Page 2 of Rescued By Love

“I've been watching you for a while,” he says, looking directly into my eyes.

He smells so good, like a heady combination of musk and mint.

“That doesn't sound stalkerish at all,” I reply dryly, staring straight ahead.

There's something about his eyes, a persistent intensity that seems to burn straight into my soul. Make me wonder if he can see through my facade.

He laughs, a genuinely warm sound that makes me look at him again.

“It's just… you look like you'd rather be anywhere else,” he says, shrugging lightly. “That makes you stand out, kinda.”

“I don't suppose that's a compliment?”

“Maybe it is,” he replies, then gestures at my empty shot glass. “Can I buy you another drink?”

I search his face silently, contemplating his request while trying to figure out his intentions. His expression is unreadable despite the pleasant smile on his handsome face, and I wonder if it's wise to engage him further.

What are the alternatives, though? Moping over another glass or going home to drown in the voices in my head?

"Sure," I reply finally, holding up my glass. "Something that doesn't make me want to puke, please."

He flashes me a quick smile before gesturing to the pretty bartender. “Hey, Anne! Two sex on the beach, please!”

“Yes, boss,” Anne says with a fond smile, turning to grab a bottle of vodka from the shelf behind her.

“How's it going?” he asks her.

Anne shrugs, her hands working rapidly as she mixes a series of drinks. "Full house, as you can see. My legs are killing me, but I wouldn't have it any other way." She winks, her smile growing mischievous. "The tips keep me going."

He laughs, a deep, boisterous sound that stirs a strange warmth in my chest. “I'll be sure to leave a huge one,” he says as she slides our drinks over.

“Aren't you the best?” Anne says before hurrying over to attend to some other customer.

"Here you go," he says, handing a glass of the colorful drink to me.

"Thank you," I say with a small smile. I take a sip from the drink and hum lightly in appreciation. "You must be a regular here."

“I guess you can say that,” he says, shrugging. “I own the place.”

I cough, almost choking on my drink. He said it so casually that one would think it was a joke. So I search his face for any indication that he was, indeed, joking, but there's none. Suddenly, it dawns on me that this seemingly ordinary man sitting beside me is nothing but ordinary.

Here's an incredibly handsome, possibly powerful man cloaked in mystery, beyond my reach in the real world but with whom I can be anyone. Anyone in the world. Just for tonight.

“What's your name?” he asks, searching my eyes as if he'll find some clue in them.

I lean forward slowly until our faces are just an inch apart. "What do you want it to be?"

Something flares in his eyes. Surprise, then an intensity that has my stomach tied up in knots. My heart starts to beat harder, a vein pulsing intensely in my neck.

“Really?” he drawls, his gaze dropping to my breasts, lingering boldly in a way that makes my nipples tingle with pleasure. He returns his gaze to mine, and I feel my breath catch in my throat. His striking green eyes have gone dark with desire, a raw, staggering lust that has me running hot and cold all at once.

What the hell is wrong with me?

“I'll call you Red,” he says finally, a corner of his mouth tilting up in a slow smile.

I sit back, flashing him what I hope is a confident smile. “Red it is, then. And you are?”

“Derek. Derek Sawyer.”

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