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lied, but what was the point? “Does it bother you?” my mouth asked before I could stop the question.
    “Yes.”
    “Why?” Another automatic question popped out of my mouth. I needed to know what bothered her the most. Was it the thought of being with me?
    “It’s crazy! I don’t know you or you me. Those two are absolutely nuts. They’re acting like crazy people. And I don’t just mean with their mission to get us in bed. They’ve known each other like a week.” She turned and raised a hand toward them as they made out on the dance floor. “Look at them!”
    “I know what you mean. I’ve never seen him act like this. He must really be into Eve.”
    Without asking, I fixed her usual rum and Diet Coke. Instead of placing it on the bar, I handed it to her. Her fingers grazed mine as she took it from me, our eyes met over the contact.
    “Thank you,” she said quietly.
    She looked so pretty as she sat on her barstool all dressed up, makeup on, her hair down around her shoulders. Was it because it was New Year’s or because she was seeing me? Fuck, I never analyzed a girl’s looks, hair, or clothes before.
    “Nick!” Marcy called from the other end of the bar. “Some help here?”
    I shrugged an apology to Angela, and worked my way around the bar, filling orders as needed. Many of the local chicks were in normal form, flirting with me as they always did. Every time I glanced at Angela, she was also glancing at me.
    One of the feisty girls who’d been desperately trying to get me in her bed, leaned over the bar just as I was filling her mug with beer, held my head, and planted a huge kiss right on my lips. I backed away, almost spilling what I had already poured.
    “Whoa, Tammy.”
    “I’m just ensuring I get my kiss tonight,” she said without apology.
    My eyes flew back to where Angela sat. Nothing was going on between us, so why did I suddenly feel so guilty over the kiss I was assaulted with? A few minutes later, I finally got back to her side of the bar.
    “Hi.”
    “Hi. Um, you have a little lipstick right there.” She pointed to my lips with a teasing smirk.
    I laughed at her sense of humor. “Occupational hazard,” I said while wiping the back of my hand across my lips.
    “Hmm. I don’t see any of the other bartenders being groped,” she responded playfully. I knew she was just busting my chops, but the whole exchange still turned me on.
    “You’re up, Romeo.” Mugs came up next to me sporting his usual scowl. I failed miserably at hiding my eye roll and annoyed sigh. “Tell that friend of yours to quit dancing like a fairy and start taking bets.”
    After he walked away, I leaned into Angela and whispered, “I feel so used.”
    Her sweet giggle moved right through me. Her unguarded smile was stunning. A strange electric current coursed between us. It zapped all the oxygen from the space around us. It stopped us both from moving. It made it impossible to breathe.
    What the fuck was happening?
    An unmistakable connection had formed without so much as a kiss or an embrace being exchanged. How was that even possible?
    “Nick!”
    “I gotta go throw some darts. Want to come watch?”
    It was an innocent question that held so much hidden meaning.
    “I’d love to,” she responded immediately.
    Three little words, yet I’d never been as turned on by words as I was at that moment.
    —
    “We need to celebrate!” Jase said as he recounted his cut of my winnings.
    Not a bad haul, even I had to admit. A thousand bucks for doing something as dumb as throwing darts.
    “We’ll ring in the New Year and then take this party to Eve’s.”
    “I’m working,” I reminded him.
    “Fuck that. You just won Mugs a ton of cash. That prick could give you a few hours off.”
    “Who are you calling a prick?”
    Jase paled, cringing as Mugs waited for him to turn around. Mugs narrowed his eyes, sending laser beams into the back of Jase’s head.
    Kissing Angela at midnight suddenly became something