cut.
“Yes,” I said shyly, without elaborating. Even though I loved Phin more than anything in the world, I was hesitant to mention him. Sometimes, finding out a woman was a single mom was a turn-off to guys. I wasn’t looking for anything, but I had to admit that the attention he was showing me felt good. It had been a really long time since I’d let myself talk to a guy and flirt and relax. It reminded me of what it was like to feel wanted, to feel needed. To feel loved , I thought in my tipsy brain. Automatically I felt guilty. I knew what it felt like to be loved; Phin loved me more than life itself. But it’s not the same, I thought with a twinge of guilt. I missed being loved by a man, someone who would hold me and cuddle me until all my dark fears in the night went away.
The guy finished his beer and gave me a lazy grin. “What do you say about one more?” His voice was low and sensual and I shivered as I felt lust tear through my body, like fingers ripping wet silk. I wanted this man suddenly more than I’d ever wanted anyone in my whole life. I didn’t stop to think about what that meant as I leaned back in my stool.
“Sure,” I said. The guy grinned at me and my stomach did a flip-flop.
“Same thing? Something different?” He winked at me as he asked.
I had a feeling he was testing me. But part of me, the part of me that was enjoying his attention, decided to flirt back. I licked my lower lip and tried to wink at him. Since he didn’t laugh, I imagined that my wink had the desired effect. I let my eyes trail down his body. He was clad in a t-shirt and dark jeans, but under the cotton of his shirt I could tell he had a marvelous, sculpted body. I saw his rock-hard abs clench and twist as he shifted and flagged down the bartender. The muscles in his biceps were bulging and I saw a grin sneak onto his face.
“Hey, barkeep!” he called loudly. “Same thing for me, and something different for the lady.” He grinned and I felt a blush cover my face. “She likes different things,” he said softly, meant only for me to hear. A shiver of lust ran through my body and I felt my lower belly clench with desire. If I’d been drunker, I would have dragged him to a dark corner and plastered my body against his. He had big, strong, veiny hands and I shivered as I thought about what they would feel like running over my body. Take me. Just for the night, make me yours .
The bartender handed me a shot and a glass of something swirling blue. “This is different,” she told me with her eyebrows raised. “You probably don’t want to drive after this.”
Closing my eyes, I lifted the glass to my lips and knocked the shot back. My mouth stung—it was almost like the soft tissue was numbed from the drink—and I gasped and coughed. The guy laughed before reaching out to pat me gently on the back. As he did, I caught a whiff of his scent and desire rose in me like a tidal wave. He smelled like a blend of sandalwood and tobacco and leather and I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. No doubt about it, this guy was trouble.
When I opened my eyes, I realized the guy was staring directly at my face. I blushed.
“What is it?” I asked softly.
He kept staring. The blush deepened on my face and I returned his gaze, as hard as I could. His intense blue eyes were boring deep into my soul and I shivered. I hadn’t been this intimate with someone in a long time, even though we had yet to touch.
Before I could think about what was happening, he leaned over and pressed his lips to mine. At first the kiss was chaste, reasonable. But after a few seconds, I started to feel the heat from his mouth seeping into mine. The kiss grew alive and sparks flew between our bodies. I moaned softly into his mouth and tangled my fingers in his hair, pulling myself as close as possible to him. I was barely aware of the guy wrapping his arms around me and crushing my body to his. As our lips
Lori Schiller, Amanda Bennett