Read Online For The Least Of These by Jennifer Davis - Free Book Online

but Skylar was definitely getting the lion’s share of her attention. A couple of the other guys in the group were trying to distract her, but she was too taken with Skylar to notice. I knew I’d be going home without her this night.
    A server came around with some champagne, and I took a glass. Although I wasn’t a champagne enthusiast, I knew from the first taste that this was “the good stuff”. I also knew that I couldn’t drink another sip. It tasted awful. I looked around for a table to leave it on, and spotted one on the other side of the room. I made a beeline to the table and very deftly deposited the almost full glass on it. I started to slip away before anyone took note, but I suddenly felt a cold hand on my bare shoulder. I swallowed hard. Surely I wasn’t going to get tossed out for leaving a glass of champagne unfinished? The grip on my shoulder tightened, and I turned to see who was trying to slow me down.
    I stifled a gasp in my throat as my eyes came level with his. I was shocked to see him standing here before me. His russet colored hair was a little tidier and his mustache slightly tamer than I remembered, and now he was wearing a sexy trace of beard stubble on his face. He had spruced up considerably for the party, trading in his yellow shirt, gray slacks, and flip-flops for a red knit muscle shirt, black Dockers, and black distressed leather boots. I noticed that his eyes were the color of a ripened honey dew melon, and that he was much handsome r than I had thought the previous evening. I stared back at him, and if I hadn’t so vividly remembered his rude behavior at the Rest Inn, I could have lost myself in his rugged good looks. Instead, I said with a trace of hostility, “Excuse me, but you have your hand on my shoulder…”
    He clearly didn’t recognize me. When he opened his mouth to speak, I noted the smell of beer on his breath, but he didn’t seem to be drunk. He said, “You shouldn’t leave your champagne sitting on the table like that. Someone will either spill it or drink it…”
    He was holding the contemptible beverage out towards me. His other hand had started warming up on my shoulder. If this were anyone else, I might start thinking it belonged there. Instead, it was beginning to feel like a hot iron and I wanted to push it away. I didn’t want to cause a ruckus, so I left his burning hand where it was. For tonight, he was actually conducting himself like a human. Well, a subhuman at least.
    “Um,” I sought for a good excuse and, lacking one, I blurted out, “I was about to go to the ladies’ room, and I had to put it down somewhere. I’m sure it will be okay for just a little while. But it was kind of you to be so concerned.” I quickly added, “I need to powder my nose.” I couldn’t believe I’d actually said that.
    He smiled. He needed to visit the dentist, but I tried to be generous in my appraisal of him. Not everyone can afford top-notch dental care. With a chuckle, he said, “You don’t like the champagne, do you? I understand, really. I don’t like it either. Too much money gets spent on this sort of thing when most of us would rather drink beer.” He sat the champagne back on the table. “Let’s get you something else to drink. Or do you really need to ‘powder your nose’?”
    I forced a smile and wanted to kick myself for having used that stupid cliché. “No. That was just an excuse. I would like something else to drink.” Maybe if I had six or seven, I could forget what a pervert he was.
    He walked beside me to the bar. His hand had moved down to my waist. I felt extremely uncomfortable even though he wasn’t holding me in an intimate way. I suppressed the retching sensation in my throat and allowed the deviant to lead me along. His grip loosened when we reached the bar, and I pulled away from him. He was still close enough that I didn’t feel safe yet, but at least he was no longer touching me. He seemed unaware that I’d left his side