“I’m really hoping those are both for you,” I add, already preparing my exit strategy.
Rachel snorts. “Keep dreaming.” She pushes the drinks toward me. “This one’s yours, babe. Bottoms up.”
I stare at the tiny glass of impending regret while hesitation creeps in. I’ve never done a shot before. And the longer I look at it, the more I want to back out.
Rachel notices immediately.
“Don’t even think about it,” she warns.
I swallow hard, curling my fingers around the glass.Screw it.Before I can talk myself out of it, I grab the shot and toss it back.
The second it hits my throat, I realize I’ve made a terrible mistake. It burns like hellfire. It's a horrible, slow, creeping warmth that erupts into a full-blown inferno. I choke, desperately fumbling for my other drink.
Rachel, the absolute ass that she is, is laughing so hard she nearly falls out of her chair.
I glare at her through watery eyes, still gasping. “People actuallyenjoythis?” My voice comes out hoarse, rasping like I just swallowed molten lava.
“You’re a natural,” she teases, raising her own shot in a toast before throwing it back like an absolute pro. Show-off.
I’m still recovering when I see someone move past us toward the bar.
Okay. Hi.He’s more than just good-looking from what I can see. He’s tall, but that’s not saying much considering I’m barely taller than Rachel. He’s close enough that I catch the freckles scattered across his arms though.
And those arms? Yeah. They’re solid.Not that I’m into that.
Lies.I’m absolutely into that.
He’s wearing a button-up with the sleeves rolled to his elbows and I can see a black tattoo on his forearm. I can’t make out what it is in this lighting, but it only adds to the need to see it.
The golden glow of the pub catches in his dark hair, and I can see the faintest traces of auburn in it. It's pulled into a bun—just messy enough to be effortless, and just tight enough to make my fingers itch to pull it loose. His lean muscle stretches the fabric of his shirt like a damn invitation. Even from behind, he looks like the kind of man who could ruin a person without even trying.
Really?The universe is definitely testing me.
I roll my eyes. Let’s be real, there’s something irritatingly attractive about a man bun. The way it pulls everything together, the way it makes a sharpjawline look even sharper. It just adds an edge that makes me want to start fights I have no business winning.
I try not to stare too obviously, but I didn’t quite get my fill of those broad shoulders before Rachel steps right into my line of sight, waving a napkin in my face.
“Really? Twice?” She laughs, holding it out like an offering.
I blink, caught red-handed, and snatch the napkin from her, feeling my face heat. “Okay, fine. That time Iwasdrooling. Not even going to lie.”
Rachel smirks, clearly pleased with herself, and shoves my drink back toward me before raising her glass of who-knows-what for a toast. “To drooling over hot men, even though you’refoolishlychoosing this vacation to swear them off.”
I laugh, clicking my glass against hers. “To hot men.”
I should've asked Rachel what to expect from drinking before I dove straight into the deep end. It might’ve been wise to know what I was getting myself into.
The man at the bar chooses that exact moment to turn around.
And, ohfuck.
Rachel’s toast wasn’t just accurate. It was prophetic.
He looks like he could be my next mistake.
I've seen handsome men before, but him? Yeah, he's something else entirely. He's the kind of gorgeous that makes smart people do very, very dumb things. The first thing I see is his chiseled jaw and lips—Gods above, those lips—they're full and look like they were sculpted for sin. His dark eyes sweep over the room like he owns it, and I'm not even exaggerating when I say he wasbornto be worshiped. And honestly? Who am I to argue? Because damn. The bastard is all hard lines and predatory grace, wrapped in the kind of beauty that make logic an afterthought. Averydistant afterthought.
I’m lucky I didn’t start choking again, because that would’ve been the cherry on top of this already awkward moment.
