“Yep,” she said with a grin. “Wear something fancy.”
Chapter 5
“Holy cow, you weren’t lying,”I said to Amanda, as I looked out at the Dallas skyline from my spot at the bar. “This place is incredible.”
“Right? Cheers.”
I clinked my vodka gimlet against her chocolate martini and then took a sip. It was the perfect blend of tart and sweet.
Her cell phone trilled in her beaded black clutch. A shadow of annoyance passed over her face as she reached for it. “Sorry. It’s probably Martin.”
Smiling, I took another drink of my cocktail.
“Unbelievable,” she muttered. “The one night I want to get dressed up and go out for a fancy girls’ night, Martin says Daphne feels warm. I need to call him real quick. Do you mind?”
“Not at all,” I said. “I’ll be here.”
With a roll of her eyes, she hopped off the stool, grabbed her clutch, and stalked away. I noticed a few men in suits watching her. Amanda was a petite brunette with curves, and the green dress she wore had a flouncy skirt that showed off a lot of leg.
As I waited for her to return, I scanned the room. There were clusters of people sitting on couches, and the gas fireplaces roared with cheer and warmth. I sipped on my cocktail, my eyes resting on the two men at a table in the corner by the window.
The lighting in the room was dim, but there was something familiar about one of the men. And then he turned his head ever so slightly, revealing a strong jaw covered in scruff and mussed dirty blond hair.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I muttered.
I heard the click of Amanda’s heels, and then she appeared next to me. I glared at her.
“What’s that look for?” she demanded. “I wasn’t even gone five minutes.”
“Not that.” I gestured with my chin in the direction of Boxer. “That.”
Amanda’s expression was quizzical. “What’s he doing here?”
“Don’t play dumb.”
“Play dumb? Why would I—oh my God! You think I did this on purpose, that I knew he’d be here. No, Linden, I swear I didn’t know.”
“Why the hell is he here? What’s he doing at The Rex?”
“No idea.” She pitched her voice lower. “He’s looking over here.”
“Nuh-uh.”
“Yeah, huh,” she said with a nod. “And…he just got up.”
My eyes widened.
“He’s coming over.” She flashed a grin and urged the cocktail toward me. “Take a hearty swallow and stop looking terrified. You have no reason to be terrified. You look fucking hot, and he noticed.”
I downed a hefty swallow of my gimlet, and then I rotated on my stool to watch him as he approached. He was moving slowly, no doubt from the pain of his recent appendectomy, but his natural swagger made my heart flutter.
He was wearing his leather cut, but also a white button-down shirt underneath. It looked out of place—just like he did. He didn’t belong in The Rex. He was too earthy, too primal and no amount of feigned dressing up was going to change that.
Boxer sauntered toward me, an affable grin on his face. “Doc.”
“Boxer.”
His dove gray eyes raked over me in appreciation, but his gaze wasn’t lewd. It caused my skin to erupt in tingly pinpricks.