Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 36665 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 147(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36665 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 147(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
“Just tryin’ to get to know ya.” She shrugs. I start to make her a drink. June leans up against the bar. “My brother is older too.”
“But you’re close?”
“Kinda. I wish he’d move back, but he’s different since he left the SEALs. I don’t know if something happened or what, but he never speaks about the time he served.”
“I bet he’s seen some sad things.” I place her vodka cranberry in front of her.
“Thanks.”
I get back to work as the bar starts to fill up more. June flits around the bar, talking to everyone. She really is a social butterfly. I don’t think she has a shy bone in her body.
My breath catches when the bar door swings open and a man steps through. A very handsome and tall man who seems to tower over everyone else. People step out of his way. A few say hello. I’ve never seen a man as big as him. I wonder if he’s from the Army base. He’s definitely a new face for me. There is no way I would have forgotten him.
When he turns, his eyes lock with mine, making every part of me freeze. His gray eyes are captivating. Never have I seen anything like them. They remind me of a brewing storm. He stares right at me. His expression is unreadable.
“Paisley.” Cole nudges me with his elbow.
“What?” I jerk my attention away from the man. My face fills with warmth, making my cheeks burn.
“There is a bottle of 30-year-old Glenfiddich in my bottom left desk drawer. Can you grab it for me?”
“Yeah.” I take the key from his hand. When I peek back at the man, he's still watching me. That is until June practically jumps onto him. The man drops his gaze down to her with a smile.
A weird jealousy fills me. I push it away, but I know I won’t be able to push away my thoughts of him.
Why?
I have no freaking clue.
5
JACKSON
I watch her disappear into the back of the bar. I have to fight the urge to follow her. When I first saw the picture of Paisley, I thought she was drop-dead gorgeous. In person, she’s even more stunning, more innocent, more fucking everything. I’m having a hard time believing some of the things I read about her on the plane.
No way does she belong behind a damn bar. She’s so out of place, but I can see why Cole hired her. She draws every man’s attention in the bar. I clench my fists at my side at the thought of them looking at what’s mine. I shake my head. What the fuck is going on with me?
“I’m talking to you!” June snaps her fingers in front of my face. I can tell from her glassy eyes she’s had a few drinks. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? Trying to bust me doing somethin?”
“Are you doing something you’re not supposed to be?”
“I’m an angel.” June bats her lashes at me.
“Jack,” Cole yells across the bar over the music. He waves me over. When I make it to the bar, Paisley is back with a bottle in her hand. “Pour him a drink for me, Paisley,” Cole tells her. She tilts her head to the side to peek over at me. I give her a half-smile. She grabs a glass, setting it in front of me.
Her scent hits me like a bullet to the chest, almost knocking the wind out of me. Fuck. It reminds me of an early spring morning after it’s rained and the sun is just peeking out, the flowers blooming all around. Did I actually just think that? I shake my head, trying to get some sense back because obviously this girl has knocked it out of me.
“You’re new around here.”
“That I am.” She pours the drink, pushing it toward me. I see she has the bottle of whiskey Cole keeps around for me. “Only been here for a couple of weeks.”
“How do you like it?” I pick up the glass and take only a sip since I have no real plans to drink tonight. I am working, after all.
Aren’t I? I’m not sure what the hell I’m doing anymore. This girl has me acting in a way that’s so out of character for me, I can’t get my bearings.
“It’s a cute town. Think I might stay awhile.”
“Paisley!” My sister bounces up to the bar. “This is my brother, Jack.”
“Your brother?” A smile lights up her face, one dimple appearing in her left cheek. Did she think something else?
“Yep, he’s real.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Jack.”
“Call me Jackson,” I correct, wanting to hear my full name from her lips.
“Jackson,” she repeats, already giving me what I want.
“It’s nice to meet you too.”
“Hit me with a blowjob!” June bounces from beside me. Paisley’s delicate features flush with shyness, the smooth skin of her cheeks bright red. I can’t help but think I want to see her whole body react that way for me.