Page 19 of Reckless
“You don’t like me.”
“I do.” The way he dips his chin is sure. It hedges no room for debate.
I toss back the last of my tequila, a droplet of it spilling out and landing on my lip. For a moment, the world stops when Theo’s eyes land on my mouth. On that drop of golden liquor. And when my tongue swipes out to clear it away, to end his attention, his gaze heats in a way that’s unfamiliar.
Because men don’t look at me like that.
Not the one I’m married to.
And definitely not ones like Theo.
The crash of glasses from behind the bar has all the sounds around us screeching back to life, like someone just jammed down on the play button after hitting pause.
A nervous laugh crests my lips and I glance over at the bar where the tired-looking bartender is cleaning up a mess of broken glassware.
“I like you, Winter. As a person.” Theo’s eyes are so intent on me. It’s unnerving. “Why does that make you so uncomfortable?”
“Do you always just say what you mean all out in the open like this? It’s fucking weird.” My eyes narrow. “What’s your angle?”
“I don’t have an angle. I’m just a nice guy having a drink with a likeable girl.”
Two more shots of Anejo drop between us, but neither of us glances up. I’m too busy staring at the peculiar man sitting across from me.
“You’re a manwhore. Who is younger than me. And you look likethat.” I wave a finger over him.
“And I still like you.”
“And I’m an unhappily married twenty-eight-year-old—”
Theo interrupts me with an eye roll. “Mention ourtwo-year age difference like it matters again, and I’m going to mock you mercilessly.”
I lick my lips. “Fine. I’m an unhappily marriedwomanwith an entire storage locker full of baggage. I’m just trying to make it through a residency that no one approves of.”
“I approve,” he replies, without show or flash, just saying it like it’s a fact.
“You approve of me. But you don’t like me. That makes a lot more sense.”
He grins now, taking a swig of the liquor, and my eyes drop to watch his throat work as he swallows. The tawny skin, the dark stubble, the pronounced bump of his Adam’s apple.
Who knew a man’s thyroid cartilage could attract me?
“No, Winter. I like you. Stop telling me I don’t.”
A wry laugh twists my lips as I drink and inspect the charming little bar. A sort of old-world Victoria allure graces the space. A perfect fit for the elegant boutique hotel.
“I’m not likeable, Theo. People don’tlikeme. Not really.” I hold up a finger and give him a wide-eyed look, signaling that now is not the time for him to barge in with his tongue-wagging nice-guy act. “People respect me because I’m smart. Or because I’m accomplished. But they don’tlikeme.”
The man across from me stares. I can see him turning my words over in his head. It tilts back and forth as though he is considering everything I’ve just said.
“I think I like you because you are a heart-stopping, jaw-dropping type of beautiful.”
My face reveals nothing. No one has ever complimented my looks over my brains and I... I don’t even know what to make of it.
“Are you fucking with me?” I blurt.
“Nah.” He leans back in his stool, biceps bulging in a distracting way as his eyes peruse me with appreciation. “I definitely like you because you’re hot. And because you enunciate your swear words so clearly. Did you know that people who curse are more honest and trustworthy than people who don’t?”
My jaw unhinges and then I feel it. It’s foreign, but there’s no stopping me. I drop my head onto my crossed arms on the table and burst out laughing. The laughter hurts my throat as I try to silence it. It leaks from my eyes no matter how hard I try to keep it in. It shakes my shoulders as it overtakes me.
