Chapter 4 #3
Then he looks over my shoulder, and I follow his gaze.
The music cuts out in my mind, and whatever Griffin just said fizzles out.
The people around me fade into nothing as I stare at the long hair I was thinking about just moments ago, cascading down her back.
A smile spreads on my face as she greets a friend in a hug with her back to me.
She looks…different tonight.
The two times I saw her before this, she was wearing jeans, a T-shirt tucked in, and a pair of sneakers.
Tonight she has on a short blue flowy skirt that sways around her thighs with every small move she makes.
She has on a pair of dark brown cowboy boots with white leg warmers sticking out of them.
She stands with one hip popped while she engages in conversation with the other person.
I let my gaze travel to the loose-fitting pink sweater that sits off one of her shoulders.
She touches the woman’s shoulder as if to say I’ll catch up with you before looking to the ground and making her way in my direction.
Seeing her again was a confirmation of everything my brain had been thinking.
She’s the most stunning woman I’ve ever seen.
Finally, she lifts her head, and our eyes connect.
She almost stumbles over her next step but fixes herself quickly, not allowing the smile on her face to falter or show shock.
Every nerve ending in my body is on high alert, and now my heart is racing as if I just did sprint work on the field during practice.
“Hey, Pop,” Griffin greets her.
She keeps her gaze locked on me for a second longer, and I want to reach out and beg her to sit with me. Beg her to tell me everything there is to know about herself so I can figure out why I’m so wrapped up in this mystery woman.
Then she looks away, and I release a breath.
I didn’t realize I had stopped breathing, but here we are.
“Hey Griff.” She smiles at him. “Busy night tonight?”
“You know Nan does the most.” He laughs.
“She really does.”
“Have you met the new guy in town?” Griffin asks her, gesturing to me.
She turns to face me. Her eyes lock with mine again, and I’m instantly unable to form a coherent thought.
Dammit. I need to get it together.
“Can’t say I have,” she says, shifting her body to face me. I raise a brow, and the corner of my lip twists into a grin. “I’m Poppy. Nice to meet you.”
“Dallas,” I say, taking her hand in mine and refusing to break eye contact.
“Griffin,” Tucker calls. “Someone’s got a question, and I don’t feel like I’m qualified to answer it.”
Griffin sighs and says something back, but I can’t tell you what it was because I’m lost in Poppy’s trance. I’m still shaking her hand, refusing to let go. Her touch is a blend of fire and ice. Because while it feels warm and comforting, she sends an icy, sharp buzz through the rest of me.
Staring at her, I stand from my stool and tower over her enough that she needs to lift her head to maintain eye contact.
She tries to pull her hand back, but I don’t let her, tightening my hold on her.
Her cheeks pinken when I step closer and bend down until my lips graze the shell of her ear.
With my eyes over her shoulder, I breathe her in, forgetting we’re in a room full of people.
A warm, comforting scent hits me. A mix of vanilla and honey forces me to close my eyes and soak it into memory because she’s intoxicating.
“Are we acting like I didn’t meet you at the coffee shop the other day, Poppy?” I whisper.
Her name out of my mouth tastes good.
She nods, but I stay close to her ear, not letting her hand go, sensing her chest rising and falling from our proximity.
“That’s really disappointing.”
She pulls back but doesn’t release her grip. I’d hold her hand all night if she let me. Her eyes widen, and my smile grows. She looks so innocent. But fuck, I can’t get over her beauty.
Her face relaxes and morphs from shocked to somewhat sassy when she smirks at me. “Did you want me to randomly remember a stranger I met in the coffee shop for less than ten minutes?”
Shaking my head in disbelief, I grin, tugging her close. Her body almost collides with mine, and her hand lands on my chest to help find her balance. Again, I seem to forget this is a packed bar in a small town. The worry that people might talk isn’t even on my mind. All I can think about is…
She looks from her hand and back up to me, pulling it away as if she just set her hand down on a hot stove.
“I remember.” I wink. “You’re kind of unforgettable, Poppy.”
She scoffs, taking a step away from me. “You don’t even know me.”
Taking a seat on the stool behind me, I level my eyes with hers again. Unable to break the contact for a second, I reach for my glass and take a long pull. She stares at me, full of uncertainty, and I can tell she doesn’t know what to think about the new guy in town.
I don’t blame her. I shouldn’t be thinking about her this way.
“I’d like to get to know you,” I say, despite what my inner thoughts are screaming.
She averts her gaze, looking around the bar. I don’t know if she’s looking for someone to save her or if she’s meeting someone. That makes me irrationally jealous.
“Are you meeting a boyfriend?” I ask curiously.
She shakes her head.
“No, you’re not meeting a boyfriend? Or no, you don’t have one?”
Please tell me it’s the latter.
She looks down at her hands nervously, not giving me an answer.
As much as I’d love her not to have a boyfriend, I must guard myself here.
It’s a fine line I’m walking. I shouldn’t be flirting with the beautiful local, who has me saying things I shouldn’t be saying.
Who has me thinking things I shouldn’t be thinking.
Who has pulled me into her orbit without an ounce of effort.
When she lifts her eyes to meet mine, I know with certainty that despite how much I want to stay away, I’m completely and utterly fucked.