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God, it felt like it might kill him, especially after spending the evening talking with this bright, lovely creature and remembering what it felt like to be a real, live man.
And just as he was thinking all this, he realized Isobel’s eyes were locked on his lips. Like she was thinking about what it would be like to kiss him. His blood heated at the very thought.
Fuck it. He threw caution and rational thought to the wind.
“Isobel?”
“Hmm?” She jerked her gaze away from his lips.
Her eyes were heated when he met them.
Here went nothing. Either she’d slap him in the face and tell him to go to hell. Or not. But nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?
Hunter leaned in and dropped his voice to a whisper. “Look, I don’t usually do this and feel free to tell me to take a hike…” His hand went to the back of his neck and he trailed off, wincing. “Jesus, that sounds like such a line.” Maybe he couldn’t go through with it after all.
But just then, Isobel’s hand reached out to his thigh. “No, keep talking.”
Her intense blue eyes met his again, and the spark in them gave him the confidence to say the rest quickly. “I’m lonely. And you’re gorgeous and funny and perfect and I’d like to take you home tonight.”
Her breath hitched at his words. Dammit, he’d fucked up. No doubt here came the hand lashing out toward his face—nothing less than he deserved—in three, two, one—
“Okay.” It was barely a breath, and then her hand on his thigh gave a quick squeeze.
He blinked. Wait, what? Really?
He searched back and forth in her bright blue eyes but she wasn’t flinching away from his gaze. He sat frozen for another short moment before finally pulling his foot out of his ass and jumping into action. He stood up and yanked out his wallet, dropping a couple twenties on the table. “My treat.”
When Isobel tried to protest that she could pay for her own meal, he just grabbed her hand and pulled her behind him out of the bar.
She laughed. “Okay, okay, so the caveman act is a little bit sexy. But I can walk on my own.” She wiggled out of his grasp.
But then she froze and planted her feet. When Hunter looked back to see what was the matter, she grabbed his left hand and jerked it up between them.
What was she—
She pointed at his fourth finger where there was a clear wedding ring tan line. “Did you accidently forget dropping your wedding ring in your glove box on the way into the bar?”
Hunter jerked backwards and all the people sitting at the table closest to them immediately stopped talking.
Shit. He hadn’t thought how that would look. He’d only just recently taken it off, but he was used to everyone already knowing his business.
“She left me last year.”
Now it felt like the entire bar had gone silent. Everyone staring at them. At Hunter. Giving him that face. Jesus, he could feel their pity like a heavy blanket suffocating him.
“Shit.” Isobel’s hand jerked to her mouth. “I’m sorry.” He took a step back at seeing the pity on her face too.
She winced at his reaction. “I’m sorry,” she repeated. “It’s just my last boyfriend and my…” She looked down, took a deep breath, then pasted on a bright smile. “Forget about it. It was nice meeting you.”
Then she pushed past Hunter out the door.
Wait, what? No, he hadn’t meant—
“What are you still standin’ there for?” Bubba called. “Go after her, you dumbass.”
Right. Hunter rushed out the door to run after Isobel.
The night air was chilly as he stood on the street looking for her. She was nowhere to be seen. “Shit,” he swore, jogging around to the back parking lot.
