Page 1 of Wicked & Wildflower

1

Wicked

I’m About To Start Barking

“The blonde at thepool table.” I nod toward the end of the bar. “What's she drinking?”

Emilio raises a brow at me. “Vodka soda. Why?”

“Dude, come on.” Ryan shakes his head. “She’s clearly on a date.”

“You’re right. She is on a date, and she’sclearlybored out of her mind.” My two friends follow my gaze across the room and watch as the pretty girl bites back a yawn. We catch her subtle eye roll as the man she’s with shoots the cue ball toward a pair of stripes at the center but misses tragically, knocking one of her solids into the pouch instead.

He lets out a forced laugh. “I’m a bit rusty, I guess. I used to play all the time in college, though, and I couldn’t be beat. Did I mention I went to Cornell?”

Emilio, Ryan, and myself suppress our own groans as we turn back to the bar. The two of them return to their conversation, but my eyes stay on her.

She laughs lightly, feigning interest in the stories of his college years as she misses her next hit. “I’m not very good either.”

She’s lying.

The way she kicked her hip out and bent her elbow was unnatural. She was forcing herself into a poor position. If I had to guess, I’d say she could play circles around the douchebag, but for some reason, she’s dumbing herself down. That tells me they don’t know each other well. This is their first date, perhaps even their first time meeting.

Which makes me feel significantly less guilty about the fact I’m going to steal her away.

I snap my fingers at Emilio. “Can you send her another vodka soda and put it on my tab?”

“No,” the bartender says without looking at me.

“Don’t be an asshole, Everett,” Ryan mutters.

I look back and forth between my two friends. Ryan’s rich brown hair and brown eyes stare back at me unamused, while Emilio’s dark features are narrowed at me like I’m some kind of pariah. I hold my hands up in surrender. “I’m not an asshole. I’m saving her. She looks miserable.”

Ryan scoffs behind his beer. “I’m sure that’s what it is. A selfless act that has nothing to do with how hot she is.”

I mean, of course it hasa littleto do with how hot she is.

She’s fucking stunning.

Shoulder-length blonde hair. Red manicured nails are constantly tucking her straight strands behind her ears so she can show off her pretty, pert nose and full, pink lips.

The way her dark-washed denim skirt hugs her ample hips is enough to put all the atoms in my body on alert, let alone the mile-long, smooth legs beneath it.

“Jesus, Everett. You’re like a panting dog.” Ryan laughs at me.

“I’m about to start barking.”

“Alright, I’m gonna send her over another drink, but only because I can’t wait to watch her throw it in your face,” Emilio chimes as he turns around and begins mixing it.

I let Ryan tell me about his most recent work-related chaos. As the county’s Deputy Sheriff, he’s got no shortage of crazy shit to talk about, but I’m only half listening.

I smile to myself as Emilio walks the drink over to the blonde at the pool table. Her eyes light up as she accepts it, and Emilio nods his head toward me. She fights a smile as her pretty cheeks pinken. I raise my glass and nod when her date’s head whips around, shooting daggers at me.

He puffs himself up, but that only gets him to about half my size. Balling his hands into fists, he begins to make his way toward me when she places a hand on his shoulder. She whispers in his ear as his eyes dart back and forth between her and me. Finally, he nods and steps back.

She looks at me, lifting an eyebrow as she assesses me. It’s clear she likes what she sees. Whether it’s my tattooed arms on display beneath my t-shirt, my beard, or my brown eyes that I’ve been told more than a few times are quite easy to get lost in, it’s clear the way she’s staring at me is a stark contrast to how she’s been looking at her date. Her steps are slow and calculated as she moves across the bar, a sly smile on her face.

Slipping into the seat next to me, she slides the vodka soda I bought her in front of me. Her hair sways as she sits down, and I can now tell it’s naturally a dishwater blonde, but she’s got platinum highlights that accent the dreamy shade of her storm-blue eyes. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you it’s impolite to hit on another man’s date?”

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