“Thanks, Joe. Just put it on my tab.”
“I’ve got it.” I still when I hear the deep voice behind me as a tattoo arm reaches around to give Joe a card. A hint of spice consumes me as I whip my head around, and steel-grey eyes meet mine. My breath catches in my throat at the sight of him. He’s just as gorgeous as I remember. He’s wearing a grey t-shirt tonight that clings to him like a second skin, showing off his sculpted body. He’s got a little scruff on his face tonight as if he hasn’t shaved in a couple of days. Thoughts of his rough jawline running across my inner thighs have me pressing them together.
“That’s okay, Joe,” I say, not leaving the stranger's gaze. “Just put it on my tab.” I see his lips slightly turn up at the edges in an attempt at a smile.
“Everything okay, Sophie? He’s not bothering you, is he?” I hear the concern in Joe’s voice and force my gaze away to smile at Joe.
“It’s okay. I would just prefer to pay.” I take the card from Joe’s hand and leave it on the counter. “Thanks for the beers, Joe.” I give him a reassuring smile before I grab the bottles and turn to go back to my table. I hear a slight chuckle behind me as I leave. Feeling his eyes burning into my back, I walk back to our booth on shaky legs. Out of all the places he could be on a Friday night, why the hell did he have to pick Joe’s?
Bella eyes me as I slide into the booth. I can feel the questions that are swimming around in that head of hers.
“Spill it,” she says as I take a long drink of the cold beer to ease my nerves.
“Spill what?” Playing dumb with her is useless because she knows me like a book, but I try it anyway.
“Don’t play dumb with me. You know exactly what I’m talking about. Who was that?”
“He’s nobody. Just some guy that I met last month at a bar when I went with Frankie and Sam.”
“And?” She’s not going to let this go.
“And nothing,” I sigh. “He turned out to be an ass, and that’s that.” I concentrate on the label of my beer bottle, avoiding her eyes.
“Well, that ass is walking over here,” Maverick says in a low voice.
I jerk my head up and see him headed straight for me. He has two drinks in his hand, and his eyes never leave mine as he walks up to our booth.
“Mind if I sit down?” He breaks eye contact with me and glances at Maverick and Bella.
“Well, that depends,” my brother says, eyeing him up and down. “Why were you an ass to my sister at the bar last month.”
“Oh my God, Mav.” I shoot him daggers across the table. Leave it to my brother to go balls to the wall.
I sneak a peek at the guy standing next to me, and I expect him to be pissed, but my mouth drops open when a huge grin is thrown my way. I thought he was good-looking before, but that smile could melt panties off a girl a mile away.
“Is that what she said? And here I thought I was just being a nice guy trying to save hers.”
“Oh, this is going to be good.” I hear Bella say as I shoot heran equally deadly pair of daggers her way. She ignores my glare and motions to the spot next to me. “You might as well take a seat….”
“Travis.” He sets the drinks on the table and lowers himself into the booth. I scoot over, putting as much space as possible between us, which is not a lot considering the booths are small, and he takes up more than half the size of it. “Do you drink bourbon?” He raises the second glass to my brother. “Someone wouldn’t let me pay for her drinks earlier, so I bought an extra for you.”
“I wouldn’t want you to think I washelplessand incapable of buying my own drinks,” I say through clenched teeth.
He chuckles softly and hands my brother the extra drink when he reaches for it.
“Thanks. I do like a good bourbon.” Mav takes a sip and grins. “You’ve got good taste.”
“I like to think I do.” Travis glances at me and winks. What the hell is going on here? Has everyone gone completely insane? Where’s my backup with this stranger sitting at our booth? Instead, my brother is praising his bourbon choice, and my best friend is grinning at me like I won the lottery.
“So, how did you two meet again?” Bella glances back and forth at us, amusement clearly seen in her blue eyes.
I hold my breath and wonder how much of the story he will tell.
Chapter Four
Travis
I watchher get nervous in her seat, and I have to force back a smile. I’m having way too much fun watching her squirm next to me. When I walked into Joe’s and saw her standing at the bar, I almost turned around and walked back out, but I couldn’t get my body to move. I’ve been thinking about her this past month way more than I want to admit.
