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The woman in front of me smiles and glances down the bar to the woman I’m going to have to get to know, one way or another, and then back to me with something like knowing in her gaze. “What can I get you?”
Only now that she’s repeated herself do I realize she was talking to me moments ago. I try and shake it off, but it’s difficult. “A beer would be great. Anything dark.”
Her lips quirk on one side and she gives me a nod. It doesn’t take her long to deliver my drink along with whatever the hell Stan and John ordered. When I glance at them, they’re not paying attention to the life changing experience I just endured. Their eyes are scanning the room and I have no doubt they’re trying to work out which woman they plan on picking up tonight.
I don’t need to look around.
I’m not going to be picking up some meaningless hook-up. Not tonight, even though I wasn’t planning on it anyway. Not ever again.
Before the bartender moves on to the next customer, she leans across the bar. “That’s Phoenix.” My mouth goes dry because what a perfect fucking name for the woman with hair the color of flames. From the ashes in-fucking-deed. “You’re going to have your work cut out for you with her.”
I don’t take my eyes off Phoenix, but I ask anyway, “What do you mean?”
“You’ll see. I’m Trix, by the way.”
I pull my eyes from my woman and look at the one in front of me. “Rhett,” I force my name past my lips.
Trix grins and nods before moving on to the next customer needing to be served. I watch my woman move on the other end of the bar. So fluid and full of grace. It doesn’t make much sense considering she’s serving drinks, but there’s an economy to her movement and it’s mesmerizing to watch.
Stan slaps me on the back, and I force myself to turn and look at him, even though I don’t want to. He must have noticed where I had to pull my attention from because he lets out a low whistle. “She’s hot as fuck. I bet she’d be wild in the sack.”
I get right in his face, my voice low and full of venom, “Don’t you even fucking think about it. Don’t even look at her.”
“Woah,” John’s voice holds surprise.
I don’t blame him. I wasn’t even aware I had this side of myself before this moment. I’m usually even keeled. I’ve never been possessive of a woman or felt burning anger inside of me at the thought of anyone, especially Stan, looking at her.
It feels jarring, but so fucking right at the same time. There’s something about Phoenix which makes me want to beat my chest and wrap a blanket around her so no one can look at her body. I should be the only one looking at her. I should be the only one who gets to touch her.
She’s mine.
I take some deep breaths and try to get myself under control. Being consumed by rage isn’t going to help me. I, apparently, already have my work cut out for me. Whatever the hell that means.
“I said what I said,” I force my voice to be casual as I look between my coworkers and friends.
Right now I’m finding it hard to remember why I’m friends with either of them, but at the same time they dragged me out tonight and set me on the path to see the woman I know is meant for me.
I guess that means they aren’t all bad.
Stan shrugs like it’s no big deal. “There are plenty of other women here tonight.” His eyes start to rove over the bodies filling up the club. When his eyes cut back to my woman behind the bar, I barely stop myself from letting out a growl of warning. “Seems like she’s a flirt anyway.”
I spin around and almost trip over my feet as I do. I watch as she smiles at a man she’s serving, and it makes my blood boil. It’s not inappropriate and I know it’s ridiculous of me to be jealous. She’s a bartender, she has to be nice and I’m sure flirting gets her great tips.
Knowing that doesn’t stop me from letting out a relieved breath when she moves on to serving two ladies at the bar. What the fuck is happening to me?
“I’m heading to the dance floor, there are some fine women out there shaking their asses,” Stan quips from behind me, but I can’t pull my eyes away from Phoenix.
“Hell yes,” John adds.
When I glance over my shoulder, difficult as it is to do, I give them both a nod. I don’t wait for them to disappear into the crowd, which I’m sure they’ll do. I look down the bar again and plant myself right where I am.
Even though she exudes confidence, there’s something skittish as fuck about my woman. I have a feeling if I go at her head-on, she’ll try to run. That’s the last fucking thing I want to have happen.
When Phoenix saunters closer to Trix’s side of the bar, they smile at each other. Trix’s voice is teasing, “You find someone to go home with tonight? It’s been busy. Lots of choices.”
Phoenix laughs and sticks her tongue out at Trix. It makes me think about what it would feel like to have her tongue lapping at my shaft and my cock twitches. I was already hard the moment I saw her and seeing her tongue is not helping, but it does make it so Trix’s words don’t register fully at first.
When they do, I see red and my hands clench.
