Page 68 of Beautiful Distraction

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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

I wait until I think the restroom’s cleared before leavingthe sanctuary that’s my stall and returning to the bar area.

Kellan and Mandy are sitting at a table, engaged in smalltalk with a guy who’s obviously very much interested in what Mandy has to say.

As soon as Mandy sees me, she waves at me. “She’s back.” Sheturns to the guy next to her. “This is Ava. Ava, this is Josh.” Mandy leansinto me and yells in my ear a little louder than is necessary, “He’s a friendof Kellan’s.”

Of course he is. He even looks the part: all tall andmuscular, with blue eyes the color of mountain rivers and sandy hair that,coupled with his tanned skin, gives him the same bad boy appearance Kellan hasabout him.

I can see they’re related somehow before Josh speaks up toset things straight. “We’re cousins, actually. Our dads were brothers.”

Ah.

I nod and shoot him a hesitant smile, deliberately ignoringKellan’s heated stare. His fingers brush my leg beneath the table and I pullaway, crossing my legs to make it harder for him to reach them.

The guy says, like we already know each other, “Let’s getthe lady a drink.”

Mandy laughs, and like on cue, a woman in her early forties,wearing an infectious smile and the lowest cut top I’ve ever seen, approachesour table with a tray full of shots and slices of lime.

We don’t do shots...ever. And for a very good reason. Lasttime we did, bad things happened.

Someone wants to get us drunk, or why else would you ply awoman with tequila? And I have a pretty good idea who’s behind this grand plan.

I peer at Mandy, who just shrugs her shoulders at me andtakes a glass.

“No, thank you.” I shake my head at the waitress and steal aglance at Kellan, who’s downright staring at me.

“Wine? Beer?” the other guy asks. He’s basically giving usoptions, so the shots weren’t his doing.

“You need to loosen up a bit,” Kellan says. “Live a little.”

“Are you calling me uptight?” I laugh. “Oh, wait. You didalready.”

Given that I have so little self-control over myself evenwhen sober, I shouldn’t be drinking more than I’ve already had, but the peerpressure is too much. Besides, this is a bar. No one’s having soda, unless it’sto accompany the scotch.

“Can we have another round, please?” Mandy says to thewaitress. I watch her snake her way through the crowded space.

The music in the background’s getting louder.

“So you both grew up here,” Mandy says, her voice way toochirpy, her tone way too flirty.

She’s found her very own Kellan, and now she’s ready tocharm her way into his bed. Or he into hers. Judging from his hungry eyes andthe way his gaze seems to keep brushing her cleavage, it won’t take long beforehis hands will be all over her.

Just like Kellan’s were on me a few seconds ago.

Classy.

I turn away, angry with myself for not leaving at once, asthe conversation continues without me.

“We grew up together. Always got ourselves into trouble overthis and that,” Josh says to Mandy. “It was usually his fault though. The guyalways knew how to attract it.”

“Like you were a saint,” Kellan says.

“The way I remember it, I actually was…until you camealong.” Josh’s tone is light, jokey. “You compromised me. You compromised allof us.”

Kellan laughs, the sound sending jolts of pleasure throughme. His voice is so deep and raw, so sexy, I can’t help but steal anotherglance at him. As though he can feel it, his sinning eyes turn to me, and ourgazes meet. My heart jumps into my throat, and a soft tingle erupts between mylegs.

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