me were just gettin ’ to know each other a bit better. He’s gone to the little cowpoke’s room and I thought I’d come and check up on my girl here.”
For the first time ever, I’m happy Luanne has such horrible taste in men. It’s given me the perfect excuse to get away from Sam James, his leather jacket, and his inescapable charm.
Seizing the opportunity, I say, “Actually, Lu, I think I’d like to leave. I don’t relish Dawg spying on me all night. Would you mind if we got out of here?”
Luanne heaves an exasperated sigh. “Well, I got you outta the house for a whole hour tonight. I guess we can call it a win,” she says, spinning on her heels to face the exit. “Now come on before I change my mind and recruit Sam here to show you a good time.”
Sam smiles at Luanne and raises an eyebrow suggestively at me. That’s my cue. I slide off the stool as Luanne saunters toward the doorman, her booty shaking to the beat of the drum.
“Bye,” I say, daring to look up at him again.
Sam straightens and takes a step away from the bar. His quiet scrutiny makes me nervous. I lift my hand to push my hair back behind my ear, but he beats me to it. His hand is gentle and warm as he tucks away the loose strands, allowing his fingers to graze softly against my neck. His hazel eyes have trapped me, and suddenly everything around us has disappeared. I can’t hear the loud music anymore, can’t see another soul in the bar. All I see is my lust being reflected back at me. I open my mouth to speak, but words won’t come. It’s like the air has been sucked from the room and I can’t breathe.
“Be careful, Ellie.”
“I’m trying to be,” I say, my explanation coming out like a plea.
Sam bites his lower lip, uttering a thoughtful noise before dropping his hand. I drag in a trembling breath and turn my head away from him, shaking his effect from me. Sam turns back to the bar and takes up my vacated stool. I walk away from him on trembling legs, brushing past the fat doorman as I flee.
Once outside I take a gulp of cool night air and spot Luanne chatting up some seedy looking bikers. I made the right decision. Sam James ticks every box on my ‘Cons’ list and I won’t repeat my past mistakes. That he wants me is clear; it’s the what-for that concerns me. My alarm bells are stubbornly silent, but my brain’s telling me he’s no good. Now I just need my body to believe it.
Chapter 5
“First new voice message.”
“Eleanor Susan O’Keefe, this is your mother calling. Call me back the instant you get this message, missy. I have some very important news to share and you’re ruining the excitement.”
Oh no, I completely forgot to call my mom back. Ignoring her only means that the conversation will be longer and with a lot more ‘I told you so’s .’ It’s not that I don’t enjoy talking to my mom, I do, but she’s always been the one to warn and lecture me about men, and I really don’t need her to remind me that men are scum right now. Tim’s already taken care of that for me. I press the number 7 on my keypad, deleting her message.
“Message deleted. Second new voice message.”
“Ellie, it’s me. Listen, we need to talk. I know I messed things up but if you’ll just hear me out, I think we can work through this. Call me back when you get this message. I miss you, babe.”
I stare blindly at the phone in my hand. He misses me, babe? He misses me, babe! Two weeks without a peep from him and now he wants to talk? I press the keypad violently this time, deleting his message, and trying to stamp down the lump growing in my throat. I caught him making couch-coitus with ‘Suzy Botox,’ so why does my heart still flutter at the sound of his voice? I shove the phone back into my purse and make my way to the front of the Bath Shop.
It’s been a slow workday; we’ve only had a handful of customers and they’ve mostly been old ladies stocking up on rose powders and fancy talc. Amber’s
For the first time ever, I’m happy Luanne has such horrible taste in men. It’s given me the perfect excuse to get away from Sam James, his leather jacket, and his inescapable charm.
Seizing the opportunity, I say, “Actually, Lu, I think I’d like to leave. I don’t relish Dawg spying on me all night. Would you mind if we got out of here?”
Luanne heaves an exasperated sigh. “Well, I got you outta the house for a whole hour tonight. I guess we can call it a win,” she says, spinning on her heels to face the exit. “Now come on before I change my mind and recruit Sam here to show you a good time.”
Sam smiles at Luanne and raises an eyebrow suggestively at me. That’s my cue. I slide off the stool as Luanne saunters toward the doorman, her booty shaking to the beat of the drum.
“Bye,” I say, daring to look up at him again.
Sam straightens and takes a step away from the bar. His quiet scrutiny makes me nervous. I lift my hand to push my hair back behind my ear, but he beats me to it. His hand is gentle and warm as he tucks away the loose strands, allowing his fingers to graze softly against my neck. His hazel eyes have trapped me, and suddenly everything around us has disappeared. I can’t hear the loud music anymore, can’t see another soul in the bar. All I see is my lust being reflected back at me. I open my mouth to speak, but words won’t come. It’s like the air has been sucked from the room and I can’t breathe.
“Be careful, Ellie.”
“I’m trying to be,” I say, my explanation coming out like a plea.
Sam bites his lower lip, uttering a thoughtful noise before dropping his hand. I drag in a trembling breath and turn my head away from him, shaking his effect from me. Sam turns back to the bar and takes up my vacated stool. I walk away from him on trembling legs, brushing past the fat doorman as I flee.
Once outside I take a gulp of cool night air and spot Luanne chatting up some seedy looking bikers. I made the right decision. Sam James ticks every box on my ‘Cons’ list and I won’t repeat my past mistakes. That he wants me is clear; it’s the what-for that concerns me. My alarm bells are stubbornly silent, but my brain’s telling me he’s no good. Now I just need my body to believe it.
Chapter 5
“First new voice message.”
“Eleanor Susan O’Keefe, this is your mother calling. Call me back the instant you get this message, missy. I have some very important news to share and you’re ruining the excitement.”
Oh no, I completely forgot to call my mom back. Ignoring her only means that the conversation will be longer and with a lot more ‘I told you so’s .’ It’s not that I don’t enjoy talking to my mom, I do, but she’s always been the one to warn and lecture me about men, and I really don’t need her to remind me that men are scum right now. Tim’s already taken care of that for me. I press the number 7 on my keypad, deleting her message.
“Message deleted. Second new voice message.”
“Ellie, it’s me. Listen, we need to talk. I know I messed things up but if you’ll just hear me out, I think we can work through this. Call me back when you get this message. I miss you, babe.”
I stare blindly at the phone in my hand. He misses me, babe? He misses me, babe! Two weeks without a peep from him and now he wants to talk? I press the keypad violently this time, deleting his message, and trying to stamp down the lump growing in my throat. I caught him making couch-coitus with ‘Suzy Botox,’ so why does my heart still flutter at the sound of his voice? I shove the phone back into my purse and make my way to the front of the Bath Shop.
It’s been a slow workday; we’ve only had a handful of customers and they’ve mostly been old ladies stocking up on rose powders and fancy talc. Amber’s
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