Chapter Ten #3
“Ah, I see.” I buried my head in Leo’s shirt, cheeks flaming. “It’s a good job you’re here or I would have just made a complete fool of myself.”
“Hey, he would be flattered if you approached him. I would be.”
I snorted, in a very unladylike fashion. “Yeah, right.”
“I would,” he insisted, grinning wide.
I pulled back, glancing up at him and reached up, tipping the brim of his hat back so I could see into his eyes. “So, how would you like to be approached?”
He took a pull on his beer, his eyes not leaving mine and warmth flooded me. My beer must be kicking in.
“We’re not doing this.”
I gripped his arm. “Please, Leo! I’ve got no game and obviously need help.” He sighed deeply and shook his head. “Please!” I pleaded and I saw the moment he gave in.
“Look, if you’re just looking for a good time then go up to any guy, tell him that and you’ll be walking out the door before you can even put your beer down.”
“Would that work on you?” I asked, peering at him.
“No,” his jaw clenched. “It wouldn’t.”
“So, what would work on you then?”
He drained his beer and banged the bottle down on the nearest table, his brows drawn in like he was getting mad again.
The table behind us grew rowdier, bumping into each other and shoving Leo closer to me. His arm circled my waist, pressing us together and my alcohol haze descended.
He leaned close to me, brushing my hair behind my ear before he murmured, “I’d want you to be coy.
A little bit shy, and just talk to me, ask me questions about myself and actively listen.
Tell me about you, a few flirty touches here and there.
Real subtle ones that would make me question whether you’d done it on purpose or not, teasing me and making me want more… ” he trailed off.
My eyelids fluttered closed, my mouth running dry.
“I’d see if you were giving off signs that you wanted me to make a move, to touch you too. To kiss you.”
This man and kissing.
Two thoughts I tried to keep separate. I had first-hand experience of his kissing prowess, and I was yet to find anyone better. Just the reminder of his kisses lit a match inside me, flames roaring through my limbs.
“How…how would you know?”
“If you were biting your lip or staring at mine. I’d bring you in and bend my head, just like I’m doing now. Putting us closer together, see if you tilted your head up a little in invitation.”
I don’t know if it was the very small amount of alcohol in my system or the drugging quality of his words, but my eyelids fluttered closed and I began to lift my head, seeking him out.
“We’ve got a live one,” he said, tapping my arm and pulling me out of my lusty haze.
“Huh?”
Leo cleared his throat and pulled his arm away, putting space between us and I turned to where he was looking. There were two guys leaning against the bar. One was drawn into conversation but the other stared at me.
“He’s cute,” I said. His dark hair was long enough to curl underneath the brim of his hat, his shirt pulled against his nicely developed chest, not as big as Leo’s though. I shook my head. Why was I comparing them? The guy at the bar lifted his glass of amber liquid in greeting.
“You’re ready,” Leo murmured in my ear.
I turned to him, worry rumbling in my stomach. “I am?”
He tapped my nose. “You are. Go get ‘em, Tough Girl.” He smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes, didn’t pop his dimple. Before I could question it, he was spinning me and pushing me towards the guy.
“Er, hi?” I said when I stood in front of him.
He chuckled. “Hi there, pretty lady. That’s not your boyfriend, is it?”
I glanced behind me and saw Leo was already talking to a group of buckle bunnies who hung on his every word. My mouth turned down in annoyance.
“He’s not a very good one if he’s already off with other women,” I grumbled.
“Sorry?”
I shook myself and spun back to the cute guy. “No, he’s just my friend. My best friend. My wingman, I guess.”
“That’s good news for me then,” Cute Guy smiled shyly. “Let me get you another beer, that one looks empty.”
Cute Guy was named Jason, a year older than me and worked at another ranch close by. I kept glancing over to Leo for reassurance but he was making out with another woman. I wasn’t sure if I suddenly felt queasy because I didn’t want to share my friend or because I’d had too much beer.
I turned away and tried not to think about what Leo had said about how he wanted to get picked up in a bar.
I wondered if that girl had done those things to snare him.
I couldn’t bring myself to act out the moves he described; it felt wrong to use them on some other guy.
So I reminded myself that I wasn’t scared of anything and went with honesty.
“Wanna get out of here?” I interrupted, cutting off Cute Guy mid-story.
He choked on his drink but recovered quickly and shot me a wide smile. “Hell yeah.”
I took his drink off him and placed it on the bar before I grabbed his hand and led him out. I glanced over my shoulder briefly to see that Leo had removed his lips from some woman long enough to watch me leave.
I waved at him, smiling and trying to be all I’m going to get laid now, don’t wait up! but he didn’t wave back.