throat…
He noticed me and shot me a sideways look as I walked over to him. That glance was sexy as hell, and then he faced me and my knees weakened. His black hair was stylishly tousled, his dark brows low over those mesmerizing eyes. When he licked his full bottom lip and glanced at my mouth, I had to hold onto the bar to keep from rushing over to taste that throat after all.
“Hey, baby.”
A jolt of awareness shot through every female part of my anatomy. I tried to sound and look casual. “Whatcha doing?”
“Drinking.” He scanned me from tip to toe and I tingled. Swear to God, tingled like he’d touched me instead. “A lot.”
Two other customers sat at the opposite end of the bar, watching the muted televisions overhead. Melinda and the other server on the floor, Jeremiah, were taking care of their final, lingering tables and paying us no mind. Even Matt ignored us in favor of watching TV and chatting with the bar customers.
Devlin hooked a finger into one of my belt loops and pulled me so that I was standing between his parted legs. He leaned close, his lips hovering over mine, his breath sweet.
“Need a ride.” Were his liquor-laced words an invitation or a request? He seemed more relaxed than intense. Relaxed Devlin was even more irresistible than intense Devlin.
“Maybe… we shouldn’t do this here,” I whispered. Because even though we weren’t being watched, we might be in a few seconds.
“Okay.” He curled his finger into my belt loop. “My place.”
“Y-your place?” I realized then that if I gave him a ride, he might in turn give me one. The one of my young life, I imagined. I was suddenly overly warm.
Then, as if summoned, my tall, blond archnemesis stomped past us making a face like she’d just made out with a lemon.
“Hey, Melinda!” Devlin called out.
“Devlin, no,” I hissed.
He ignored me and tipped his head at her.
She tilted her head at us, took in his finger in my belt loop, and propped a hand on her hip. “Yes?”
“Finish Rena’s tables and side duty tonight. She’s busy.”
Her mouth dropped open, but before she could unleash a banshee’s screech, I spoke. “No, that’s not… he’s kidding.”
He looked like he might laugh. Melinda looked like she might reach for the bottle at his elbow and brain him with it. I spoke before either of them did either of those things.
“Fifteen minutes,” I told him. He watched my mouth, which was distracting. “My side work is finished and my tables are practically done, anyway.” Smiling at Melinda, I said, “Thanks, though,” as if she’d offered.
Once she’d stomped away, he loosened his hold on me. “You’re no fun.”
“What was that about?” I asked, half amused.
“I was trying to show you that I like you better than her.” He lifted his glass, sipped, then pushed it into my shoulder. “You.”
I liked him, too. Even drunk and babbling.
He set the glass aside and took both my hands in his. Eyes on mine, he murmured soft and low, “I like you, Rena.”
I wished I’d had a drink right then because my throat was parched. Being liked by Devlin carried with it a truckload of responsibility.
“Need a ride,” he repeated. “My place.”
He hadn’t asked, but I nodded my yes.
I drove his black SUV while he cranked the radio. The lyrics of a Snow Patrol song—one of my favorites—made my arms chill even in the warm car. The phrase “just say yes” seemed to be my theme song when it came to Devlin Calvary.
“Here.” He pointed at the glass-windowed brick playhouse in the center of downtown. The Schantz Theater. A block away there were pawn shops and knock-off fast food restaurants and a crumbling bus station. Outside of the theater was an adjacent parking garage, sidewalks lined with potted poinsettias and black iron street lamps wrapped with festive holiday lights and pine garland.
I should start Christmas shopping soon. This season had sneaked up on me. It struck me, sitting next to Devlin, that I hadn’t had a boyfriend during the holidays in ages. Not that I had one now, either. No matter what Melinda said.
He instructed me to drive to the top of the garage, where I parked in a numbered space. I stepped out of the SUV and the wind whipped my hair. Before I could tame the flyaway strands, he captured my gloved hand in his. Together we peeked over the edge and down at the theater several stories below.
A black