Page 16 of Untamed Heart
He chuckled.
‘I’m only messin’ with ya,’ he added, ordering a round of drinks. ‘How many more of those before you’ll agree to a dance with me later?’
I turned to him, narrowing my eyes.
‘There’s not enough damn whiskey in this bar,’ I hissed. ‘Now leave me alone.’
‘Woah there, we’ve got a live wire here!’
He laughed and nudged the guy next to him, who joined in with the amusement.
I clenched my teeth, my foggy brain deciding on the best response when a voice to my left cut in. It was deeper, smoother, an undercurrent of authority ringing loud and clear.
‘Leave her alone, Jim.’
Great. Feeling distinctly like I was about to become centre-stage in some kind of pissing contest, I moved to hop off my stool. Time to call it a night.
‘It’s fine, you don’t have to leave. Jim was just about to anyway.’
A hand touched my arm, the grip gentle but firm.
I looked up, right into the face of the hot guy from earlier. Up close, the whiskey haze allowing me to maintain fierce eye contact, he was even more gorgeous than I’d realized.
‘Reckon Cole’s found his entertainment for the night,’ Jim laughed, although as the hot guy took another step closer, he shifted off the bar stool and stalked away.
‘I don’t need a damn bodyguard,’ I said, shrugging off his touch and sliding off the stool, standing for the first time since I’d arrived. The room spun at alarming speed and before I could work out what was happening, a strong arm had reached around my waist, holding me up.
‘Maybe you don’t,’ he replied, his voice alarmingly close to my ear, one side of me pressed against his rock-hard chest. ‘But the problem is, you look like you don’t care what happens to you.’
I struggled back from him, his smell, a heady, musky cologne. He let me go, but kept a hand under my arm, steadying me as I held on to the bar instead.
‘Why do you care?’ I spat, hating myself for the state I was in and resisting the urge to press up close to him again. I staggered, trying to turn away.
‘Because if you were my sister, cousin, friend – whatever – I’d want someone to do the same,’ he answered, an angry edge to his tone. ‘Listen, if you want to take whatever’s going on with you out on someone, then take it out on me. That way you’ll feel better and I’ll know you’re not going to end up with someone like Jim.’
I stared at him, watching as he adjusted his hat, strands of deep brown hair escaping at the back. His eyes were fierce but careful, his chiselled jaw set as firm as my own.
‘You know what I want? I want people to stop telling me what to fucking do all the time,’ I began, the remaining drops of my reserve draining away. ‘Especially men. Assholes like Jim are nothing – it’s the hot ones that cause the problems.’
The sounds from the bar filled the space between us as I heard my own words repeated in my head.
‘You calling me hot?’
His lips twitched; the touch of his hand on my arm suddenly branded me like an iron.
‘Oh fuck off,’ I said, turning away fully this time, walking round the bar towards the restrooms, planning to hide in there instead.
‘Wait, wait,’ he called, but I reached the door and yanked it open, taking a left in the dark corridor. ‘I’m sorry.’ His hand touched my shoulder, using just enough force to stop me in my tracks, causing everything to spin again. ‘Let me help you home. You’re gonna hurt yourself like this – walk into the street and end up under a truck or something.’
The corridor was tight, and his considerable height and build were taking up most of the room as he towered over me. I should’ve felt scared, cautious at the very least, but instead, whiskey stirring the burning embers further, I took a step into him, placing a hand on his chest.
‘Why do you care?’ I repeated, searching his face. He was a stranger, a no one, but somehow my palm was splayed against him, my head tilted upwards to read his expression.
‘I don’t know.’
His voice was low, barely audible against the background noise from the other side of the door. I realized I could feel his heartbeat under my fingers, pounding at a rate that matched my own.
In the same moment, as his eyes moved to my lips, his hand dropping from my shoulder and grazing my back, I let my intuition make the decision for me. Reaching up on tiptoes, my hand moving to his jaw, I pulled his face towards me and kissed him, hard.
