Page 10 of Apple Martinis

“That’s true.” I murmur, turning to look out over the crowd.

“Are you here on vacation?” He asks, capturing my attention once again.

“Yes. I’m here for two weeks. I have some friends coming down at the end of next week. Supposed to be a girls trip.”

“A girls trip that you wanted to come down early for? Alone?” His brows raise.

Before I can answer, someone walks up placing an order for several drinks. I watch him as he works. His movements smooth as he prepares each drink, the muscles of his arms rippling with each shake of the tumbler.

I find myself fascinated with the tattoo on his arm that goes from his wrist up and under the sleeve of his shirt.

The man is definitely sexy as all hell and I can’t blame a single woman for trying their shot with him.

“Do you do that often?” I was so distracted it takes me a moment to realize that he’s talking to me again. His accent is something that I can’t quite pinpoint.

Looking around, I see the customer has already left with his order of drinks and those magnificent dark eyes of the bartender are boring into my own.

“Do what often?” I finally ask.

He leans closer, almost across the bar. “Bite that beautiful lip of yours.”

His eyes zero in on my mouth just as I realize that I’m biting it yet again. Letting go, I lick my now dry lips and I see the muscles in his arms ripple as his knuckles go white on top of the bar.

“It’s Rome, by the way.”

“What’s Rome?” I ask, confused in more ways than one. I’m still wearing my bathing suit with a see through pull over but feel more naked than ever.

“My name. What’s yours?” He answers, leaning away once again and I feel as though I was holding my breath.

“Piper.” I finish off my drink in one gulp suddenly very thirsty.

We continue to talk as the evening passes and at one point, I begin to feel a little chilled. He disappears for a few moments before bringing me a jacket to put on.

I can tell that it’s definitely his as his cologne I smelled when he got close is the same as what’s on the jacket.

It surrounds my senses and I begin to feel a need that I’ve not felt in a very long time. He doesn’t get as close to me as he did earlier when I was biting my lip unconsciously but it’s made me very aware of the fact that I do it often when looking at him.

I’ve had a few more drinks when I decide that it would probably be best if I switch to something without alcohol.

My head is already swimming with the thoughts of the pounding it’ll be doing in the morning. Before I can ask Rome for something else, he sets a coke in front of me.

“Figured you were ready for that. If not, I can get you another Martini.” He asks so sweetly, I know he wasn’t trying to be a dictator and tell me what to do.

“Yes. Thank you. My head is probably going to hate me as it is.”

“I’ll be getting off in a few minutes. Would you like to walk on the beach with me for a bit?”

His question has me biting my lip once again and I only stop once I see the look in his eyes. It’s a look that has my body responding automatically.

“Sure.” I answer before I can think it through.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He says with a grin just as a woman steps up behind the bar to take over mixing the drinks.

I finish off my coke and make my way off the veranda to the beach but still within the light of the bar so Rome can find me.

The entire time, I’m second guessing myself about agreeing to go for a walk on the beach with a man that I just met. Even serial killers were known as nice.

I’m just about to walk back to my condo when I hear his voice behind me.

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