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I chuckled. “He is definitely nice to look at.”
Glancing back at our table, my attention was unwittingly drawn to Ethan and his strong forearms as he gripped his beer glass. Of course, he chose that moment to look up, catching my eye and sending a wink that resonated deep within me.
“Ethan isn’t too bad either,” Ella remarked, raising an eyebrow.
“I hadn’t noticed,” I deadpanned but I couldn’t deny the blush that had crept across my neck.
“Ell! Sash! Come join us for a game of darts!” Ryan beckoned from the corner of the bar, where a lone dartboard clung to the wall. We walked over to join him and Ethan, while the other guys from their group crowded around.
“Team or individual play?” Ryan asked.
A mischievous smile crossed Ethan’s face as he turned to me. “Individual. And I challenge Sasha to the first game.”
I rolled my eyes dramatically and reached for the darts now in Ethan’s outstretched hand but before I could grab them, he yanked them back.
“Ah, ah, ah. Let’s make things interesting.” He spoke. “We’re all on vacation, right? I think we should make a little bet.”
I laughed. “Let me guess, you’re going to come up with some sort of inappropriate favor we owe you if you win?”
He chuckled. “Not quite. I am a gentleman, you know." His eyes twinkled. "I’m thinking a little retribution for you never texting me. And since I can’t guarantee you didn’t already delete my number, and who knows when you’ll get that phone you bludgeoned fixed, I wager the loser gets the other person’s phone number tattooed on them.”
I rolled my eyes as dramatically as I could muster as the guys crowding us cheered, high-fiving Ethan.
Ethan crossed his strong arms, staring back at me and as he did, I couldn’t help but notice the tattoo peeking out from the top of his shirt sleeve as his biceps bulged in response. It looked like some sort of bird or animal but that wasn’t why it caught my eye.
Unfortunately, I had a weakness for tattoos.
“You don’t seem like one who backs down from a challenge. Do you, Sasha?” he spoke, emphasizing my name once again.
“You don’t know me,” I stated firmly. Though Ethan was right, I’d never backed down when life threw me curve balls. “But challenge accepted.”
I reached out my arm to shake his hand. The group cheered again, and Ethan and I headed to the line marked by yellow tape on the floor to begin the game.
“Ladies first,” Ethan gestured dramatically as I stepped forward. Though there were only four darts each, I had full confidence that I was going to win this game.
I cocked my wrist back, releasing the dart and sinking it effortlessly into the bullseye.
“50 points!” Ella shouted from where she was now perched on Ryan’s lap.
I looked over at her, raising my eyebrows as my eyes glided dramatically up and down at the pair. She smiled back at me, winking.
Ethan leaned forward, his breath hot on my neck as he whispered, “Lucky first shot.”
I couldn’t help the goosebumps that prickled on my skin and cursed at my body for reacting to his words. Hoping he hadn’t noticed, I stepped forward away from his lips.
“Is that what you’ll say when I sink the next three too?” I shot back, desperate to put some space between his body and mine.
He smiled, a twinkle in his eyes, but didn’t say anything more.
I turned back to the board and effortlessly sunk the next two shots, the feathers whizzing into place just as I’d aimed.
“150 points for Sasha!” Ella shouted out from the sidelines.
I turned to face Ethan as I held up the last dart in front of his face.
“Oops, did I forget to mention to you that I took an Archery class as an elective in college? I got an A+, too.” I smiled, tossing my curls as I turned to the board for my final shot.
Feathers whizzed through the air as the last dart flew, narrowly missing the bullseye.
