Keeping Score

“There you are.” I winked.

The blush on her cheeks traveled down her throat to the tops of her breast. Fuck.

“Did you want another round?” she asked, clearly bothered by the attention.

I held her eyes for a moment, nodding but not answering.

“Three more.” I held up my fingers.

“All right. Anything else?”

I closed my eyes and imagined everything we could do together. My hand reached out gently brushing over hers as she turned toward the bar. I heard a sharp intake of air and hoped like hell she had felt that same buzz of electricity that had just run up my arm.

Two

Julie

I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand, waiting at the side of the bar for the last drink order.

“Three beers for you, sweetheart.”

“Thanks, Hal.”

I placed each beer on the tray and lifted it carefully from the surface. All I had to do was drop these drinks off at the table and I could walk away.

I didn’t have to look at Mister-six-foot-five-sex-on-a-stick. I certainly didn’t have to flirt with him, no matter how much I liked it. I knew I was in a bad spot. I had taken this job out of financial desperation, but that didn’t mean I had lost my dignity. I could do this. I could be around an insanely attractive man and not lose my damn mind.

I straightened my shoulders.

As soon as those football players walked in tonight, the other waitresses started fighting over who got to serve them. But since the bar was divided into sections the fighting didn’t last long. They ended up in mine. Mine. As if I had some kind of ownership over Kane Hawkins.

I took a big breath and walked steadily to the table.

“Here you go.” I served each beer.

“Thanks, Julie.” His grin was as sexy as the rest of him.

“I’ll check on you gentleman in a few minutes.”

I wanted to say or do something, but didn’t know how or what just yet. My brain said one thing, and my body said something totally different. His eyes met mine and I couldn’t deny the flash of dirty thoughts that ran through my head.

I needed space. Air. A place to breathe. I knew that much. I bolted from the table and found a quiet place in the back hallway on the other side of the storage room. There was a screen door that led to the employee parking lot. I leaned against the wall and tried to steady my breathing.

My first night. The very first night here and I was acting like a drunk college girl being hit on by the school’s quarterback. I had to get my shit together. I wasn’t eighteen and he wasn’t a sweet cute guy. No. He was a professional football player. That couldn’t be a good thing, could it?

I tensed when I heard the sound of boots cross past the employees only boundary. His shadow made it around the corner before I saw him. The only light came from the storage room. His face was dark. His body towered over mine.

“Hey.” Kane’s voice was low and sexy.

He pressed his hand into the wood over my shoulder, closing the gap between us. I placed my hands against his chest like I was going to push him away but I didn’t. I couldn’t.

“Hi,” I whispered.

I didn’t know what was happening. I could smell the beer on his breath and faint traces of cologne from his shirt.

“What are you doing back here?” he asked.

I hadn’t been able to look him in the eyes all night. Too much lust and hunger was buried there, but I took a chance. As soon as I did, I knew it was a mistake. He wanted to devour me. Now.