Her dark auburn hair was pulled back from her face, caught at the back of her neck in a low ponytail, exposing high cheekbones and full lips. It was her smile that caused my cock to twitch. A radiant smile that lit up a freckled face that was more interesting than classically beautiful, but I realized I was drawn to her more than any of her more glamorous friends.
As her friends gathered her closer to their table, the blonde pulled her in for a tight hug. The redhead tossed her huge leather bag on the back of her chair and turned to hug another friend, giving me a good glimpse of her ass. It was perfect beneath the denim.
And I was fucking staring.
And I couldn’t stop.
Still smiling, her tall friend said something to her, and she glanced around the bar, taking in the band. Then she turned and seemed to be considering the type of beer she wanted.
See me, I willed her in my mind, needing to see her eyes.
At first, her eyes swept past me, then snapped back to my face an instant later. My balls drew closer to my body as she swallowed hard. Time slowed as we stared at one another, and a low heat began building in my chest. Blue eyes, I thought, although I couldn’t be exactly sure in the dim light above her table that cast a shadow over her face. I desperately wanted to find out if I was right.
Lifting my glass in a silent toast, I smiled when she looked over her shoulder, checking behind her, no doubt wondering if I was looking at someone else.
It’s you. Only you.
She licked her lips as her eyes met mine again, confusion clouding her pretty features. Her friends regained her attention when they all jumped to their feet as the band transitioned to a cover of… what the hell? Get Lucky? Yes, that was the song. Pharrell and Daft Punk would be proud.
I wasn’t the only man in the room eyeing the five women on the dance floor, but my eyes didn’t leave the riot of dark auburn curls swinging in contrast to her white shirt. They were having fun, and my mood lightened even more as I watched her laugh, the total joy expressed in her every movement. There was nothing seductive about her, but my cock was paying attention. Not just in response to her generous ass swaying side to side. She was so much more than that.
She turned, and her eyes lifted to mine, then widened slightly to find me still watching her. Then she smiled. Just at me. For me.
The exhaustion faded away. The tension. Everything.
I stood and headed in her direction as she mouthed the words to the song.
Get lucky.
I sure as hell hoped so.
But only with her.
CHAPTER THREE
Scarlett
It was after ten o’clock, and I was exhausted but had promised Amy I’d drop by the bar for a few minutes at least. I showered in the women’s locker room at the hospital and pulled on the spare jeans and shirt I kept there for occasions just like this. She told me that the bar wasn’t fancy, so I didn’t need to run home and change into anything better. Besides, it was only for a few minutes, I kept telling myself. I needed sleep before I had to be on my feet for another twelve hours tomorrow.
The minute I saw Amy’s face, I was glad I’d made the effort to come by. There was also Kim, Jana, and Tami rounding out the group, ladies I’d grown to adore.
“The band is great,” I yelled over the noise, turning to take a look at the five-piece group on the little stage. I wasn’t ordinarily a fan of jazz, and it wasn’t something on my playlist, but listening to it in person always brought a new appreciation of the unpredictable jittery sounds that meshed together into something that simply made me happy.
“I know,” Amy yelled back, her hips swaying side to side to a laid-back, bluesy rendition of a song I vaguely recognized but couldn’t name. “What do you want to drink?”
I turned to the bar, looking to see what was on tap for tonight. It had been so long since I’d gone out I couldn’t even remember which one I liked. As I took in the room, I caught a glimpse of… whoa. A glimpse of him.
Dark hair fell across a forehead I itched to stroke with my fingers, wanting to soothe the line of what looked like tension away. He sat on a stool beneath a soft light that gave me a good view of him. His eyes reminded me of a tiger and pierced me, pinned me to the floor where I stood. I couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. He was ruggedly handsome, with a raw sexuality that pulled at me in a way I’d never experienced before.
He lifted his glass and smiled in my direction. Was he really looking at me?
The part of my brain still able to process incoming data wasn’t certain at all. I looked over my shoulder, knowing I’d probably see some incredible-looking woman right behind me, and then I’d be a fool for thinking any man who looked like him would be interested in someone like me. Behind me, there was nothing but a couple of tables of men leering at Amy’s ass, which made me then wonder if it was my best friend Mr. Gorgeous was staring at.
When I found the courage to look back at him, he was still smiling, and my toes curled in my shoes. I found a sudden need to press my thighs together, to sooth away the ache that was growing there.
I was saved from more uncertainty when Jana jumped up, clapping her hands, a huge smile on her face. “I love this song,” she yelled and grabbed Tami’s arm, who then grabbed Kim’s arm, who then grabbed Amy’s arm, who then grabbed mine. Soon, all five of us were on the dance floor, and I finally recognized the song and began to sing along to the familiar lyrics.
“Get Lucky.”
A shiver went through me as Mr. Gorgeous stood and headed in my direction, his lion’s eyes still penetrating me as I mouthed the lyrics.
I wanted to be up till the sun.
With him.
I wanted to have fun.
With him.
And god yes, I wanted to get lucky.
Which was a terrifying thought.
I didn’t do lucky. Especially within five seconds of meeting a man.
But I wanted lucky now. I wanted it with every breath in my body.
“Hi.”
I realized I’d stopped moving as he approached and was just standing like a dork in the middle of the dance floor. I was jolted from behind, and from the height of the ass on my back I knew it had to be Amy, who was giving me a little push in his direction.
He reached out, his hands circling my arms to steady me from her bump. I licked my suddenly dry lips. “Hi. We’re twins.”
Like me, he was in jeans and a white button up, looking similar even down to the brown shoes. “Yeah,” he said, a smile curling up one side of his mouth. “Fraternal or identical?”
I laughed, even while feeling a stab of pain at the memory of my twin, but shook it away as we just stood there while the music and people faded. He smiled and dropped one hand from my arm and offered it into the space between us. I took it, my fingers curling around his warm palm. He smiled wider, making me smile too, and the moment was like a dream as he pulled me into a swaying dance.
He was a head taller than me, forcing me to crane my neck to look at him, making me feel petite and small, even though I measured out at an even five-seven. His thumb made little circles on my back as we moved to the music, the span of his hand nearly taking up my entire lower back.
“Why me?”
I hadn’t meant to ask the question, but since it had escaped, I wanted the answer.