“Oh, come on, Axel,”Tessa coaxes. “You’d really like her. Sasha is a real sweetheart. Someone you could finally settle down with, I bet.”
I snort a laugh. “What part of my personality says I am ready to settle down?”
She crosses her arms over her chest and pouts at me. That has me really laughing. Ransom has her spoiled. She pouts a little, and he’s falling over himself to make her happy again.
“That pouty lip might work on Ransom, but I’m immune, darlin’.”
She harrumphs and starts in on me again about settling down. Ever since she and Ransom figured their shit out, she’s been pushing me to do the same. I’m about to tell her to leave it when I see her…
Time seems to slow down—as corny as it sounds, it’s true. She’s not wearing typical clubwear. Instead, she’s dressed in skinny jeans and a ribbed tank top. She could be wearing a burlap sack, and she’d still be the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen.
Platinum hair and deep blue eyes scan the room like she’s looking for someone. By God, that someone is going to be me.
“Take over. I’m going on break,” I say to Tessa, interrupting whatever she was babbling on about.
I hop the bar and make a b-line for the woman of my dreams.
She perks up a little when she sees me coming towards her but then deflates at something she sees…or doesn’t see when she looks me over. That’s okay. I won’t take her lack of appreciation personally. She doesn’t know me… yet.
“Hello, doll. Looking for someone?” I ask.
She blinks those big blue eyes up at me. It looks like she’s seconds from flitting away like a bird in the wind, but then she rolls her shoulders back and straightens her spine.
“I’m supposed to meet someone here,” she says.
Her voice has my cock twitching in my pants. Jesus, I’ve never been so affected by someone’s voice before. Hell, I don’t think I’ve been as affected by a fucking blow job as those few words from her cupid’s bow mouth have affected me. This woman has me by the balls, and I don’t even know her name.
“Who is that someone?” I ask, trying to tamp down my jealousy. If I have it my way—and I plan to very much have it my way—she will only be meeting me tonight. Maybe forever.
“What business is it of yours?” she sasses back.
My palm itches to spank her delectable ass.
Now’s not the time, Walker, I say to myself.
“I just want to know who my competition is.” I give her my most endearing smile.
She just snorts. “Not much competition at this point.”
“Why’s that?”
“I’m here to meet someone from a dating site,” she admits with a blush. “He either completely ghosted me or came and didn’t like what he saw.”
“Either way, he’s an idiot because you’re the most beautiful woman in this place,” I say, meaning every word and feeling lucky as hell that some asshole ghosted her. That means the playing field is wide open for me.
She looks pointedly around us, then indicates a woman wearing nothing but a bra and ruffly panties. “I don’t stack up against that.”
“You’ve got that backward. She doesn’t stack up against you,” I say, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
I catch the scent of cherries and can’t help but wonder if it’s the lip gloss on her shiny lips. I want to lean in and kiss them to see if she tastes as good as she smells. Better probably. I bet every inch of her tastes delicious. My cock throbs behind my zipper again, and I have to restrain myself from drawing attention to it by adjusting myself. Wouldn’t want to scare her away.
“Why don’t we have a seat and get to know each other?” I offer when she doesn’t seem to have a reply to my compliment.
She looks around the club again, probably for the douche that ghosted her, then turns her attention back to me. “I don’t even know your name.”
I flash my pearly whites at her and hold my hand out for a shake. “I’m Axel. I work here at The Playground. I’m one of the bartenders. I promise I’m safe. Anyone here will vouch for me.”
“Kinda full of yourself, aren’t you?”