“I bet she would drop to her knees and blow you under the table if you asked.”
He chokes on his whiskey, coughing loud enough to make me turn towards him. Patting his back, I try not to smile as he catches his breath.
“Jesus, Beck, where the fuck did that come from?”
“What? You didn’t see the way she was looking at you?”
When he furrows his eyebrows in confusion, I mock her in a syrupy-sweet voice. “Yes, Mr. Sampson, anything you need, Mr. Sampson, I’ll takegood care of you, Mr. Sampson. Let meswallow your cock, Mr. Sampson. Give me a break; she is totally flirting with you.”
“Are you jealous?” he scoffs, sliding a shot glass towards me.
“I’m not jealous.” I roll my eyes, dismissing his accusation. “But she doesn’t know who I am. I could be your wife, and she was hitting on you right in front of me.”
“You sound jealous.” His smirk turns into a full-blown smile. And there are those dimples, and this time they are for me. Woah.
“Don’t be silly,” I say, raising my shot glass and gesturing for him to do the same. “Are you ready?”
“Just one,” he says, raising his own and tapping it on mine.
“Only one,” I repeat. “Ready.”
“Always.” We clink glasses and knock back the tequila in one smooth motion, slamming our glasses down on the table and laughing together as the burn settles in.
I grab a lime wedge from the dish and extend it to him. Without breaking eye contact, he grasps my wrist and pulls my hand to his mouth. His gaze never wavering, he licks the lime before biting into it, removing it from my fingers. The movement is slow and deliberate. My entire body warms, and this time it’s not from the alcohol.
As he lets go of my wrist, I whisper, “Careful. You keep that up, and I’ll think you actually like me.”
“I never said I didn’t like you,” he says, watching me bite into my own lime wedge. “I just need to be careful around you. You’re trouble…a temptation I can’t afford.”
April and Vaughan choose that moment to return to the table, breaking the spell we are under.
“Ooh, tequila,” April says, clapping her hands as they sit down across from us. “Did you start without us?”
“What do you say, Pretty Boy?” I turn slowly and meet Ryan’s stormy blue-grey eyes. “Are you going to show me what you were like in your wilder days?”
Eleven
I drink more than one.
Between the whiskey and tequila shots, alcohol is pleasantly buzzing through my veins. It’s enough to loosen me up, but not enough to dull my senses. I notice every move she makes out on the dance floor with April. How she tilts her head back when she laughs, long hair hanging loose down her back. How the fabric of her jeans clings to her ass and thighs as she moves her hips. I know I should look away, but I can’t. She’s captivating.
When Vaughan called me last month and invited me to the opening night of his new bar, I agreed. Over the years, he has built an impressive real estate portfolio. He regularly saves businesses that need a cash injection or builds something that meets the needs of the community. I make sure I always show up for him because he is one of the few people who has consistently supported me.
After spending so much time with Beck over the past three days, a weekend away from Emerley was just what I needed. Imagine my shock when the woman I want distance from slid into the booth next to me. How is she even more beautiful tonight than she was when I drove her to work this morning?She had lined her sapphire-blue eyes with thick black strokes. Painted her plump lips in a shade similar to her top. And as always, the sweet scent of cherries surrounds her.
Vaughan mentioned he was seeing someone new the last time we spoke. But he’s always dating someone new. I can barely keep up. He never mentioned her name, nor that she lived in Emerley—I would have put the pieces together if he had.
It’s clear that April was the mastermind in getting Beck and me in the same place at the same time. I don’t know how she got Vaughan to go along with it, but I know Beck was as surprised to see me.
“I’m sorry about earlier,” Vaughan interrupts my thoughts. “I shouldn’t have dug up the past like that. Not with the girls here.”
“It’s fine; don’t worry about it,” I say, brushing off his concern. “I overreacted. I just want to keep my life in Emerley separate.” It’s more complicated than that, but I don’t want to talk about my mixed feelings with Vaughan tonight.
“I see the way you watch her,” he states as he sips his drink.
“What are you talking about?” I narrow my eyes at him. Apparently, I’m not being as discreet as I thought I was.
“She’s important to you,” he says, raising an eyebrow as he places his tumbler on the table.
