I put my hand on his shoulder to stop his rambling, and he blows out a frustrated breath.
“Sorry,” he mumbles, his face red from both the alcohol and extreme embarrassment. I hide my smile with another sip of my drink.
“I’m just a person,” I offer. “I don’t bite. Plus, whatever you say is bound to be less creepy than another hour of staring.”
When he chokes on his rum and coke, I can’t help the laugh that escapes my lips.
“Kendra Grayis not just a person,” he starts, referring to me in the third person. “Kendra Grayis a fashion icon and one I can’t believe is having drinks with us mere mortals.”
I put my glass down, spilling some onto my hands in the process, and eye him thoughtfully.
“A fashion icon, huh? I wasn’t picking up a gay vibe, but I have had a few drinks.”
He sputters again, and I decide ruffling his feathers is one of my new favorite things.
“Now, hang on! I’m as straight as they come,” he protests with the most conviction I’ve heard from him all night. “I saw you in an ASOS ad a while back and made a point of learning the name that went with such a beautiful face.”
I roll my eyes.
“Smooth. Very smooth. That sounds like a long way to say you cyber-stalked me.”
He stammers again, but narrows his eyes when he notices I’m openly laughing at him.
“Oh,ha ha,” he drawls. “Excuse me for getting tongue-tied around one of the most beautiful women in the world.”
He’s practically pouting. It’s so adorable I decide to have mercy on him and grab more napkins to dab at the cocktail running down his shirt. He stills immediately at the contact, and I don’t miss the slight flare of his nostrils, or how his pupils dilate in hunger.
Nope. Definitely not gay.
“I was only teasing.”
“Sure you were,” he grouses, wiping at his shirt with his own pile of soggy napkins.
“Hey, it got you to talk to me, didn’t it? I may betheKendra Gray, but right now, I’m just out for drinks with friends after a fun day at work.”
We look at each other in silence while he considers that. Celebrity has its perks, but sometimes, I just need to be a person. He must sense that, because his shoulders relax and a genuine smile spreads across his tempting lips. God, I need to get laid!
“Ok,just Kendra. Can I buy you another drink?”
I chug down my mostly full glass and nod.
“Yes, please. A Paloma with Fresca and salt on the rim.”
He gives the bartender my order before turning back to me, angling his knees to brush mine.
“A tequila girl? So, that means I have to watch out for you, doesn’t it?”
“I’m a tequilawoman—” He raises his hands in mock surrender. “And you definitely have to watch out for me. Few men can handleall of this,” I say, gesturing up and down my body.
“I’d damn sure like a chance to try,” he mutters. It’s just quiet enough for me to pretend I didn’t hear it over the music, but from the quirk of his lips, he knows I did.
“And what does your drink say about you?” I demand. The skin of my thigh tingles with each graze of his leg, and I’m starting to think Damon’s got more game than he originally let on.
“That I’m strong but sweet, and I might knock you off your feet,” he replies without missing a beat. His intense focus paired with the new flirty energy is making me sweat. I force a giggle.
“Did you mean for that to rhyme?”
“No. Just a happy accident. Kinda like taking my brother up on a free ticket to New York Fashion Week, and then getting to meet you.”
