“Kelsey.”
“Thanks, Miss Kelsey.”
“Not a problem.” She tucked her hair behind her ear.
“Kels?” a familiar voice called as she spun around.
She glanced over and found one of her closest friends in Pineridge approaching the bar. Dressed in black leather pants and an off the shoulder burgundy sweater, Maddie was sure to hold the attention of all the O’Henry’s patrons tonight.
“Hey, Maddie.”
“Need a couple shots of tequila before I get the nerve to get on the stage for karaoke.”
“Okay, girl, I got you.” Kelsey filled two shot glasses and handed them to Maddie before sliding a bowl of lime wedges in her direction.
“Thanks, lady.”
“No, thankyou. I can’t wait to hear you sing.”
“Well, that will make one of us.”
“You’ll be great.”
Maddie threw back a shot, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and then slung back the other before stuffing a lime wedge into her mouth.
The guy in the Henley leaned in closer as Maddie sauntered away.
“A friend of yours?”
She gave a non-committal shrug. “Pretty much everyone who walks through those doors is a friend of mine.”
“Does that make me a friend?”
“I don’t even know you.”
“How rude of me. I’m Christian.” He shook her hand.
From her peripheral she caught sight of her favorite dog, Cooper, Davis’s golden retriever, as he weaved through the crowded bar and bounded toward her. As happy as she was to see Cooper, that meant his owner wasn’t far behind. Typically, she loved seeing Davis at O’Henry’s. It meant he wasn’t holed up at home or working on projects alone. But after the erotic cake feeding earlier that day, she’d done nothing but fantasize about sharing a whole lot more than food.
She bent and embraced the dog. “Hey, buddy.”
“Is he another friend of yours?” Christian asked, an amused smirk on his face.
“He is.” She scratched under his ears and when she straightened to stand, her eyes locked with Davis’s. Heat pooled in her chest.
As he advanced toward her, she could feel her blood pumping through her veins with each beat of her heart, it thumped louder in her ears. Davis stopped in front of her, neither saying a word, until Cooper nudged his wet nose into her hand, and she shuddered.
Christian leaned closer. “Another friend of yours I presume?”
“Um…yep. This is Davis. Davis…Christian.”
Being the gentleman he always was, Davis shook the stranger’s hand, but he eyed him skeptically.
“And you are?” Davis asked, surprising Kelsey at his boldness.
“Just a tourist. An interested tourist,” he emphasizedinterestedas he flashed her a suggestive smile.
Kelsey choked and cleared her throat, as she moved back behind the bar.
