Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 68688 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68688 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
He seemed to be alone because he moved to the only vacant chair before he took a seat, and the light from the bar behind me illuminated his beautiful and rugged face. I’d only been working at Silencio for a couple weeks, so perhaps he was a regular I’d never encountered before.
I continued to stand there with my fingers on the neck of the bottle, the rest of the patrons at the bar absorbed in conversation, my attention on the man who made my hair stand on end just because he’d stepped into my space.
The only pretty feature about him was his eyes. Crystal blue, like the waters along the white shores of a tropical paradise, more brilliant than the sky on a clear day. But the rest of his face was harsh, with sharp cheekbones, a jawline that could cut glass, and a mouth that looked like it could do more damage than a bullet from a gun.
His elbow rested on the counter as his fingers gently grazed his jawline, veins popping. He glanced at the menu that sat there but didn’t seem to read it, like he already knew what he wanted. Then his eyes shifted to me, the confidence so striking it was like staring straight into the sun.
Oh my lord.
I was still holding the neck of a wine bottle, and I finally returned it to its holder behind the bar and walked over, my heart like a frog in my throat, so intimidated by his appearance that I wasn’t sure if I could wait on him. “What can I get you?” It took all my strength not to stumble over my words, not to make a complete idiot out of myself and just act natural.
He stared at me for a solid three seconds, his blue eyes not needing to blink, having way more confidence than I did. “Scotch, on the rocks. Make it a double.”
“You got it.” I pulled out the bottle and made the drink.
He didn’t watch my hands as I prepared the drink. Stared straight at my face. Still didn’t blink.
I presented the drink to him. “Lemme know when you need another. I’ll be around.” I turned so I wouldn’t see his reaction, knowing I needed to put as much distance between us as possible. He was so distracting that I wouldn’t be able to finish up my shift if I continued to look at him. The fantasies were already passing through my mind, and I told myself it was only because it’d been a while since I had any dick.
But I had a feeling I’d never had any dick like that.
The bar started to grow quiet as people left for the night. He ordered another scotch and drank it alone at the bar, the chairs empty on either side of him. He didn’t distract himself looking at his phone, just stared at his reflection in the mirror against the wall or stared off into the distance. He seemed perfectly fine drinking alone, not having anyone to talk to or anywhere to go. It didn’t seem like he was there to pick up a woman for the night because he never looked at anyone in the room.
I wanted him to leave so I could finally release the breath I held, but I also dreaded the moment he walked out of that bar and I never saw him again. I stood at the counter and wiped off the bottles, doing my cleanup during the downtime so I could get out of there quicker after we closed.
“Bastien.”
My eyes flicked to him, my heart in my throat again.
He took a drink then licked his lips. “This is where you tell me your name.”
He was just as arrogant as I pegged him to be—but still hot as fuck. “Fleur.”
He extended his empty glass, silently asking for another.
If he were someone else, I would have cut him off, but despite all the scotch he drank, he didn’t seem even remotely incapacitated. He was either a functional drunk or his tolerance was sky-high. I poured another drink and placed it in front of him.
He raised his glass in a gesture of gratitude before he took a sip. His striking eyes were glued to mine, having the confidence to hold an intimate level of eye contact like we were lovers when we were strangers. He cocked his head slightly, as if he saw something in my stare. “There’s a story behind those eyes.”
“Is there a story behind yours?”
A subtle smile moved over his lips, and that little shift changed his entire face. The arrogance dulled in his eyes, and it was replaced by a hint of playfulness. He shook the ice in his glass before he took a drink. “Definitely.” He returned it to the counter and stared at it for a second before he looked at me again. “You first.”