“Just passing through,” I reply. Again, I face forward. I’m afraid if I don’t I’ll start drooling over this guy. I’m out of my element here.
“I thought so. I would have remembered you.” He winks again. “We’ve been here a lot the last couple of months.”
“You think so?” Holy shit. I fight the urge to wipe my sweaty palms on my jeans.
“Definitely.” He takes his time running those chocolate brown eyes over my body. “Listen, why don’t you join my friends and me? No sense in drinking alone.”
Sober Melissa would decline such an offer. Buzzed Melissa doesn’t want to be alone. This guy seems interested; what harm can come from sitting with them? It will serve as another distraction, help me forget. “Sure.” I grab my drink and my purse, sliding off the stool. I stumble and the sexy stranger catches me. “Thank you . . .” I don’t even know this guy’s name.
“Ridge.” He grips my arms to steady me. “You okay . . . ?”
“Melissa.” I pull away from him. “I’ve just been sitting there for a while, sorry,” I flush with embarrassment. I’m not that drunk, so it has to be him; he has me off-kilter. I don’t know that I’ve ever talked to anyone who looks like him before. In college, I kept to myself and the guys didn’t even bother. Why go after the one you have to work for when the others are willing to give it for free?
I’ve been with two guys. The first was a means to an end. A ‘get it over with’ kind of deal. Guy number two was a friend of my roommate. It was the first and only time I’ve ever been sloppy drunk. I don’t even remember it, really. Pathetic, I know, but that’s my life. The irony is not lost on me that tonight, I want to be that drunk again, if not more so. I want to forget the pain, the loss, the feeling of being alone. Lucky for me, my new friend Ridge seems like he’s willing to help me out.
“Guys, this is Melissa. I found her drinking alone, so I asked her to join us,” he says once we reach the table.
Four guys, all of equal hotness as my new friend Ridge, appraise me. I feel my face heat under their gaze. Attention is not something I’m used to. They all offer me some sort of greeting, and I stupidly wave at them in return.
“You can sit by me,” Ridge says next to my ear.
The warmth of his breath against my skin sends shivers down my spine. Awkwardly, I take the seat he pulls out for me, clasping my hands together on the table.
“All right, so we’ve got Seth, Tyler, Mark, and Kent.” Ridge points to each guy as he says their name.
“It’s nice to meet you,” I say politely, barely glancing at each of them, still embarrassed by their attention.
“So, missy, you live around here?” the one on my right asks—Kent . . . I think.
“No, I’m just passing through. How about the five of you? Locals?” I take a sip of the fresh drink that was just set on the table in front of me.
“No,” Ridge says, throwing his arm over the back of my chair. “We’re in town for a job.”
I take note of the Beckett Construction T-shirts they all seem to be wearing. “Construction,” I say like an idiot. These men are sexy and intimidating.
“Yep.” Ridge tips his beer back, and I get lost watching his throat as he swallows. Like I said, he’s sexy.
“We grew up together,” one of the guys says.
I can’t remember what Ridge said his name was. Mark, maybe?
“So, just living it up after a long work week?” I wonder what it would be like to have friendships you formed in elementary school. I feel a pang of envy and sadness in my chest so I tip my glass and drain it, wanting to forget.
The five of them chuckle. “Something like that,” the one with longer hair replies.
And that’s how this night goes. The guys are funny, charming, and flirting. A few other women join us, but Ridge continues to stay close to me, ordering me drinks. I even buy a round or two, and relax into his touches. Simple ones like rubbing my shoulder, his hand on my arm and of course, whispering in my ear. I quit trying to hide the shiver it causes in me about three drinks ago.
I’m attracted to him, and he knows it.
One by one, the guys pair up, leaving just Ridge and me. “Where are you staying tonight?” His hand rests on my thigh.
“I . . . I, uh, got a room across the street.”
“Hmmm, that’s where we’ve been staying too.” Leaning in close, his breath mingles with mine as the bartender announces last call. “I’ll walk you home.”
Ridge stands and offers me his hand, and I take it without hesitation. There’s something in his eyes, the way he’s been by my side all night. I trust him. I don’t know how to initiate it, but I want him with me, in my room, tonight. I’m not ready to let go of the way he makes me feel.
Ridge keeps his arm around my waist as we head to the bar. I pay my tab, after much protest from him.
The cool night air feels good against my heated skin. He pulls me into his chest and again, I go willingly.
“Which room is yours?” he asks.
“119,” I say, so softly I’m surprised he heard me. His touch has my body craving him. We reach my door and I slip the key from my back pocket. “Would you like to come in?” I’m looking at my feet, my back turned to him. I grip the door handle, bracing myself for his rejection.
Stepping closer, he aligns his body with mine. One hand rests on my hip while the other moves my hair to one shoulder. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.” He kisses my neck.