To her dismay, he came and stood at the end of their table. “Ladies.” He gave them a gorgeous smile, and Elise felt her pulse flutter. No man should be that pretty. It was unfair. “Am I interrupting girls’ night out?” He glanced at their group, and his gaze seemed to linger on Elise.
She averted her gaze, staring at her drink. With a quick shift of her chin, her hair fell forward.
“We’re just trying to find Elise a man,” Miranda said, a hint of slurring in her voice. Too many margaritas for her. “You know of any good pieces of man meat?”
“Other than yourself,” Brenna said and gave him a wicked, lascivious look. “You’re the best man meat we have in town. Other than all the ones that are taken, of course.”
“Am I?” Rome laughed at Brenna’s outrageous comments. “Maybe I should volunteer to be Elise’s man meat, then.”
Elise wanted to crawl under the table. She shrank down, just a little, and kept staring at her glass. Was he really volunteering to date her? Or just humoring a tipsy Brenna? Was this a suggestion born out of pity? That would be just awful. Elise’s throat felt knotted in embarrassment. No one as gorgeous as Rome Lozada would even look in her direction, except for the fact that her well-meaning friends were trying to coerce him into asking her out. Ugh.
“Brenna,” Beth Ann said in a chiding voice. “Be nice.” Elise felt Beth Ann shift in the booth, turning toward Rome. “What these two drunks aren’t telling you is that Elise isn’t interested in dating anyone in town. There’s no one that’s her type here. She’s already said so, but these ladies won’t take no for an answer.”
Oh God! Now Beth Ann had just told Rome that he wasn’t her type and she didn’t like him. That was either a blessing or the worst ever.
“That so?” Rome gave a hard-sounding chuckle. “Guess Elise is too picky for the likes of me, then.”
She wanted to protest, or apologize, but the words wouldn’t form.
“Now, now,” Brenna called, and Elise glanced over at her long enough to see her reaching out and patting Rome’s tattooed arm. “Don’t be sad. I’m sure you’re other women’s type. Just not Elise’s.” She leaned in and whispered loudly, “You probably talk too much.”
Miranda snorted and drank again.
“You ladies sound like you’re enjoying your drinks,” Rome said, voice cool. “I take it you have a designated driver?”
That was her. Elise raised her hand, not looking up.
Rome made a noise of approval. “Well, I’ll leave you be, then. Enjoy your drinks. See you at work tomorrow, Brenna.”
“Bye, man meat,” Brenna called after him. Miranda dissolved into giggles. Beth Ann only sighed at their antics.
Elise watched a droplet of condensation slide down the front of her glass, wishing she were back in her nice, safe room at the bed and breakfast. Rome Lozada, the hottest man that Elise had ever seen, thought she was a snob and too good for the men in Bluebonnet.
Yep. That clinched it. The world was definitely not fair.
The Expert's Guide to Driving a Man Wild Page 28