had that sweet, cute sort of boy-next-door look. But this guy? He was the boy next door who had aged a decade and then joined the Marines. A lock of dark blonde hair fell into his blue eyes; it was a little long, just enough that he could casually run his fingers through it. She noticed his mouth and those full lips that were moving as he stood in front of her. Then those lips stopped moving and he stared at her expectantly.

“Huh?” She suddenly blurted as she realized with complete and total mortification that the man had been talking to her.

“Another Long Island iced tea?” he asked in the most gorgeous Australian accent.

“Oh… no. Thanks.” She blushed. “I just need to settle the tab for our table.”

“Sure, hang on.” He retrieved a black tablet and ran her table number. “Two drinks?”

“Yeah… My date had to leave early so—”

“So, he made you pay?” A look of open disgust crossed the man’s face before he masked it with politeness.

“Yeah… Guess that should’ve been a tipoff that he wasn’t the one.” She retrieved her card and slid it over the lacquered bar surface toward him. The man took the card to process her payment. When he gave her the receipt, she saw only one drink on the tab.

“I had two drinks,” she reminded him.

The bartender’s lips twitched. “No woman in this bar is going to pay for a man’s drink after being ditched on a date.”

Aubree winced. “You saw him ditch me, huh?” She wanted to die right there. Everyone nearby must have seen her crash and burn on her date.

“I saw that asshole leave. So yeah, you don’t pay for him.”

“Thanks.” She could afford to pay for the extra drink, but she appreciated the gesture.

“You want to talk about it?” The man pulled out a glass and set it down before her, but when she started to reach for her wallet again, he smiled.

“No worries. This one’s on the house.” He passed her a glass of something after he mixed it.

“What is it?” She eyed the brightly colored magenta flower he’d dropped in the top of the clear drink.

He leaned forward with his hands on the bar and his strong forearms showing thick, well defined muscles. That same lock of dark blond hair fell into his eyes again as he tipped his head toward her and lifted an eyebrow as he flashed her a conspiratorial smile that sent her stomach dancing with butterflies.

“Valley of the flowers. Snow leopard vodka, Mizu Shochu, and a couple of dashes of grapefruit bitters.”

“Snow leopard vodka?” She took a sip as he watched her. His intense stare made her blush.

“Rare, like a good woman,” he replied and then he left her alone to enjoy the drink. He filled half a dozen other orders while she sipped her cocktail. As he worked, she had a chance to spy on him. He smiled and laughed easily with the customers as he prepared drinks.

I bet he sees a lot of dates here.

She couldn’t help but wonder if asking him for his opinion might be a good idea. Weren’t bartenders supposed to offer good advice?

Then he returned to her end of the bar.

“Can I get your professional bartending opinion?” she asked while the Valley of the flowers was working its magic, leaving her feeling decidedly bold.

He collected her empty glass and began to unload clean shot glasses on a shelf under the edge of the bar. “I’ll do my best,” he replied.

God that accent was going to kill her. She shot a glance at the large hands that had delicately created an elaborate drink a few minutes earlier. There was no ring on his ring finger. But he had a Celtic band around one thumb. For some reason that sent her body burning so hot; she couldn’t help but picture him gripping her hips hard, leaving the imprint of that ring on her skin