Forbidden: Her British Stepbrot - Lauren Smith Page 0,2
was pulling her toward him, erasing everything else around him.
Look my way , she silently begged.
But he didn’t. A knot of disappointment tightened in her chest. There was no way he’d ever notice her.
He’s way out of my league. We’re in different galaxies.
Even knowing this, she couldn’t stop looking at him. This man looked expensive, from his shiny, black boots to the sleek look of his trousers and coat. When her gaze locked on his face, she was lost in a study of him. His aristocratic features were stunning. The man had a jawline that looked like it had been cut from marble, and a straight patrician nose that created an aura of entitled ease. He knew he was attractive and exactly how his mere presence could affect a room.
The hint of an arrogant smile played upon his full, sensual lips, so faint that she wondered if she was imagining it. And there was something about how he surveyed the room, like a ruler among his subjects. It wasn’t surprising. Like King Arthur, but with dark, chocolate hair rather than fair. He was tall and lean with wide shoulders, and she could tell there were muscles beneath those fine clothes by the way the fabric clung to him. As he strode over to the bar and leaned against it to order a drink, the focus of the room went with him.
A stir of whispers started up a table behind Kat, Lacy, and Mark. A group of college students, three girls, were watching the new stranger, too. Their heads were bent together, and their hushed voices carried just enough that Kat caught snippets of their conversation.
“I think that’s…Yes, I’m sure it’s him. You go, Talia, ask him,” one girl suggested.
“No way, if that’s who he is…He’d never…Too hot though right? I’d let him do anything to me…” More giggles. “Can you imagine having sex with him? I heard he’s a god in bed. I’d like Mr. Sexy to take me home.”
The third girl fanned herself. “He’s got a bad reputation, though…total heartbreaker. Never dates, only fucks them, you know…but I’ll be damned if I don’t want to…”
The conversation was muffled when a waiter delivered the girls more beers, and Kat couldn’t hear anything else. So whoever Mr. Sexy was…these girls knew him or knew of him . And he had a bad reputation? What kind of bad reputation?
Kat turned her focus back to him, gazing longingly, watching him slide his black leather gloves off to reveal long fingers and elegant but masculine hands. A gold signet ring gleamed on the little finger of his left hand. She swallowed hard as a wave of heat rippled through her so fast beads of sweat gathered at her temples. She reached for her empty glass of cider again, never taking her eyes off the gorgeous man.
“You should probably go get your pint of Nelson’s Revenge,” Lacy said. “I really want to go clubbing, so get that drink, check it off your list, and let’s go!”
Her friend’s voice seemed to break through the odd sort of fog in her head. She didn’t want to leave this little pub and go dancing, not when a man like him was here. She could have watched him all night.
Clubbing was definitely not on the list of things she’d like to do, but it would get her out of her shell. Of course, it would really help if she had that drink. And getting that drink meant a chance to get close to the beautiful stranger.
“Okay, be back in a second.” She pushed her chair and headed toward the bar. The crowd was thick around the bartender, and Kat could barely see him over the heads of the students laughing and talking as they leaned against the antique wood bar. The only empty spot against the counter was next to Mr. Sexy…
Raising her chin, she started to walk in his direction, attempting to play it cool, like she wasn’t going to get turned on just by standing so close to this god of a man.
He probably won’t even look at me…but what if he does? Gotta be cool….I can handle this, right?
A second before she reached him, her right foot slipped in a spot of melted snow.
“Ahh!” Kat gasped as she tried to catch herself, but she careened straight into the beautiful stranger. Normally she wouldn’t have been so clumsy, but she’d been too focused on him and hadn’t been watching the floor. Plenty of people had been slipping