think I’m an idiot.
Chapter 2
A SH STOOD by the bar with a group of six friends. A drink coaster whipped through the air past his ear. His gaze shot to his friend Brody. Ha! Missed me. He picked up a peanut from the bar, but Jess snatched it from his hand.
“He’s mine.” She narrowed her eyes, aimed, and flicked the peanut. It connected with Brody’s forehead, ricocheted, and splashed into his glass.
Everyone laughingly yelled, “GOAL!”
Ash turned to Jess. “A little too forceful but nice shot!”
“Well, he deserves it, he’s been a real shit to you these last few months.”
“Come on, Jess, play nice. You know why.”
“Okay, okay. Be nice. Give the guy a break. Blah, blah. I know the drill.”
He smiled. He loved the way she got all snarky and protective of him.
During a break in the music, the rich, deep sound of laughter sent a shiver through his chest that snaked down to his groin. The same feeling as yesterday. James was here.
Taking another sip of his drink, he scanned the room. There! On the couch by the fire… with a woman. She was pretty. Wife? Girlfriend? Hopefully, she was just a friend.
Another deep chuckle from James sent Ash’s heart rate soaring as if he had hit the high point of a snowboard jump. That moment on a half-pipe when adrenaline is pumping so hard, you almost believe you can defy gravity and fly.
God, that smile! That smile was enough to turn anyone’s knees weak. If James had smiled like that yesterday, Ash would have been the one lying in a heap on the snow.
He followed James’s hand as James ran it through his short dark hair. The hint of gray at the temples was very nice. Tall, dark, handsome, and older—the exact definition of his “Mr. Right.”
“Ash!”
Wrenching his gaze away from James, he turned to a scowling Brody. “Sorry, what was that?”
Brody slammed his empty glass on the table. “I said, it’s your turn to buy drinks.”
“Okay.” He rubbed the back of his neck. What now? A few minutes ago, Brody had been smiling and happy. Something must have happened. Was he sulking over the peanut incident or something else?
After returning with a round of drinks, he attempted to rejoin the conversation, but his focus kept shifting to the man relaxing on the couch by the fire.
Jess placed her hand on his arm. “Hey, what’s going on with you tonight?”
“Sorry, just thinking about something.”
“Would it happen to be the tall, sexy guy on the sofa?”
“Mmm. I met him yesterday.”
“And?”
“He’s… nice.”
“Nice? That’s it?”
A smile teased the edges of his lips before he took another mouthful of drink.
“Geez, you are so frustrating! Trying to get you to talk about guys is like talking to a… a monosyllable man.”
“Monosyllable man?” He raised his eyebrow.
“Oh shut up and go talk to him!”
“I was planning to.”
“Although….” She frowned. “He looks a little old. I mean, he must be at least ten years older than you.”
“And your point is?”
She laughed. “Okay, okay, I’m teasing. He’s actually pretty good looking… for an old guy.” The grin on her face was pure evil. “Hey look! That woman he’s with is going somewhere.” She pushed at his arm. “Go! Talk to him. Make your move.”
Allowing Jess to propel him away from the group, he headed toward the couches. With determined steps, he maneuvered around the bar patrons seated at round tables and passed between the two blue-felted pool tables.
His target was in sight.
And what a target! Long, jean-clad legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles, broad chest covered by a black button-down shirt, and black leather jacket. Nice. Really nice.
Their eyes met.
James’s relaxed pose disintegrated as he jerked upright on the couch. “Ash!”
“Hi, James. Can I join you?”
“Right, sure.”
He sat down, sliding his hand along the back of the couch to rest by James’s shoulder—a mere twitch away. “Are you waiting for
Chapter 2
A SH STOOD by the bar with a group of six friends. A drink coaster whipped through the air past his ear. His gaze shot to his friend Brody. Ha! Missed me. He picked up a peanut from the bar, but Jess snatched it from his hand.
“He’s mine.” She narrowed her eyes, aimed, and flicked the peanut. It connected with Brody’s forehead, ricocheted, and splashed into his glass.
Everyone laughingly yelled, “GOAL!”
Ash turned to Jess. “A little too forceful but nice shot!”
“Well, he deserves it, he’s been a real shit to you these last few months.”
“Come on, Jess, play nice. You know why.”
“Okay, okay. Be nice. Give the guy a break. Blah, blah. I know the drill.”
He smiled. He loved the way she got all snarky and protective of him.
During a break in the music, the rich, deep sound of laughter sent a shiver through his chest that snaked down to his groin. The same feeling as yesterday. James was here.
Taking another sip of his drink, he scanned the room. There! On the couch by the fire… with a woman. She was pretty. Wife? Girlfriend? Hopefully, she was just a friend.
Another deep chuckle from James sent Ash’s heart rate soaring as if he had hit the high point of a snowboard jump. That moment on a half-pipe when adrenaline is pumping so hard, you almost believe you can defy gravity and fly.
God, that smile! That smile was enough to turn anyone’s knees weak. If James had smiled like that yesterday, Ash would have been the one lying in a heap on the snow.
He followed James’s hand as James ran it through his short dark hair. The hint of gray at the temples was very nice. Tall, dark, handsome, and older—the exact definition of his “Mr. Right.”
“Ash!”
Wrenching his gaze away from James, he turned to a scowling Brody. “Sorry, what was that?”
Brody slammed his empty glass on the table. “I said, it’s your turn to buy drinks.”
“Okay.” He rubbed the back of his neck. What now? A few minutes ago, Brody had been smiling and happy. Something must have happened. Was he sulking over the peanut incident or something else?
After returning with a round of drinks, he attempted to rejoin the conversation, but his focus kept shifting to the man relaxing on the couch by the fire.
Jess placed her hand on his arm. “Hey, what’s going on with you tonight?”
“Sorry, just thinking about something.”
“Would it happen to be the tall, sexy guy on the sofa?”
“Mmm. I met him yesterday.”
“And?”
“He’s… nice.”
“Nice? That’s it?”
A smile teased the edges of his lips before he took another mouthful of drink.
“Geez, you are so frustrating! Trying to get you to talk about guys is like talking to a… a monosyllable man.”
“Monosyllable man?” He raised his eyebrow.
“Oh shut up and go talk to him!”
“I was planning to.”
“Although….” She frowned. “He looks a little old. I mean, he must be at least ten years older than you.”
“And your point is?”
She laughed. “Okay, okay, I’m teasing. He’s actually pretty good looking… for an old guy.” The grin on her face was pure evil. “Hey look! That woman he’s with is going somewhere.” She pushed at his arm. “Go! Talk to him. Make your move.”
Allowing Jess to propel him away from the group, he headed toward the couches. With determined steps, he maneuvered around the bar patrons seated at round tables and passed between the two blue-felted pool tables.
His target was in sight.
And what a target! Long, jean-clad legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles, broad chest covered by a black button-down shirt, and black leather jacket. Nice. Really nice.
Their eyes met.
James’s relaxed pose disintegrated as he jerked upright on the couch. “Ash!”
“Hi, James. Can I join you?”
“Right, sure.”
He sat down, sliding his hand along the back of the couch to rest by James’s shoulder—a mere twitch away. “Are you waiting for
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