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“Tasting or glass?” the young woman asked as she leaned casually against the other side of the bar. Wavy brown hair, so dark it looked nearly black under the low lights, hung to her shoulders and a lollipop stick protruded from her well-defined lips.
“Got a malbec?” Alanna asked.
“Sure do. Want a splash to taste?”
“Theo’s never steered me wrong. Pour me a glass and make it a double.”
The girl gave her an appreciative smile. “A lady who knows what she wants. I like it.”
“Always,” Alanna replied.
“Jax,” the woman stretched a hand over the counter.
“Alanna.” She clutched the other woman’s small hand and shook.
Jax ducked under the bar. The younger woman wore a ratty t-shirt tucked into baggy cargo pants held up by suspenders. Maybe she was an ardent fan of the grunge look, but it was a shame to hide what was obviously a smoking hot body, Alanna thought.
Jax stood, bottle in hand, and placed a glass in front of Alanna. With the flick of a wrist, she sent a stream of rich purple pouring from the bottle into the glass. None of those pansy pour stoppers on the bottles at The Rose and Thorn. Alanna did love this place despite its looks.
“Enjoy.” Jax slid the glass over to her.
“What’s with the lollipop?”
A smile tugged at the corner of Jax’s mouth, revealing a fetching dimple. “Mom’s a dentist.”
Alanna laughed. “Atta girl.”
She swirled the wine, watching the rosy legs slowly ebb down the sides of the glass. Putting her nose above the rim, she pulled in a deep breath, appreciating the layered bouquet. Finally, she tipped the glass to her lips and pulled in a small sip.
“Mmmmm.” A velvet flavor of oak spiced with notes of black pepper and smoke greeted her tongue. Yep, The Rose and Thorn still served the best wine outside of Napa Valley.
“Good?” Jax asked, though her tone suggested she already knew the answer.
“This wine shouldn’t even be legal,” Alanna retorted.
A gleam sparked in Jax’s chocolate eyes, and she leaned a little over the bar, her voice lowering.
“Don’t look now, but someone’s throwing some serious ogling your way,” she whispered.
Alanna smirked, raised her glass to Jax, then made her way to a small table by the window. Only after she’d taken a longer sip of the wine and let it simmer across her tastebuds, did she toss a glance over her shoulder.
The looks were coming from a corner table. Two men lounged at the table and a third man stood next to it. She recognized Theo immediately but had to dig a few seconds for the name of the big red-headed lout. Hue. That’s right. They’d all gone to school together. Hue had been a starting player on their shitty, Bad News Bears football team. Half the girls at school had thrown themselves at him, aching to pop out his ginger-haired babies.
The third man at the table was a stranger. His were the eyes she felt appraising her.Look all you want, cowboy,she thought. Except he wasn’t a cowboy. Instead, he seemed like he’d just walked out of a casting call for wholesome, guy-next-door.
Wholesome wasn’t her usual type, but she could get behind his wavy, honey-brown hair and the matching brown eyes gazing at her from behind thin-framed glasses. Her gaze dropped lower.Yummy. His lean body hinted at just the right amount of muscle beneath his t-shirt. So refreshing compared to the muscle-bloated gym rats who overran Los Angeles, half of them with needle marks pocking their asses.
Alanna licked her lips and fleetingly wondered what Guy Next Door would be like in bed. Would he be shy? She could have a lot of fun pulling those glasses off his face and coaxing out his naughty side.
Guy Next Door looked away and Hue leaned over the table, his expression a mixture of exasperation and worry. The bulky brute clutched a Budweiser in his hand, a capital offense as far as Alanna was concerned.
Theo gave her a nod and started to walk over. Alanna appraised Guy Next Door one more time. A shame she’d be leaving as soon as she slogged through all her emails and calls. It’d been a while since she’d indulged in a heated hookup with a handsome stranger. Oh well, she could get imaginative withwhat could have beentonight in bed.
“The malbec?” Theo asked as he approached her table.
Alanna nodded.
“How is it?” Nervousness hinted in his voice.
