Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 27313 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 137(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27313 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 137(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
I gesture to my wet shirt and grin. “I’m not sure there’s anything left to salvage from the spill, but you’re welcome to try.”
Savannah’s sharp inhale is like music to my ears. She smells like sugary perfume, and I can’t help but wonder if she tastes like candy too. My mouth waters at the thought.
“Whisky on the rocks and a Cosmo,” the bartender interrupts.
I slap a bundle of folded bills down on the sticky counter without looking away from the girl in my grasp.
“Th-thank you,” she stutters.
Sensing her nervousness, I back off a little, handing over her drink. She takes a gulp immediately, and I watch her throat bob with her swallow. I sip at my own drink, swirling the rich taste around my mouth and trying to remember how to act like a normal human being. I don’t want to scare this angel off, not when every part of my being is drawn to her.
“If you wanted my attention, you could’ve just said hi, you know,” I joke, though I’m far less mad about having to throw this shirt away now. As expensive as it was, it’s a small price to pay for the privilege of her company.
Savannah laughs. “Damn,” she murmurs with a coy smile. “That’s the only way I know how to flirt.”
My laugh joins hers, and I resist the urge to reach for her again. “Oh, I doubt that,” I answer. “I bet you have men falling at your feet looking like that.”
“Looking like what?”
God, I want to tangle my fingers through her hair and crush those soft, pouty lips to mine. Does she not know how bright she shines? How utterly captivating she is?
“Like my new favorite dessert.” For emphasis, I let my gaze roam her body, making sure she knows exactly how gorgeous I find her.
When my gaze lands on her face again, I find her bottom lip trapped between her teeth. On instinct, I reach out, thumb smearing her lip gloss as I tug her lip free, wishing I could capture her mouth with my own. It takes every single ounce of will I possess to stop myself.
But then she leans into my touch, swaying closer on those sky-high heels. She tilts her head back, my grip on her chin holding her still. Every cell in my body is practically screaming at me to kiss this woman, and shit, I’m not about to argue.
Our lips graze, just enough that I can taste the sweetness of her drink and the gloss, and then she jolts away, catching herself on the bar.
“SAVVY!”
I register the new voice seconds after her as my head snaps towards the open door of the bar. A small group enters, two women and a tall man, the one at the front shouting Savannah’s name.
Ah. I turn my attention back to Savannah, registering the guilt on her face as her eyes flick between me and what I presume is her group of friends. Disappointment mingles with the whisky, the combination bitter.
“Thank you for the drink,” Savannah murmurs softly, her arm grazing mine as she pushes past me, cheeks red, and heads for her friends. The short hem of her dress hugs her ass as Savannah sways her way across the bar, accepting hugs from the group.
My stomach sinks. I don’t want to lose her before I’ve even had a chance to get to know her.
I hadn’t come out tonight with the intention of returning home with company, but now the idea of leaving this bar alone and going back to my empty apartment fills me with irritation.
That tiny taste of her isn’t near enough. The damp fabric of my shirt is a reminder of her as I perch back on the bar stool, keeping my gaze glued to the girl I want. The girl I need. It’s insane, the way I’m obsessing over a woman I’ve barely met, but with one clumsy accident, she’s swept me up into her orbit.
After the shit show of the week I’ve had, I’m wound tight with tension. The long hours of interviews and reviewing CVs to replace the secretary who quit two weeks ago have taken their toll.
The only silver lining is that one of the managers found someone willing to start on Monday. I didn’t get the chance to interview them myself, but the office was fucking falling apart without a secretary, phone calls getting missed and files going missing and turning a job I’m usually exceptional at into a giant pain in my ass.
The bartender tops up my glass again and I sip it slowly, considering my next move. I can cut my losses and try to forget about her, but even as the thought crosses my mind, I know it would be impossible. There’s no way in hell I could erase her from my head no matter how hard I try.