As the man sat down beside her, she flitted her gaze over his shoulder. She saw Ash emerging from the ocean and heading toward the bar. His eyes connected with hers. Those beautiful hazel eyes she’d made flutter closed the night before with ecstasy. The world faded into the background as he approached the bar, and she could’ve sworn he was headed for her.
Until he veered off and walked around the Cabana, leaving her with nothing but a nod to acknowledge her existence.
Another drink was put down in front of her and she struck up a conversation with the strong man next to her. He was kind enough. Didn’t try to hit on her or smooth his hand along her leg. He seemed genuinely interested in getting to know a bit about her, but she knew what his ultimate goal was. It was to fuck her, and nothing else. And she didn’t really like that.
But what she also didn’t like was watching Ash interact with Johnny at the bar.
She looked over as the man talked her ear off and watched the two of them talk to themselves. Ash was so casually cool. Hip and with it. Him and Johnny were two peas in a pod. Sleek and suave to their core. Maybe that was why he’d left. Maybe she wasn’t cool enough for him.
Well, that was bullshit.
She could be cool.
She could be hip.
She could be with it.
Kallie turned her attention back to the guy in front of her and slowly sipped on her drink. She listened to his life story and how he was on leave from the military. Just gotten back from deployment and was looking to unwind before transitioning back into life in the States. He really was an intriguing guy and Kallie enjoyed talking with him.
But she couldn't help but catch a glance at Ash every now and again.
Was he looking at her? Was he jealous? Was he studying her the way she was studying him? She saw him laughing with Johnny while leaning against the counter, so she decided to up her game.
She decided to start laughing at the man’s lame jokes.
She giggled and smoothed her hand along his arm. She finished off her drink and held her hand up coolly to Johnny when he tried to get her another one. Rhett had her full attention, or so he thought. She could tell he thought he’d hit the jackpot with her. His body was turned toward hers. His eyes were lit up with excitement. He laughed along with her at his lame jokes and his hand fell to her knee. She crossed her legs and straightened her back, trying to ooze as much confidence as he could.
Kallie would show him exactly what he left last night.
His loss was another man’s gain.
And she was going to rub it in his face.
Chapter 13
Ash
Ash was doing his best to ignore Kallie, but it wasn’t working. As he talked with Johnny, he tried to listen to the conversation she was having with the guy at the bar. His idiotic jokes were insane, and he couldn't believe Kallie was laughing at them. He knew Kallie. He knew she wouldn't find something like that funny.
Well, he didn’t really know her. But he felt like he did.
“Earth to Ash, you there?” Johnny asked.
“Yeah, yeah. Sorry. What were you saying?” he asked.
“I was asking you if it was true that you beat up some guy at the club. Everyone’s talking about it.”
“He was grabbing on my date and he gripped her so tightly he left a bruise. So yes. I slammed his head into the doorway.”
“Oh, ho, ho! Did you bust out those martial arts moves I see you practice sometimes?”
“Not that time. All I did was grab his wrist and use the momentum he propelled at me to run him into the wall.”
“Sounds like martial arts to me,” Johnny said with a grin. “Now, you wanna tell me why you’re staring at that girl down there?”
“What?”
“Seriously? Stop being an idiot. You’ve been staring at her for half the conversation, and every time she glances at you, you look away. You trying out some new cat-and-mouse game or something?”