Page 5 of Fumbling for Perfection

I respect his answer. It makes him more attractive. There are layers to Walker beyond the physical.

The DJ plays another Eminem song and I dance in my seat. “Do you want to dance?”

“I’m not big on dancing.”

“So why did you come here?”

“Cocktail Cove used to be a decent place to have a drink. Didn’t know most of the inside was now a dance club, otherwise I would have found another place to grab a drink.”

“So why did you stay?”

“I saw the most gorgeous blonde in an electric-blue dress on the dance floor and my feet refused to move. It wasn’t just her curves, it was her smile, the sway of her hips, her big chocolate eyes that had me ordering a beer and watching her legs, her hips, her face.”

I. Am. Done. My panties are officially ruined.

“Lucky her.”Stupidstupidstupid.

“She could get very lucky if she wants.”

His meaning is clear, even though I’ve never done this before. Have I been hit on by attractive guys? Sure. But never has the chemistry been so hot. Never has anyone looked at me like I’m the only woman in the room, in the world. Like he wants to eat me whole and never let me leave.

Kendall’s encouragement from earlier comes ringing back in my ears. This is what tonight was supposed to be about. Sowing my wild oats one final time. I’m not cheating on Jackson. He’s out doing the same thing. Once we enter our mutually agreed upon marriage of convenience, I won’t be able to go out and pick up a stranger at a bar.

This could be my only chance to...

I curl my bottom lip between my teeth. I can’t take things as far as I’d like, even if my future may be doomed if I don’t.

Walker surprises me again by easily transitioning from flirty to casual conversation while my blood pressure and heart rate continue to rise. He’s not pushy, not too forward. Just enough to let me know where he wants this night to go.

“What’s the wildest thing you’ve ever done, Riley?”

God, I wish I had another drink. Liquid courage and all. I go back to picking at the label on my water bottle. I want to go home with Walker. I want to feel his hands on my body. I want to get lost in all the sexual promises his eyes are giving me.

“The wildest thing I’ve ever done is...contemplate going home with this incredibly gorgeous, sexy, enigmatic guy I met at a bar.”

Walker is so close I can feel the growl in his chest. Smell his clean, earthy scent.

“Contemplate?” He dips his head so our faces are only a breath apart. “Pros and cons. Start with the cons.”

I lick my lips and he does that growling thing again. “Cons. He, uh, could be a serial killer. An ax murderer. I could end up in a million pieces in a dumpster.”

His growl turns into a chuckle. “Watch a lot of crime shows, do you?”

“No. But a girl can never be too cautious.”

“Is that the only con?”

“That’s the glaring one. Or he could hurt me. I’m tough, but I’m not into getting beaten.”

“Noted.”

Good lord. What the hell does that mean, and why doesn’t it scare me?

“Anything else?”

I tilt my head and stare at his lips, so close to mine, and shake my head.

“Pros, Riley?”

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