Some people believed eyes were considered windows to the soul, so did that mean his lips served as a doorway to his being? I wondered as delicate lines formed around his mouth, creasing into a smile that exuded warmth and a subtle hint of satisfaction that I couldn’t grasp.
“Ari,” he murmured my name without a hint of surprise as if he had half-anticipated our encounter.
“Jameson,” I countered, taking in his thick, chestnut-brown hair that appeared unusually tousled as if he had run his fingers through it countless times over before dropping my gaze to his attire.
He was dressed in a crisp, black button-up dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms and charcoal gray dress pants tailored to perfection. When he wasn’t in his firefighter gear, he was usually in sweats or jeans and a T-shirt, so seeing him looking so dapper sent a kaleidoscope of butterflies a flurry in my stomach, which threatened to throw my axis off balance.
Adding more fuel to the fire was his rugged cologne, a scent that was unmistakably his—a blend of earthy woods, a side of spice, and an underlining touch of vanilla. With each breath I took, I felt pulled under his hypnotic spell.
“You’re so damned beautiful, Ari,” he said, barely loud enough for me to hear, while his hands shifted from my hips to wrap around my back, pulling our bodies flush.
We locked eyes as my mind worked overtime to deny the parts of my body that tingled under his touch with a need left unsatisfied for far too long. I watched as his eyes dropped to my lips, and suddenly, the air was past the point of being electrically charged. Everything around us ceased to exist until a voice pulled me back to reality.
“Jameson, let the girl go; she’s got a hot date.”
Brooke’s words were like a cold bucket of water. My eyes widened in alarm, realizing the severity of my error. I jolted out of his embrace and turned quickly toward the bar, needing to get my head on straight.
“What is wrong with me?” I muttered in disgust under my breath and polished off what remained in my champagne flute.
“I can take that for you.”
I saw Cavan extending his hand out over the bar for my glass.
“Would you like another?” he asked.
“Sure, in a minute, I’m just going to run to the ladies’ room.”
After I made my way through the crowd, I felt an enormous wave of relief wash over me upon discovering the ladies’ room was empty. I quickly locked the main door and leaned against it, shaking my head in disbelief at how I had reacted to Jameson’s touch. What bothered me the most was the understanding that he was aware of the effect he had on me. Recognition brimmed with heat in his captivating eyes that he had gotten under my skin in a way that I couldn’t deny, and that realization gave him a certain power over me.
God, he made me so dammed frustrated!
He made me want what I can’t have.
Him.
After I did some calming breathing techniques and a quick mirror check, I exited the bathroom. My date should be at the bar by now, so I’d have to find Boden and Lakelyn later to offer my congratulations.
“Here you go, Arizona.” Cavan handed me another champagne flute when I returned.
“Thank you.” I chose a stool at the far end of the bar, somewhat distanced from the festivities yet positioned to give me a clear view of the door so that my date could easily find me.
I texted Lily.
Me: I’m not sure I can do this.
Lily: What, why? Did something happen, or are you just nervous?
Me: Both.
Lily: I get it; meeting someone for the first time can be totally nerve-wracking! I’m just glad you chose a local place where you’re comfortable and know the owner, etc. It was a smart move because you’ve got backup on standby if things get weird!
Me: Yeah, well, right now, I’m seriously regretting this choice. He’s also late, so it’s not looking promising.
“Folks, I’ll have you know that this right here,” the music in the bar turned down, and I looked up from my phone to see Jaxon, Jameson’s twin brother, with a beer raised over his head, “this drink will go down in history as the most expensive drink I’ve ever had the pleasure of lifting for a toast.”
Everyone cheered in laughter, me included, even when I wished I was invisible at that moment.
“Why, might you ask that is? Well, to put it simply, I’m a gambling man. I bet against my big brother Jameson and all the infinite wisdom bestowed upon him because he was born a whole five minutes before me, and I lost.” I risked a glance toward Jameson; his eyes had been locked in my direction until the attention in the room turned to him for a beat. “It’s a rare occurrence, but that’s neither here nor there at the end of the day because, ladies and gentlemen, my wallet is a thousand dollars lighter, and I couldn’t be any happier about it.”
