MANifesting

Dammit. There it was. That flicker of electricity that I didn’t think I’d ever feel. The urge to lose total control. I wanted her completely.

Could I be what she was looking for?

There was no way to find out without getting to know Allie better. But there was no way for that to happen unless I could spend some time with her.

CHAPTER THREE

* Allie *

Talking to all of these eager young men in their dark suits and casual sweaters felt hollow and fake after meeting Kellan. Forcing myself to go through the motions, my cheeks felt tired from an hour of forced smiling.

Trying to look to Megan and Caitlin for guidance, I admired how they kept every co

nversation upbeat. It was as if those women had no fear at all.

To me, that was completely unnatural. Even once I finished my impossibly delicious martini, I couldn’t relax enough to engage in any real conversations with these men. After having stared into Kellan’s gorgeous deep blue eyes, nothing else could compare.

Each time I walked past the archway to the lounge’s main room, my gaze automatically snapped toward the tall, slightly rough-looking man behind the bar.

He had to be at least six foot two. Those hulking shoulders had not been sculpted by pouring beer and shaking cocktails. I couldn’t help wondering what had created that incredible physique .

Yet it wasn’t his gorgeous appearance that really pulled me in. There was something about the way he leaned close to really listen to me. Something about the way he caught my eye to sense exactly what I was thinking.

It was the spark .

I’d never sparked with anyone before, and the whole situation made me feel a little uneasy. It wasn’t supposed to happen yet. I hadn’t finished making my list of what I truly wanted. I hadn’t thought everything through yet. It was just a little too soon for me to even consider having dinner with a strange man.

The next time I passed by the archway, Kellan’s eyes met mine as he raised his hand in a friendly wave.

A mature, sensible woman would have gone to the bar to speak with him again. Instead, I fled out the back door when a couple of women were sneaking out for a cigarette.

The second I got home, I turned on some quiet music in my apartment and flopped across the couch with my new notebook.

The list of what I wanted in a man was only partially finished, but it was a start.

– Real boyfriend material, with husband potential.

– Owns his own business or has a career. Must have some direction in life. Not necessarily rich, but stable.

– Outgoing. A go-getter who takes care of things.

– Must really listen to me. Concerned for my well-being. Not selfish.

– Respects me, cares for me.

– Communicates clearly and openly.

– Interesting and well-read. Diverse topics of conversation.

– Observant. Sees small details.

– Hopefully a little older, tall, and handsome. Sort of a tough guy on the outside, but he’s always sweet with me.

– Calls me ‘sweetheart’, or something more charming than ‘baby’.

– The spark?

My fingers trembled slightly as I realized that Kellan already hit most of the points on the list. I hadn’t written down my preference for not meeting a man in a bar, so maybe that didn’t count. Also, the back of my left hand still felt strange every time I thought about him touching me. Did that mean anything?