Bonus
LUCAS
“Are you tired?”
Jesus. Do guys still think those pickup lines work?
“Excuse me?”
Yep. Called it. Judging by the irritated look on this girl's gorgeous face, she hates him already.
“Oh, I just wondered if you were tired because you’ve been running through my mind all day.”
He’s smiling at her, but it's more creepy than charming.
Some dudes have zero game.
Laughing, she shakes her head firmly. “Pass.”
Ha. You snooze, you lose, buddy.
Just as he skulks off, my phone vibrates on the bar with another notification from the stupid app Beckett signed me up for. They don’t fucking stop. Swallowing a sigh, I quickly mute it. The last thing I need is my cell dancing across the bar while I’m trying to get to know this beauty better.
The noise draws her attention, and our eyes catch. Internally fist pumping—because I’m self aware enough to know it’s not cool to do that outwardly, let’s be real—I grin and nod at her.
“On behalf of all men, I apologize for his actions. Can I get you another?” I point at her half empty cocktail.
She looks at me with a raised brow, her eyes giving me a quick once over.
Damn, she’s pretty.
Sleek dark hair cut just above her shoulders, sexy bangs that fall onto her face, pale green eyes, plump, shiny lips made for kissing, and curves in all the right places. She has the type of body that knows its way around a gym, and the bedroom.
Easy, tiger.
“Because I’m sure you’ve never used a line.” Her lips kick up in a sardonic smile. “But thanks… cherry vodka sour.”
Oh, I have. But mine are better.
“Lines aren’t generally needed. Usually, the fact that I look like Thor is enough to tempt the ladies.” I wink at her and laugh.
If she can tell I’m joking, she’s good people. If she thinks it’s a line, I’m out.
She laughs, thank fuck.
“Hmm, I’m more of a DC girl myself,” she retorts, her lips curving into a wicked smile.
I like this one. She’s spicy.
“Damn that Momoa guy. I can’t compete with all that manliness.” I shrug, taking a drag of my beer.
“Oh, I don’t know, you look plenty manly… in the right light.” She bites her lip, before sipping the last of her fruity looking cocktail and toasting me.
“Well, I know good lighting. I’m an electrician.”
“Ahh, not just a pretty face…”
Grinning, I motion to the bartender to bring us both another round. “So. You think I’m pretty, huh?” I wiggle my brows at her.
“Lots of things are pretty. My nails, the sunset, this cocktail—thanks, by the way.”
“You’re welcome.”
My phone chimes, disturbing our cute little flow.
Dr Fox
Sorry running late at the firehouse. Be there in thirty.
Me
All good, my dude.
So good.
It gives me more time to find out who my mystery girl is. I haven’t seen her around here before, and something about her intrigues me.
“Lucas, by the way.”
I lean across the bar offering her my hand to shake.
Chuckling, she slides her palm into mine. The second her warm skin makes contact, sparks fly up my arm.
Well, that’s new… unless you count the unpleasant time I accidentally electrocuted myself—but we don’t talk about that.
Gotta say, I don’t hate it coming from her, though.
I’d be down to touch her again.
Repeatedly.
Her eyes widen. Did she feel it too?
She schools her expression, but her lips tip up mischievously. “For a second there, I thought you wanted me to kiss your hand like a priest or something.”
“If I was gonna ask for a kiss, it wouldn’t be on my hand. I have more game than that.”
She laughs again. I like it. A genuine one too, not the fake bullshit giggles some women default to when flirting.
“Oh yeah? Where would you ask to be kissed then, Sparky?”
Fuck, please don’t say she recognizes me from that damn app.
“Sparky?”
“You said you were an electrician right? I’ve spent a fair amount of time in the UK, so I picked up some of their slang. Thought it fit…” She brushes her bangs off her face, and that brow arches again.
Uh-oh, I think I’m developing a new kink.
“You’ve given me a nickname, I like it. So back to that kiss…are you offering?”
Her cheeks flush, “Might be…”
Shit, that’s cute.
“I’ll take whatever you want to give me, Sugar.”
She laughs again, turning back to the bar. “Maybe after this drink. I’m not drunk enough to kiss hot strangers just yet.”
Chuckling, I pick up my phone, aiming for super chill, although inside I’m anything but. “Fair...I like that you think I’m hot, though.”
“You don’t miss a trick, huh?”
My eyes slowly rise to meet hers, with a grin.
“I’m very detail oriented. For example, I like the way your nose crinkles when you’re trying not to laugh. Like now… it’s cute.”
She blushes again, sinking her teeth into that juicy-looking bottom lip and the sight has my cock waking up and taking notice.
Goddamn.
She has all my senses misfiring without even fucking trying. I wish Fox wasn’t coming out tonight. It’s gonna ruin any chance I have to spend time with my mystery girl.
“Oh yeah? What else do you notice?” She grins, looking up at me from under those sexy, dark lashes.
Fuck it. She’s interested.
I’m moving in because if this is my only shot before Beckett arrives, I’m gonna damn well take it.
Standing, I round the corner and slide onto the seat next to her.
“Well, I like the way you tuck your hair behind your ear when you’re nervous… like now.”
Smiling shyly, she does it again, her pretty eyes dropping to my lips before rising back to mine.
“I like that too…” I murmur.
“What?” she whispers back.
“The way your eyes keep dropping to my lips like you’re thinking about kissing me.”
“Presumptuous, Sparky.”
“Hopeful, Green Eyes.”
“You’ll have to hope you play your cards right then, won’t you?”
“Sugar, I’ll give you the whole deck.”
She laughs again, and I’m sitting so close I see the way her eyes sparkle when she does.
“That felt like a line, Lucas.”
Well, damn, the way she says my name sends shockwaves through me. Her slightly husky tone is beyond sexy.
And she calls me on my shit. I like that.
“It might’ve been a tiny line.” I indicate it with my fingers. “Meant it though.”
Her eyes flick to my hands and she nods. “Big hands. You know what they say about those don’t you?”
Hell fucking yeah, I do. It’s all true too.
“No, what do they say?” I flash her my best innocent smile.
“Big… egos.” A wide grin lights up her face, and my heart gives an almighty thump. I like making her smile. I need to see it again. Preferably every day.
Jesus. I’ve just seen not one, but two of my guys get hit with the love bug.
Am I about to go down with the same affliction?
You barely know the girl. Let’s not get carried away here, Carver.
“I’m getting the impression you’d keep my ego in check no problem, Trouble.”
“Do I look like trouble?” She smirks, twisting on her stool to face me while tracing her fingertip around the rim of her glass. It draws all my attention to her long, blood-red, pointed nails.
The type of nails that’ll leave their mark for days.
“Baby, you ooze trouble out of every pore, but I’m not known for being a good boy.”
Spinning my stool toward her, I cage her thighs between mine, trying to ignore the way my whole body jerks like it’s about to blow a fuse.
“Uh-uh. Line again. And this is… forward.”
Fuck me.
She drags one of her pointy claws down my thigh, and thank fuck I’m wearing tight jeans, because if I wasn’t, my dick would’ve sprung up to report for duty. Full salute.
Who the hell is this girl?
How have I not seen her before?
And more to the point, how can I make sure I see her again?
“Should I move?” I guess it’s polite to ask, even though I don’t wanna let her go.
She glides her whole hand down my thigh now, so I flex my muscles, this time cursing my decision to go with jeans.
Where’s a pair of board shorts when you want them? I need those nails on my skin more than anything.
“Nah, what’s a little entrapment between friends?” She tucks her hair behind her ear again.
“What if I want to be more than friends?” A little forward but I’m running out of time.
Fox will be here to fuck with my chi any minute.
Or worse, he’ll try and poach her for himself, and that sure as shit ain’t happening.
She’s mine.
Wooooah now. Slow your roll. You don’t get all caveman over women.
Eyes locked with mine, she drags a nail down my forearm now. “What is it you want, exactly?”
I try like hell to contain the shudder that rolls through me.
“Whatever you’ll give me.”
A light flush tints her cheeks, and she tugs that sexy bottom lip between her teeth again making my mouth water.
Fuck. I don’t remember a time when my body reacted so insanely desperate over anyone.
Not even with little Suzie, who kissed me in eighth grade.
“Let’s start with a kiss and see where we go from there, Sparky.”
Second star to the right, and straight on till morning.
She hooks that nail into the neck of my T-shirt and pulls me closer. I go easily, half convinced I’d follow her anywhere, already.
The second her lips touch mine, my body burns up like a forest fire. Sliding her over my lap, I thread a hand in her hair, my hard cock pressing against her. The feel of her wrapped around me drives me wild, and I groan into her mouth, my tongue tangling with hers.
She tastes like cherries and bad decisions and I’m ready to make more.
Arms looping around my neck, she tugs my hair tie until my long, blond hair falls around my face. She breaks our kiss to drag her fingers through it.
“You have pretty hair.”
“You’re just pretty,” I murmur, crowding her, desperate to be closer.
I drop my lips to hers again, and she kisses me back willingly, matching my energy with a fiery passion of her own.
Those sexy nails creep under my shirt to trail down my abs. The move sends my pulse into the stratosphere.
Yuuuuuuup. I definitely need more of that.
I definitely need all of that.
A cough from beside us disrupts the kiss, and we reluctantly pull apart.
Jett, a friend of mine, and the bar owner, looks less than impressed with me right now.
“Lucas, as much as I love the peep show, fucking on my bar’s a hard limit.”
Green Eyes flushes beside me, disentangling herself from my body, instantly leaving me unmoored.
“Sorry.” She smiles sheepishly at Jett before turning back to me. “Be back in a sec, I need to use the restroom.”
I grab her wrist as she slides off the stool, stroking my thumb over her racing pulse.
“You’re not running out on me before I get your name and number, are you?” I grin innocently at her.
“The name’s Blair, and I don’t start things I don’t intend to finish, Lucas. Besides, do these boots look like they're made for running?”
I glance down and take in the six-inch red-sole spike-heeled boots she has on.
Holy shit, no.
They look like they’re made for fucking.
“I can’t dignify that with an answer.”
She laughs, kissing me again.
“Naughty, naughty. Back in a few.” She winks, and there’s another kink unlocked.
This girl is ticking every fucking box and then some.
Maybe I should tell Beckett I’ll meet him at home and spend the night getting to know her instead.
Intimately.