On the Steamy Side - Louisa Edwards [7]
“Apology accepted,” the woman said graciously.
Simon managed a smile, then rescued his PDA from the bar, dusting it off compulsively. Waggling it at Devon, Simon said, “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
He vanished into the throng standing three-deep by the bar before Devon could assure him he wouldn’t be changing his mind.
“Your friend could use a refresher course in manners.”
Devon looked back at the brunette. The shirt she’d been so incensed about was fit only for a consignment shop, as far as Devon could tell—brown and purple stripes in some dull fabric that looked scratchy. But when she plucked at the back of it, screwing her face up in distress at the cold cling of wet cloth, the front molded to high, generous breasts and a gently curved waist.
She glanced up and caught him looking, and the spark that struck when their eyes met was hot enough to ignite the alcohol she was drenched in.
Not at all his usual type, Devon thought. Then again, he’d just told the guy who’d made him famous to go take a flying leap.
Clearly, today was a day for embracing the unusual.
CHAPTER TWO
All of Lilah’s sass and bravado dried up under the scorching heat of this man’s eyes.
She swallowed, the clicking sound of her throat loud in her ears, and tried to remember what she’d been saying.
A trickle of moisture down her spine brought her back to herself.
Right. Rude friend, itsy-bitsy altercation where timid, spineless Lolly let new, improved Lilah out to play, and the whole while, this one lounging back on his barstool, watching with a lazy smirk and the most intense ice-blue eyes she’d ever seen.
Now Mr. Rude was gone, and evidently he took Lilah’s gumption with him, because she was blinking at the vision of masculine perfection before her like he was the first bunny ever to hop into her briar patch.
And was he ever a hot one. Like, movie-star hot, with the sardonic charm and sexy smile to match. Artfully tousled brown hair, knife-blade cheekbones, and a pair of eyes the same color blue as a blazing summer sky. And those eyes were trained on her like a bird dog with a duck in its sights.
Lilah wasn’t too used to being the focus of anyone’s attention. For most of her life, she’d tended to fade into the background, especially around extra-beautiful people like this man.
Even her decidedly unglamorous and average-in-every-way ex-boyfriend took years to notice Lilah existed. Humiliating, considering they’d both taught at the same high school.
The man before her lifted his drink and gestured at the clammy shirt sticking to her skin. “That looks uncomfortable.”
Why are you still talking to me?
“Yeah,” Lilah said, fanning the fabric and trying to encourage air movement. “I don’t know about dry cleaning, but it could sure use a run through the wash. Me, too, I guess! I don’t know what the heck was in that drink, but I’m all sticky.”
Those intense blue eyes flashed darker, and he arched a brow. “What you need is a long, hot shower.”
Breathing fast and not really sure why, Lilah took momentary refuge in glancing around the bar for Grant. Her longtime best friend and brand-new roomie had abandoned her upon arrival at Chapel. His best bud, and boss at the restaurant, was about to leave for two weeks, so they were having some kind of good-bye boys’ pow-wow. Lilah hadn’t really felt comfortable crashing it.
“I don’t know where my friend has got to,” she said. “Or I’d head on home and hop straight in the bath.”
“You don’t want to go home alone?” His voice was like rough silk.
Lilah shivered, then laughed at herself. “I just moved here; I wouldn’t bet two nickels on my ability to navigate my way back to the apartment on my own.”
He smirked a little. Lilah had never much cared for smirking, but this guy had it down pat.
“In fact, I had divined that you are not from these parts,” he said. “You don’t hear a lot of pretty Southern drawls like yours up here in the