Page 19 of Siren's Salvation

I blink, tearing my gaze away to focus on my sister behind the bar. "What?"

Stiletto rolls her eyes. "Never mind. You're clearly distracted by tall, dark, and tattooed over there."

I protest weakly. "I am not."

"Uh-huh. And I'm the Virgin Mary." She snorts, grabbing a rag to wipe down the bar. "You've been eye-fucking him since he walked in."

I feel my cheeks heat. "Have not."

"Yes, you have. Not that I blame you—the man is fine as hell, and if I was single I might climb up that tree." Stiletto's gaze drifts appreciatively to where Shiver is laughing with some of the other guys. "Those arms alone..." She lets out a low whistle.

"Stop it," I hiss, glancing around to make sure no one overheard. "You're practically hitched, remember?"

She shrugs. "Doesn't mean I can't window shop. Besides, I'm not the one he's interested in."

My stomach does a little flip. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh please. He hasn't taken his eyes off you all night. Well, one part of you in particular." She makes a crude gesture indicating my backside.

I smack her arm. "Shut the fuck up."

"What? It's true. Can't say I blame him—you've got quite the dump truck back there, sis."

"I'm leaving," I announce, pushing away from the bar. "You're impossible."

Stiletto's laughter follows me as I weave through the crowd.

I need some air, need to put some distance between myself and temptation personified.

But apparently, the universe has other plans, because I nearly collide with a solid wall of muscle as I round the corner.

"Whoa there, darlin'." Large hands grip my shoulders, steadying me. "Where's the fire?"

I look up—and up—into Shiver's steel gray eyes, amusement dancing in their depths.

This close, I can see flecks of blue and green in the irises.

They’re mesmerizing.

"Cat got your tongue?" he drawls, one corner of his mouth lifting in that infuriatingly sexy smirk.

I realize I've been staring silently like an idiot.

Clearing my throat, I take a step back. "Sorry. Wasn't watching where I was going."

"No need to apologize. I'm certainly not complaining about having a beautiful woman throw herself at me."

I roll my eyes. "I did not throw myself at you."

"Keep telling yourself that, sweetheart." His gaze roams over me slowly, like a physical caress. "Though I gotta say, if you did decide to throw yourself at me, I'd catch you with open arms."

The heat in his eyes makes my breath catch.

I need to shut this down before I do something stupid.

"Does that line actually work on women?" I ask, injecting as much disdain into my voice as I can muster.

He laughs, a rich, deep sound that vibrates through me. "You'd be surprised. Though something tells me you're not the type to fall for cheap lines."

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