Page 13 of Body Shot

I lift my gaze back to him and give a slow blink. “You’re making fun of me, aren’t you?”

He frowns. “What? Are you kidding? Of course not.”

I smile wryly. I totally know he’s making fun of me. Like so many people do. “Right. I saw you flirting with every woman here.”

A notch appears between his eyebrows. “I wasn’t flirting. I was just being friendly. It’s usually a good idea to be friendly to customers.”

“So telling me I’m hot is just being friendly?”

His slow smile has heat pooling low inside me again. “No. I was definitely flirting with you.”

I gaze back at him. “I’m not the kind of girl men usually flirt with.”

He leans in again. “You had me at diamonds raining on Jupiter. Not just gorgeous, but smart too.”

In my experience, men don’t find my intelligence sexy. In fact, it’s usually the opposite. But I’ve always scorned the girls who act dumb just to attract boys, and swore I’d never do that. I have a hard time believing this gorgeous man is seriously attracted to me. Maybe he’s after a big tip. Surely bartenders earn bigger tips the more they flirt.

But he seems sincere. And even though I’m a scientist and only believe in proven facts, I have to admit there are sparks flashing between us. I like my world orderly and intellectual, not physical, but right now my body isn’t cooperating with that. Something pulls me toward him . . . attraction. Electric currents and the magnetic moments of elementary particles giving rise to a magnetic field . . . oh hell.

Maybe it’s more explainable in terms of biology—dopamine, norepinephrine, which is increasing my heart rate, and serotonin, all combining to make me feel high and energized.

“What is going on in that pretty head of yours?” Beck murmurs, his gaze moving over my face.

“You don’t want to know.”

“If it involves thoughts about licking tequila off my naked body, then hell yeah I want to know.”

I laugh. “Yeah, that was it.”

He closes his eyes briefly. “Okay, maybe Ididn’twant to know that.”

I finish the tequila he gave me and set the empty glass down. Beck drops his gaze to it. “You want to taste something really special?”

Never in my life have I been someone with a dirty mind, but at that moment, my thoughts go straight to the gutter. My lips part.

Beck chokes on a laugh and swipes a hand over his face. “Jesus, woman, you’re killing me. I was serious.”

“Okay, then. Sure.”

Beck steps back from the bar and moves toward the end, beckoning me to follow. I slide off my stool, lean in and say to Carrie, “Be right back.”

“Sure.” Carrie flashes a distracted smile, deep in conversation with the two guys seated next to her.

I join Beck at the end of the bar. He reaches for my hand as I approach him and tugs me through a door that leads to a dim hall. My heart bangs against my sternum. What the hell am I doing, going somewhere with a strange man?

A super sexy and smart strange man.

I follow along as he holds my hand and leads me past the bathrooms, past a door with a window—through which I catch a glimpse of the kitchen—and into an office. He flicks on the light and closes the door behind us.

“This is where we keep the good stuff.” He moves to an oak cabinet in the corner, opens it, and pulls out a bottle, holding it reverently. “Don Alvaro Extra Añejo.”

I smile.

“This beauty is aged for six years in white American oak barrels. It’s sustainably produced, organically grown and made with no preservatives. On the nose, there are notes of herbs, cinnamon and spices. In the mouth, it’s sweet yet spicy, with a fruity finish.” He displays the bottle. “This is the perfect companion to a steak dinner.”

“As opposed to a nice Cabernet.”

He grins. “Cab’s good too. But this is special.” He reaches for two glasses, similar to the ones we used in the tasting, and pours a small amount into each glass.

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