chuckle that took me by surprise and caused me to bite down on the cherry. Flavor exploded in my mouth, catching me off guard and causing me to almost choke. Reaching up, he plucked the stem from between my lips and promptly dropped it back into my glass with such arrogant confidence that my knees begin to quiver.
He wasn’t nervous, not even a little bit, and that lone fact made me feel all the more insecure. I wasn’t good with people—even more so when it came to men.
I cleared my throat to speak and tried to smile, attempting to seem both demure and sexy. To be confident yet flirtatious. “Mila,” I managed to stammer out. Yep. So much for being confident. Or flirtatious.
He didn’t respond right away and my heartbeat began to hammer an unsteady rhythm in my chest. My palms were growing sweaty, my hair clinging to the back of my neck. Nikki had convinced me to wear my usually curly hair down and ramrod straight. No doubt my heavy eye makeup, also courtesy of Nikki, was also starting to smudge.
I looked away, down toward my feet, needing a moment to simply catch my breath. My moment was short-lived as his hand came to my chin, gently titling my face to meet his. I managed to look as high as his chest and arms, where his shirt was emphasizing a nicely toned body beneath the soft material.
“ Mila?”
I glanced up, his hand fell away, and I met his gaze with a tentative smile.
“ Yes, that’s my name,” I stammered, feeling ridiculous. “Mila.”
His smile grew, turning into a full-fledged grin, the depth of which utterly unnerved me. Unable to look at him for another second, I reached for my drink, taking another sip and realizing too late that my glass was empty—not even a drop remained. Feeling like a fool, I quickly placed the empty glass on the bar with a nervous laugh and grabbed Nikki’s remaining shot, knocking it back before I could think about what I was doing. The drink unexpectedly burned down my throat, causing me to cough and sputter as my eyes began to water.
“ Whoa there,” Will said, laughing softly. He rapped his knuckles on the bar, drawing the attention of the closest bartender. “Another manhattan for the lady,” he said, nodding toward me. “And a scotch on the rocks.” He peered down at me and frowned. “And a water,” he added with a small chuckle.
As if I wasn’t already embarrassed enough. Closing my eyes briefly, I wished the floor would open up beneath me and swallow me whole. I was no good at this, and shouldn’t have even attempted it. The next time a man approached me, I was going to politely tell him I was a lesbian and save us both the embarrassment of my social inability.
“ Mila?”
I turned to find Nikki, her hands on her hips, her lips twisted into a fierce scowl she was aiming at Will. “What happened?” she said, narrowing her eyes. “And what the hell did this creep do to you?”
* * *
Creep?
Feeling amused, William Bellamy Townsend III looked over at the tiny woman currently glaring at him and smiled. “Drink?” he offered, gesturing to the bar.
“ No, no,” Mila said quickly, her voice hoarse from her coughing fit. “He didn’t do anything, Nikki. Everything is fine.”
Instead of placating the tiny woman—er, Nikki—Mila’s explanation seemed to elicit the opposite effect, and she continued to glare at him.
“ Are you sure?” Nikki asked, her narrowed stare still fixated on Will.
He held her gaze and shrugged. “Just buying Mila a drink.”
And speaking of Mila…
What a beautiful name, and utterly suited for the woman it belonged to: Tall, slender, and toned, with a rich shade of brown hair that perfectly matched her amber skin. Full lips and a heart-shaped face accompanied a pair of greenish-gray eyes that did not match her coloring in any way, shape, or form, yet somehow worked. And worked well.
She’d caught his eye just outside the coat room where’d she looked as if she’d rather have been anywhere
He wasn’t nervous, not even a little bit, and that lone fact made me feel all the more insecure. I wasn’t good with people—even more so when it came to men.
I cleared my throat to speak and tried to smile, attempting to seem both demure and sexy. To be confident yet flirtatious. “Mila,” I managed to stammer out. Yep. So much for being confident. Or flirtatious.
He didn’t respond right away and my heartbeat began to hammer an unsteady rhythm in my chest. My palms were growing sweaty, my hair clinging to the back of my neck. Nikki had convinced me to wear my usually curly hair down and ramrod straight. No doubt my heavy eye makeup, also courtesy of Nikki, was also starting to smudge.
I looked away, down toward my feet, needing a moment to simply catch my breath. My moment was short-lived as his hand came to my chin, gently titling my face to meet his. I managed to look as high as his chest and arms, where his shirt was emphasizing a nicely toned body beneath the soft material.
“ Mila?”
I glanced up, his hand fell away, and I met his gaze with a tentative smile.
“ Yes, that’s my name,” I stammered, feeling ridiculous. “Mila.”
His smile grew, turning into a full-fledged grin, the depth of which utterly unnerved me. Unable to look at him for another second, I reached for my drink, taking another sip and realizing too late that my glass was empty—not even a drop remained. Feeling like a fool, I quickly placed the empty glass on the bar with a nervous laugh and grabbed Nikki’s remaining shot, knocking it back before I could think about what I was doing. The drink unexpectedly burned down my throat, causing me to cough and sputter as my eyes began to water.
“ Whoa there,” Will said, laughing softly. He rapped his knuckles on the bar, drawing the attention of the closest bartender. “Another manhattan for the lady,” he said, nodding toward me. “And a scotch on the rocks.” He peered down at me and frowned. “And a water,” he added with a small chuckle.
As if I wasn’t already embarrassed enough. Closing my eyes briefly, I wished the floor would open up beneath me and swallow me whole. I was no good at this, and shouldn’t have even attempted it. The next time a man approached me, I was going to politely tell him I was a lesbian and save us both the embarrassment of my social inability.
“ Mila?”
I turned to find Nikki, her hands on her hips, her lips twisted into a fierce scowl she was aiming at Will. “What happened?” she said, narrowing her eyes. “And what the hell did this creep do to you?”
* * *
Creep?
Feeling amused, William Bellamy Townsend III looked over at the tiny woman currently glaring at him and smiled. “Drink?” he offered, gesturing to the bar.
“ No, no,” Mila said quickly, her voice hoarse from her coughing fit. “He didn’t do anything, Nikki. Everything is fine.”
Instead of placating the tiny woman—er, Nikki—Mila’s explanation seemed to elicit the opposite effect, and she continued to glare at him.
“ Are you sure?” Nikki asked, her narrowed stare still fixated on Will.
He held her gaze and shrugged. “Just buying Mila a drink.”
And speaking of Mila…
What a beautiful name, and utterly suited for the woman it belonged to: Tall, slender, and toned, with a rich shade of brown hair that perfectly matched her amber skin. Full lips and a heart-shaped face accompanied a pair of greenish-gray eyes that did not match her coloring in any way, shape, or form, yet somehow worked. And worked well.
She’d caught his eye just outside the coat room where’d she looked as if she’d rather have been anywhere
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