Page 5 of Along Came Amor
Ava stared at him, aghast, and darted a look at the bartender. Luz was helping someone else down at the other end and paying this attractive stranger no mind.
“You can’t just go behind the bar,” Ava hissed at him.
Across from her, he leaned his forearms on the polished wood surface. “Why not?”
This man was handsome, but clearly lacking in common sense. Still, instead of walking away, she found herself answering his rhetorical question. “It’s not allowed.”
“Says who?”
She sputtered, trying to think of a response. “The law.”
“What law?”
“I don’t know, but I’m sure this violates the hotel’s liquor license, at the very least.”
His smile became conspiratorial. “I appreciate the concern, but I think they’ll make an exception.”
She got the distinct impression that she was walking into a trap. “And why’s that?”
“Because I’m the owner. Roman Vázquez.” He nodded to her purse. “Look me up before you have me arrested for impersonating a bartender.”
Some part of her still felt like he was fucking around, but his self-assured expression had her pulling out her phone. She typed the name he’d given her into the search bar.
And there he was.
Roman Alejandro Vázquez, CEO of VQZ Ltd.
Ava did a quick scan of the results. First, a list of Dulce Hotel locations around the country, then a recentForbesarticle about a real estate acquisition in Japan. Ava tried not to look at the headlines speculating his net worth, but it was impossible to miss the wordmillionat the end. She zoomed in on a picture of him in a hotel lobby very much like this one, where he posed casually with one hand in his pants pocket, then she glanced atthe man leaning against the bar. Same broad shoulders, same easy smile, same dreamy brown eyes.
What the photo did not capture was the way his brow quirked with amusement, his playful tone of voice, or the simmering heat in her chest caused by his equally obvious perusal of her.
“Well,” she said through a throat suddenly gone dry. “That’s you, all right.”
“That’s me.” Roman’s gaze flickered over her face. “And you are?”
Now that she knew he wasn’t some overentitled asshole with no sense of propriety, she stuck her hand out for him to shake. “Ava. I’m here for the education conference.”
“Nice to meet you, Ava.” He reached across the bar to shake her hand. His grip was firm and dry, but warm. The lobby was well air-conditioned, and her imagination supplied a flash of those warm hands running down her cool arms. She fought off a shiver, then chided herself. Instead of picturing where else this stranger could touch her with those warm hands, she should’ve brought a sweater.
“Cold?” Mischief glinted in his eyes.
Ava’s cheeks warmed. Was heflirtingwith her? She was saved from having to reply when the actual bartender hurried over.
“Do you need help with anything, Mr. Vázquez?”
He gave Luz a pleasant smile. “I’m good. Just getting back to my roots.”
Once Luz left to help another guest, Roman picked up the shaker and gave it a spin before setting it down on the bar.
Ava raised her eyebrows. “Are you trying to impress me?”
The look he gave her could melt a popsicle in winter. “Is it working?”
Holy shit, hewasflirting with her. She couldn’t stop the smile that tugged at her lips. “A little.”
“Only a little? I better step up my game.” He grabbed a dark blue glass bottle out of the fridge behind the bar and rolled it down his arm to land in front of her. “Start with this.”
Ava lifted it to look at the label. “What is it?”
