Heads turn toward him as he approaches, but he never stops.
I can feel my pulse pounding loudly in my ears.
Then he’s closing the final gap between us, and I suck in a breath.
“Hey,” he says, looking down at me, his green eyes lit from within by excitement. “You’re Jessica0607?”
“Yeah,” I say hoarsely, and at the sound of his voice—smooth, deep, fucking gorgeous—my panties are even damper than they were a moment ago when I first laid eyes on him. “It’s not the most creative name, but it works for the Internet.” I swallow hard. “You’re AlecToday?”
He laughs, a beautiful sound, his eyes locked on mine. Women are still eyeing him from all around the bar, but he doesn’t turn his attention away from me.
I’m not a flighty woman. Yeah, I might pick up and move more often than the average person, but I’m not the kind of girly-girl who has to fan herself whenever a hottie walks by.
Or at least I wasn’t.
“That’s me. But you can call me Alec.”
“Jessica,” I answer.
I can’t tear my eyes away from him. All of me feels ablaze, and he hasn’t even touched me yet. He just looks into my eyes, then runs his fingers through his hair. The next moment, his face breaks into a half-smile that sends pure lust rocketing down my spine, landing in the space between my legs.
Whoa, Jess, I tell myself sternly. Don’t even think about breaking the rule for this guy. You don’t even know him!
My irritating inner voice is drowned out by Alec’s deep, smooth voice.
“Well, Jessica,” he says, and for the first time I register his British accent. “Can I start by buying you a drink?”
The suggestion in his voice sweeps me away. This is where it starts…but not where it ends.
Chapter 6
Alec
Even from across the bar, she’s incredible.
The black skinny jeans hugging the curve of her ass, the kitten heels giving her just a little extra height, the lacy black halter top that gives me a goddamn amazing view of the curve of her shoulders and arc to her collarbone—the ensemble works for her like you wouldn’t believe.
Her body is perfection, lithe with delicate curves, and her face knocks me out: big expressive blue eyes that track my every motion as I navigate the crowd, full lips that part slightly when she notices me watching her as closely as she’s watching me.
But what I see is nothing compared to what I feel standing a foot and a half away from her, leaning in close to be heard over the din of the bar.
Assured confidence radiates off of her, but there’s a hint of uncertainty there, too, that I find absolutely irresistible.
The only thing that saves me from turning into a quivering mess of nerves in front of her is the years and years of practice I’ve had in the public eye. I silently thank my asshole father for insisting that we get lots of experience in front of crowds, because my heart is racing a million miles an hour just looking at her, but I don’t let my anxiety show on my face.
“Hey,” I say, looking down into her wide eyes. Standing this close, I can see that they’re a startling shade of blue, a rich blue that reminds me of deep water. “You’re Jessica0607?” Her username on the dating app was startlingly innocuous for the most gorgeous woman on the planet.
“Yeah,” she answers, an easy smile forming on her face. “It’s not the most creative name, but it works for the Internet.” She swallows and then bites at her lower lip before continuing, leaning toward me so that she can speak into my ear. “You’re AlecToday?”
It’s not until it comes out of her mouth that I realize what a goddamn stupid username it is, but what else can I do but play it cool? I laugh like it doesn’t matter, because in the face of this incredible beauty, almost nothing else does.
“That’s me. But you can call me Alec.”
“Jessica.”
Her eyes are locked on mine. There’s a slight hitch in her breath. Exhilaration zings through my entire body, from my spine to my fingertips, and I know instantly that there’s something different about her.
Whether that’s good or bad remains to be seen.
For now, I have to get to know her a little more.
Maybe a lot more.
“Well, Jessica,” I say, and her lips quirk in a smile like she’s hearing me speak for the first time. “Can I start by buying you a drink?”
“Start?” she says, a sly grin lighting up her face. “You can start with that. But I hope our night ends with something a little more exciting.”
My breath catches in my throat, and my cock jumps to attention, just from the way the word “exciting” rolls off her tongue.