Page 44 of When There Was You
My smile says it all.
“So, the California girl’s leaving the sunshine state and coming over here to give the mid-Atlantic a spin?”
The pain surrounding that statement envelops me like a blanket, smothering me for a long moment, and I can only nod. Leaving is the only way to create the fresh start I desperately need, but I refrain from saying it out loud. That’s way too intimate for a stranger at a bar.
He leaves it alone, maybe sensing my discomfort. When I glance at him again, his lifted expression is a silent question about whether he can move closer. My head dips in assent. What the hell. It’s not like he’s proposing marriage. I nearlysnort…I can’t even muster interest in a man longer than three dates. And I’m here for a split second of time, so yeah…what the hell.
His height towers as he moves to the stool next to mine. Damn, he’s tall, like well over six feet. He fills out those jeans nicely too…and everything else. He’s also older than me, but it’s hard to tell by how much.
“Virginia’s got a lot going for it,” he says softly.
My eyes meet his, which this close are going to be my downfall. He has bedroom eyes, fuck-me-into-oblivion eyes, maybe even fall-in-love-with-me eyes. They’re stunning.
Before I can control my mouth, I blurt it out. “You have incredible eyes.”
“So do you.” He studies me closer. “Amber—with a hint of fire,” he decides, and my skin prickles from his proximity and scrutiny. “Have you ever seen the real thing?”
I shake my head dumbly, like I’ve forgotten English.
“It’s fossilized sap from conifer trees, which probably doesn’t sound very glamorous, but it’s beautiful, coming in shades of yellow, orange, and sometimes green. People make jewelry with it nowadays, which is a far sight better than these fossils sitting around collecting dust in archeology labs.” He stares hard, examining me. “Unusual.”
“Unusualgood?” Now it sounds like I’m fishing for a compliment.
He mutters under his breath as he faces his beer, those corded forearms snagging my attention. “Yeah, Sundance. Everything about you is unusual good.”
Warmth spreads through me like butter on hot toast, and my stomach swoops. “So, where are you from if you’re ‘not really’ from here?”
“Further south. I’m here for…legal bullshit.” He grimaces, but only for a split second.
“Bummer. Do you want to talk about it—or am I being too intrusive?”
Butch sighs, giving me a sideways glance. “It’s a long, sad story I won’t trouble you with, but suffice it to say, I’m not a fan of lawyers or the court system or utter strangers making decisions that affect my life.”
“I’m sorry.” He seems dejected.
He rolls his head back and to the sides, his neck cracking. “Actually, I’m sorry. I was rude earlier and shouldn’t…” He pauses. “I’m just tired.”
It’s hard not to study him, to wonder what’s really going on in his life. “If you have so far to drive, why are you drinking?”
Something akin to grief or frustration or despair flickers in his expression…all guesses on my part as I mine his face for clues.
After a weighty pause, he says, “I won’t have another. Two’s my limit.” There’s something indecipherable in that admission. Is he an alcoholic? Or maybe one of his parents? Or…Jesus, why am I guessing? He drains the remainder of his beer and my gaze flicks to his left hand. No ring.
“What are you doing with the rest of your night?” I utter before my brain can corral my words.
I’ve got his full attention now. His green eyes laser focus on me then dip down to my mouth. “Yet to be determined.”
What am I doing? He’s a fucking stranger.
A gorgeous stranger.
I don’t know why, but I’m feeling reckless. Wild. Happy-go-lucky.
My smile unfurls. “I’ve got a hotel room.”
Twenty-Seven
Butch and I eye-fuck each other in the glass elevator that rises from the hotel atrium toward the sky. My nerve endings crackle when he stands close enough that his distinctive scent practically assaults me. He smells damn good. His fingers lift and trace my jaw. Heat blasts through me, incinerating my panties.
