Page 55 of Forbidden Hearts
Before I can rise, the chair beside me slides away from the table. “Seat taken?”
I look up to see a tall man, maybe thirty, with dark brown hair and brown eyes. Potential, although the eyes are meh.
I really prefer blue.
No, I don’t. Jonathan had brown eyes, and I liked them just fine. Not that I want to think of him either.
Ugh. Focus, man here. Fresh bait.
I lean back in my seat, letting him get a better glimpse of my assets. “Nope, by all means.”
“Thanks. Haven’t seen you here before, are you new in town?”
I fight back a smile. “You could say that.”
“I could?”
“I lived here for a while and just returned.”
“Ahhh,” the man says. “You’re one of the prodigal children of Sugarloaf.”
“Now, that is probably the best descriptor I’ve heard.”
“Name?” he asks, leaning his arm on the table and shifting just a bit closer to me.
“Phoebe. You?”
“John.”
Nope. Way too close. Not even going to touch that one. I give him a smile. “It was great talking to you, John, but my friend is waving me over.”
He looks around, trying to see my fictitious friend, but I’m already walking away. I head to the bar, get a refill of my Diet Coke, and Carmen laughs. “Stay away from that one. He’s a player and leaves with a different girl every weekend.”
“I don’t care about that. It was his name that had me coming over here.”
“His name?” she asks, grabbing beer from the cooler behind her.
“Long story.”
“I’ll buy the lady a drink,” a new guy offers from my right.
He’s a little shorter than the last guy, but his eyes are beautiful blue, not aqua, but more denim.
“Thank you. I’m Phoebe.”
He clinks my glass with his beer. “Leo. Can I buy you a drink?”
“I’m the DD tonight, but I appreciate the offer.”
“Ahhh that sucks.” He chugs the remainder of his beer, and I size him up. He’s really good looking—not hot but doable, and he seems nice.
“So, Leo, what do you do?”
“This and that.”
“Wow, sounds mysterious.” The sarcasm drips, so I tack on a smile.
He laughs, the sound deep and a little awkward. “Right now, I’m working for a friend, his name is Rowan.”
