He was similar height, maybe an inch or two taller. His blond hair was cut short which suited the serious expression on his handsome face. I would bet his muscles hadn't been bought in a gym. I just could tell because he had that rugged look to him of a man who engaged in manual labor. Dressed in a simple grey shirt and an old pair of jeans, he looked to be in an awful hurry to get to the bar. He glanced around the bar, his eyes flittering around the bar. He looked spooked like he would be out the door at the first sign of trouble. He didn't look like the kind of man to run from a lot in life.
He was almost at the bar when his eyes flickered over me. The disappointment I felt and which I didn't want to analyze too closely disappeared when he did a double take. His eyes widened as a surprise. Fuck, the heat that seared through me flooded to the seat of my pants. This guy sucked the breath from my body and it wasn't one-sided at all. His cheeks turned ruddy with embarrassment. I watched him hesitate, could see the thoughts running through his mind. Should he continue in the heat of the moment or bolt for the exit.
Don't go. Don't go. My best friend Elodie back in France believed if we brain fucked the universe good it would be pleased enough to give us what we wanted. I hoped she was right because I was giving it all I had.
Yes, that's it. I silently crowed in delight when he narrowed his eyes and continued to the bar. He stopped right beside me and I glanced at his side view. He was older than I had thought which gave me pause. The last older guy I'd fallen for had fucked me over good. Still, baby Beau would have envied me my drool. As close as he was to me, I could see the muscular definition in his arms. His wasn't bulky muscles packed on top of each other but I didn't let that fool me. This guy would be better an ally than a foe in a fight.
Bartender guy chose that moment to return to my side, rudely ignoring blond hunk who had yet to order. My glass of vodka was still half-full. I decided after all I'd rather be sober for possibilities of the night.
“Anything else I can get you?” the bartender asked. “Another glass of martini? Nuts? My digits?”
An angry customer banged on the counter before I could tell him I wasn’t interested in anything but the hunk who had watched the one-man show. As soon as he turned away to address the angry customer, I inclined my head to the man standing next to me and smiled.
“I’ll pay for all your drinks tonight if you pretend you’re my boyfriend,” I told him in a half-joking manner. “I’ve a feeling this guy’s going to be hitting on me all night.”
His grimace matched my own but at least he turned toward me. “Uh hmm, I’d love to help-”
Bartender guy reappeared directly in front of me. “You didn’t answer my question about what else I can get you?”
“I’d like you to take my boyfriend’s order.”
The man beside me gave a choking sound and I prayed he wouldn’t let me down. Uh oh, what the heck if he wasn’t gay? I glanced at him, ignoring the way the bartender was assessing my pretend boyfriend. Nope, he was cut from the same cloth I was. He might seem a little jittery but that chemistry between us was not one-sided.
“You two are together?” the bartender asked in disbelief. “No offense. I just can’t see it.”
“Doesn’t matter what you think,” I answered, turned my head to the unnamed man and smiled sweetly at him. “Honey, what do you want to drink?”
The man stared at me, his face paling. Oh shit, had I given him a heart attack by making him out to be a gay man?
“Honey?” I prompted him to get into character even though I had no idea why he would even help me.
“Uh,” he cleared his throat and looked away from me to the bartender. “A cold bottle of bud would be fine.”
“Coming right up.”
As soon as he left, I turned my full body around to face the stranger I’d made into a boyfriend. “I owe you an apology,” I told him, extending a hand out for a handshake. “I don’t know why I did that. Oh wait, that’s a lie. I just didn’t want him to bug me all night. I came here for a drink and that’s all, you know? Not to be harassed by a dude looking for a quick romp in my bed. By the way, I’m Beau.”
He glanced down at my hand and stared at me blankly. My belly dipped to the floor. Shit, had I made a mistake about him?
Falling for Mr Corporate Page 8