The blonde he was with was exactly his type, the kind of woman she’d seen him parading around for years, while Natalie sat there, boring date and new dress, round two. This was just not fair. And for whatever reason, just seeing East annoyed her.
Because he looked good. Didn’t even have to try. Jeans, black belt, and T-shirt. That’s it, and he was hot. The man didn’t even shave! He had at least three days’ worth of stubble. Just like the other night. Only the other night his accessories had been a brown leather belt and Stetson. Not that she was hung up on details.
The man still looked fine.
So. Not. Fair.
The woman was at least five ten with a skintight red dress that showed off her boob job.
Natalie glanced down at herself. She’d gotten over the fact a long time ago that she wasn’t the tallest or the thinnest. And her dress was simple, blue, and fit her well. She wasn’t spilling out of it or anything, but the zipper in the back went all the way down and made her feel sexy. With one swipe the entire dress would part. Not that there would be any unzipping of any kind.
She glanced at the tall blonde again. Natalie just wasn’t that kind of sexy. Not like her. Not like her mother. Not like her friends.
But she wasn’t feeling sorry for herself. She was finding out what she did like. And damn it, if she had to go on a thousand boring dates to find that passion, she would. Because she knew it existed. She just couldn’t have it with the man that gave it to her. But she could find another man. Could find passion with someone else. And at the very least she’d find a date for her brother’s wedding. Because Michelle was right—why not?
“You all right?” her date asked.
Natalie snapped her attention back to him. “Yes, sorry, I was just distracted for a moment.”
Her date followed where she was looking and she watched him ogle the blonde on East’s arm. “Yes. Distracting,” he muttered.
What the hell! Even her boring date was checking out another woman right in front of her? Now she really felt like a dweeb, and this guy was definitely not a winner. But dessert was on its way, so hopefully this experience would be wrapped up soon and she could get out of there before her pride took another hit—
East’s eyes met hers.
Too late. That ego she was worried about? Suddenly felt safe. And her body caught on fire.
She’d expected him to ignore her. Or scowl at her. But East took a long, long glance at her, and even though she was sitting, she could feel his gaze sweep from her mouth, to her breasts, then back up to her eyes. He was looking at her as if he found her…
Edible.
Goose bumps pricked her skin. She put her elbows on the table and threaded her fingers together. Not to push her cleavage up even more. Just relaxing…
Because East’s gaze wasn’t leaving her. Just one look and she was heating up for him. She couldn’t help but take a moment to appreciate the tall, chiseled man. When she openly gave him a once-over, silently challenging him in this little across-the-room staring contest, she caught sight of something on his arm. Right below his shirt sleeve…
Holee-crap!
She smiled when she realized that the great Easton Ambrose was wearing her marks. Her fingernails had left deep red scratches in his skin. And that had her sitting up a little taller and giving a confident raised brow in his direction. That blonde could hang off his arm all night, because last night it had been Natalie who’d rocked his world. Anyone who touched him would see those marks, and even though they wouldn’t know it had been Natalie, they’d know someone had given that cowboy the ride of his life.
If she had a mic, she’d drop it. A surge of confidence raced through her. Funny how East had a way of making her feel things she’d otherwise not experience.
But in true prick fashion, he realized she’d noticed his arms and gave a little flex. When blondie then ran her hands along his skin, rage boiled low in Natalie’s stomach. It was absolutely not jealousy! She was just irritated that he was so smug, and some woman was touching him where she had just touched him last night and…
“Prick,” she muttered.
“Did you say something?” her date asked.
She smiled and shook her head. Her whole body was heating up to strangle East—or kiss him. Because he was annoying. Why did he have to come here? Why did he have to look the way he did?
Why does he have to look at me the way he does?
The blonde was laughing, and East’s eyes snapped back to the counter in front of him, where Chloe set down a round of shots. Natalie idled through more droning conversation with boring-date guy while stealing glances at East. She watched him toss a shot back, and so did the blonde. That looked like a good way to spice up a date…get drunk.
Natalie reached for her glass of white wine and finished the considerable amount in two swallows.