Chapter 2 #2
I wanted to slink away and just get out of here. I dabbed at my dress with a napkin, cheeks flushed with embarrassment and anger. The bar was silent, except for the whispers and muffled gasps around us.
Jonah ran a hand through his hair. “I am so sorry.”
He winced when his gaze traveled down my front as the spill spread.
“Look, Tahlia was … well, she was never supposed to—” He stopped, taking a deep breath as he crouched slightly to meet my eyes. “I swear, I had no idea she would act like this. I’m truly sorry about this,” Jonah said.
He stepped closer, his dark eyes locking on mine with an intensity that made my breath hitch.
“I miscalculated. Badly,” I blurted out.
His jaw tightened, his air of composure fraying at the edges. “I’ll replace the dress. I’ll replace your entire wardrobe.”
I waved his offers off. “It’s okay,” I said, but even I could hear how unconvincing I was.
I wasn’t a stranger to spills on my clothes. It came with the territory when you were raising a child. Considering that I’d been a mom to Evie for the past four and a half years, I’d had more than my fair share of spills.
But this was different.
He exhaled, visibly frustrated with himself. “I screwed up. I thought I could stop you from leaving and salvage the situation with the pickpocketing date. But I’ve only made things worse.”
I looked at him, slightly mollified by his explanation, against my better instincts.
“I’ll fix this. I’ll do anything to make it up to you. Hang on,” he said, and he reached for his phone. In a second, he was speaking to someone and issuing instructions before he turned and handed the phone to me. “Rhea needs your dress size.”
Seriously?
“That’s crazy,” I whispered, covering the mouthpiece of the phone while I dripped over the marble floor.
“We could debate that,” he said, “while you have a big splotch spreading over your chest—”
“Okay, size four, please,” I cut him off and spoke into the phone, warmth spreading over my cheeks.
When I handed the phone back to him, he smiled. “Give her half an hour. She’ll be here with a spare set of clothes. Meanwhile …”
He shrugged off his jacket. His gaze was already on me, on the goosebumps prickling my skin, before I even realized I was cold. I was feeling chilly, and I needed the jacket, but my gaze went to his empty wrist.
“Your watch,” I began, realizing that Tahlia had made off with it.
Jonah shrugged it off. “Forget about it.”
“But you asked me to help you.”
“I needed to stop you from leaving. That was more important than a piece of metal. I can replace that watch easily.”
Red-faced, I sat down at the bar, warmed by his compliments while he put his jacket on my shoulders. His fingers rested briefly on my arms while he made sure the jacket covered me appropriately, and I liked the feel of his fingers through the fabric.
And the way his scent enveloped me.
I gulped. He had just been on another date.
“How did you meet Tahlia?” I asked.
Jonah shook his head. “My married friends set me up on a blind date. I don’t know what it says about the world of married couples today that they can’t stand to see a friend remain single.”
I considered it. Even though none of my friends were married, I still couldn’t escape being pressured into dating.
“Marriage is a club I have no intention of ever joining,” I muttered.
He gave me a surprised look.
I swallowed and spoke the first thing that came to my mind. “Who is Rhea?”
“Someone who works for me,” he said with a disarming smile. “She’ll be here soon.”
I looked at the exit, wondering if I really did trust him to have new clothes delivered for me. I could just go home and change into dry clothes and never come back.
“You aren’t leaving, are you?” he asked, and his glorious gaze fell on me in a way that seemed to say he was disappointed. “It’s only a little after nine.”
I looked away, remembering Sasha’s warning and my promise to stay out until midnight. Shoot.
“I’m staying,” I announced. “For another three hours, apparently.”
His smile grew even wider. “Well, Cinderella,” he said promptly, “what can I get you, seeing as you left your last drink untouched?”
“You saw?” I asked, leaning against the counter as heat prickled across my already-flushed skin.
He nodded, amusement in his eyes. “I did wonder why you got the same drink again after you had such a hard time finishing the last one.”
I didn’t want to tell him the truth. He didn’t need to know that I thought the fancy craft cocktail with a sprig of thyme wasn’t as yummy as Sex on the Beach.
“So, you’re Jonah?”
He nodded. “And you’re Lexi?” he confirmed, having heard me introduce myself to Tahlia.
I smiled.
He extended his hand, and I took it in mine, noticing that his hand was warm. His fingers tightened around mine, holding me for a moment longer than necessary.
“Do you have a last name, Lexi?”
I thought about giving him my last name but decided against it at the last minute. If this was going where I thought it was, I didn’t want him tracking me down somehow. I had a child at home, and my privacy meant a lot to me.
“Maybe we should keep that part a secret,” I said.
He laughed, a deep ringing sound that made my pulse race. What was it about him and his presence that made me feel breathless?
“You stole the words out of my mouth,” he said, his eyes glittering with charm, and he moved closer. “So, Lexi Last Name Unknown, what can I get you tonight?”
“Don’t read anything into it,” I warned, “but I’d really like a Sex on the Beach.”
He guffawed, and true to his word, he got me the drink within minutes. I took a sip of the sweet drink in relief, relieved to not have to pretend. “Glad you like it,” he said, observing me with a charming grin that sent butterflies through my stomach.
“Why would it matter?” I asked when my gaze strayed to the expensive jacket he’d put on me.
I held my breath, realizing that I was talking to the kind of man who’d never ever understand having to choose non-brand name things from a store.
“Do you own this place?” I asked, suddenly afraid that I was stepping too far beyond my reach.
Why was I talking to this man? Flirting with him?
He shook his head. “No, I don’t own this bar,” he said with a laugh. It was deep and captivating. “I figured I’d already screwed up your night, so I wanted to make up for it.”
That made sense. I relaxed and took another sip. “How long had you been watching me while you were on your date?”
“A fairly long time,” he said slowly. “You just kept catching my eye.”
The overhead dim lights cast shadows on his face, making him look intriguing, in addition to being handsome. Our conversation was starting to feel intimate.
Was this going to be my adventure for the night? Sasha was taking care of Evie after all …
“You know, there are still a few women casting glances at you,” I said, looking past his shoulder at a woman who was walking by, stealing a few looks at him.
He put an arm on the counter next to me. “Well, pity for them. I’m now with you.”
This definitely was going somewhere. I ran my tongue over my lips and tried to slow the pace down.
“What do you normally do at bars?” he asked. His voice had a heated edge to it, like he was teasing me.
I laughed. “I’m sure a lot of people say this, but I mean it: I don’t get out much. I—” I have a four-year-old kid, a job, and I was studying on the side. “I’ve kept myself busy,” I finished.
“So, no time for fun?” he asked, his fingertips now lightly sliding over my skin in a gentle caress.
I closed my eyes at that touch while my nerves tingled with anticipation. He had a masculine scent to him, all leather and whiskey, and my drink, in combination with his attention, was making me feel heady.
I shook my head. “It might not sound fun to you, but I love coding,” I said.
He raised his eyebrows in amazement. “You’re a coder?”
I nodded. “As of Monday, I will be. I have a new job. An internship, actually, but I hope to convert it to a full-time job eventually.”
He gave me a look. “So, you’re beauty and brains,” he said. “I’m impressed.”
I let the compliment slide. It was what men did in bars after all.
“What do you do?” I asked. “Other than spend time in places like this?”
He raised his eyebrows. “You think this place is impressive?”
I nodded, glancing around. “It’s… kind of where people go when they’ve made it. You know?”
As soon as I said it, I cringed.
Of course he didn’t think this place was impressive. He probably saw it as just another stop in a week of polished venues and private clubs. Meanwhile, I’d walked in feeling like I didn’t belong, and opened my mouth just enough to prove it.
He didn’t answer, just kept gazing at me, his thumb running circles over the back of my hand.
“I’ve never seen you here before. What brought you here?” he asked.
My roommate pushed me to do this.
“Don’t we all want to be someone else for a day once in a while?” I answered.
“So, who were you pretending to be?”
“I was pretending to be a rich, confident woman who wouldn’t need any man to rescue her.”
“How about a rich, confident woman who would let a man satisfy her every desire?”
“That’s up for consideration,” I answered, feeling bolder as the drink coursed through my veins. “How often do you do this?”
“Ah. So, you think I come here often?” he asked, not tearing his gaze from me.
“I do,” I said, looking around while my cheeks flushed under his piercing stare. “You probably come here for business meetings or to find dates. Going by your clothes, I bet you’re successful at the first, and going by your charm, you’re definitely successful at the latter.”
He chuckled, the smile lines at the corners of his mouth appearing. “I’m charming?” he asked, looking like he found this conversation very enjoyable. “I thought the guy was the one who usually had to do all the complimenting.”