Hot. Young. Fun. Everything she wasn’t.
God, she should feel guilty as she drank in the sight of his broad shoulders. His arms pulled so tight against the material of his shirt she was surprised it didn’t rip. The bottom half of the rose inked on his arm above a geometric sundial was visible below the sleeve of his black shirt. And the ink didn’t stop at his arms but spread across his muscular chest.
Damn. For the last two years, the only person who’d lit her body on fire was ten years younger and only saw her as his sister’s friend.
“I can’t believe I’m doing this, but this happens every time I’m with him or any of the Evanses.” Bridget sighed. Corey and his family were all kinds of fun, but boy, they were good at pushing a person out of their comfort zone.
Taran cracked a laugh. “If it makes you feel better, the last time I was with the Evanses, they talked me into being Danny’s platonic date for Nick’s wedding. Danny left me for the entire party, and he went home with another girl.”
Bridget nodded. “Danny is something else.”
Ryan cleared his throat, drawing her attention. He studied her as a frown peeked out from behind his “I don’t give a shit about shaving” scruff.
“Right,” Bridget said. She should probably get the humiliation over with before she annoyed him. “Okay, so, Ryan.” She swallowed.
“You two figure this out. I’m leaving.” Taran’s eyes were wide and full of pity.
“You can’t. Corey wanted you to hear this,” Bridget said, putting a hand on Taran’s arm. That’s when it clicked in her brain. This was Corey’s way of putting himself out there with Taran without having to do it himself. Damn him. He’d better be right about Ryan.
“Why?” Taran asked.
Bridget rolled her eyes. As much as Corey had obsessed about her tonight, how could Taran not know how he felt about her?
Instead of answering, Bridget rushed on to get this over with. “Ryan, Corey and I have never hooked up. Bro code thing because Luke Evans and I dated for a brief time. Corey brings me out with you guys every time you’re in town because I keep hoping I’ll be brave—or stupid—enough to admit I’ve wished to have a drink with you for a while.”
Her mouth went dry, and she couldn’t swallow. Her face felt hot, and she was pretty sure her hands were shaking. Corey was convinced that this statement would make Ryan’s night, but Bridget had never gotten that vibe from him before.
Instead of looking at her, Ryan’s eyes shot around the bar, probably trying to figure out if this was one of the many practical jokes his teammates played on each other. Bridget’s stomach sank.
“He went back to his hotel room,” Bridget mumbled. “And no, this is not a joke, just humiliating.”
Ryan took four steps around the table and stopped right in front of her. His hand settled on her waist, tugging her against the hard wall of his chest.
Her heart pounded and her breath caught. She’d never been this close to him before.
His blue eyes darkened as he stared down at her for a beat before dropping his head into her hair. Her heart skipped as his hot breath danced against her ear.
“You’ve starred in my fantasies for years. Trust me, baby, it’s my dream to play them out with you,” he growled, causing an electric spark to shoot through her body and settle deep in her core. “But yeah. Let’s start with a drink. Whatcha want?”
“Pinot,” she breathed.
“Donotleave this table,” Ryan said. But the words weren’t what held her firmly in place—it was the unspoken promise burning in his lust-filled gaze.
2
The last thingRyan Daily wanted to do was watch another man walk away with the girl of his dreams. Especially since he’d already done it once tonight. He glanced over his shoulder at Bridget. She was right where he’d left her, chatting with the sports reporter who’d been traveling with his baseball team.
The Metros had played in Ryan’s hometown of Lake Tahoe, Nevada, this afternoon, so he’d talked his sister into letting the team take over the top floor of the bar she and some of her friends owned. His sister, Jo, was always happy to have his teammates dump their money at the Silver Lining, but his true motivation had been the ebony-eyed beauty who’d just shocked the hell out of him.
If he’d had any idea that Bridget and his teammate weren’t a thing, he’d have been all over her. Corey Matthews might be one of Ryan’s closest friends, but every time his teammate brought Bridget Adams around, a white-hot jealously raged through his body.
And after Bridget’s admission, Ryan wasn’t letting tonight end any way but with those long, dark legs wrapped around his waist while she moaned his name.
“You’re about to make life around here hard as fuck, aren’t you?” Shawn, the man working behind the bar, asked.
“Pouring a glass of pinot is that challenging, man?” Ryan joked.
Shawn frowned. “I felt that heat crack across the room. What do you think your sister will say about that?”