being part of a couple. Miss all the cutesy shit and all the romantic gestures.
I want it again.
“Disgusting, isn’t it?”
A deep voice startles me, and I glance at the now occupied stool next to me.
A guy is sitting there, staring out at the crowd, scanning it.
The first thing I notice is how tall he is. I’m not lacking in the height department, but even sitting down I can tell this guy is at least six inches taller than I am.
I tip my head back, peering up at his profile.
His jaw is strong and sharp, dusted with hair like he forgot to shave. There’s a bump along his nose, like he’s broken it before, and I have the strangest urge to ask him what happened. Ridiculous since I don’t know him.
His inky black hair is tapered at the sides, longer on top and disheveled like he’s run his hands through it several times. His focus is on the crowd, and I wonder if he was talking to me at all.
Then, he nods at the throng of people and leans into me. It’s not enough that I’m uncomfortable, just enough so I can hear him…and smell him.
And damn does he smell good.
Like fresh mountain air with a hint of something minty.
“All the lovey-dovey shit,” he says out of the side of his mouth, shaking his head. “It’s a bit overrated if you ask me.”
“Yet nobody did.”
He pulls back, looking down at me for the first time.
My breath is caught in my throat when his eyes meet mine.
They’re a bright, light blue. Maybe the brightest I’ve ever seen in person.
The color is striking against his long lashes, but it’s not the only thing drawing me in.
He’s looking at me like it’s only us in the room. It’s intense, and not how you should look at a stranger.
My skin prickles with goose bumps.
Finally, he flicks his eyes away.
I swallow, my mouth tacky and dry.
Oh hell. I need to get ahold of myself. Stop acting like I haven’t seen an attractive man before. Sure, it’s been a while since anyone other than Henry Cavill has given me tingles, but still. I need to get a grip.
“Ask you,” I say to him, doing my best to ignore the way his stare has my pulse racing. “Nobody asked you.”
A grin pulls at his full lips. “That’s fair.”
I smile back at him and spin around on the stool, facing the bar. The stranger copies my movements, and our elbows brush during the movement.
He doesn’t miss the contact either, glancing down at where we touched before his eyes flit to mine again.
I’m embarrassed by the heat flowing through me.
I’m ridiculous. It’s a damn elbow—but it’s been that long since I’ve had any physical contact from an attractive man.
Pity.
He lifts his hand, flagging down the bartender, and it draws my attention. His hand is big, covered in small scratches, and his forearms are corded with muscle. A dark blue short-sleeved shirt stretches across his body when he moves. It’s tight, but not in a Hey, look at how much time I spend in the gym kind of tight. Besides, I have a feeling his build isn’t from time spent in the gym, but rather from whatever it is he does for a living.
The bartender saunters our way.
My lips pinch together in annoyance because he couldn’t be bothered when I wanted a drink.
“Your usual?” he asks the stranger, never mind that I was here first.
I’m about to let him know he forgot about me when the mysterious man next to me speaks.
“Please, and whatever she’s having.”
I’m not dumb enough to argue about a free drink after the day—hell, weeks—I’ve had.
“I’ll have a whiskey sour, light on the simple syrup,” I tell the bartender. “I’d like to taste the top-shelf bourbon, please.”
He grins, then nods and whirls around to grab our drinks.
“So we’re clear,” I say to the man next to me, “just because I’m letting you buy me a drink, it doesn’t mean anything. I’m not going home with you.”
He nods, fighting a grin. “Duly noted.”
I tuck my lips together, combatting my own smile.
We sit together in silence. It’s not comfortable, but it’s not uncomfortable either.
I like having him here next to me despite not knowing him.
“I tried flagging him down twice, you know,” I say, breaking the quiet.
“Don’t hold it against him. Donny’s a good guy. He just gets distracted sometimes.” The stranger tips his head toward the other end of the bar. “Especially when his partner stops by.”