Gray Back Broken Bear(10)
The table in the darkest corner near the stage looked like the perfect place to watch Easton for the last time. What a failure. She’d come in here thinking she could actually talk to him, and the closest she’d gotten was talking to some of his crew, who probably thought she was a complete ninny.
Easton sat stoic in the middle of the laughter at the bar. He was picking apart a napkin with a slight frown drawing down his dark eyebrows. Every once in a while, he sipped a drink, but it was apparent this wasn’t his scene or he had some serious thoughts on his mind.
She was going to leave without seeing his dimples.
Her eyes blurred with pathetic tears, and she clutched her purse closer to her lap.
A massive man blocked her entire view of the bar. She arched her neck back to take in his full height. Dark hair, soft, sympathetic dark eyes, and two drinks in his hands. “Before you ask me to sit down, know that I won’t hit on you. I’m here on a reconnaissance mission only.”
Aviana sniffled and wiped her damp lashes. “Aw, what the hell. Will you sit?”
The man took the seat beside her, freeing up her view of Easton again. He set a red, sweet-smelling drink in front of her and took a long pull of his own. With a sigh, he said, “Woman, you’ve set your sights on one tough target.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Yeah, you do. Why Easton?”
She shrugged miserably and took a pull from the cranberry vodka he’d brought her. “He reminds me of someone I used to know.”
“So, why don’t you go talk to him?”
“Because I’m a chicken.” She smiled sadly and swung her gaze to the behemoth. “It’s in my inherent nature.”
“Your inherent nature,” he repeated in a thoughtful voice. “So, if you never talk to him, what will happen?”
“I’ll never know him.”
“And if you talk to him?”
“Worst case scenario, he rejects me in front of all of his terrifying friends, scars me emotionally, I give up on ever talking to another man again, draw into myself with fear of being humiliated, push away everyone in my life, move out to some reclusive cave, and live on beaver meat and wild berries until I become an unrecognizable hermit with questionable hygiene and an imaginary pet fox.”
“Well, that was graphic and not at all what will actually happen when you go over there and say hi to Easton.”
“Oh, I’m not doing that. Chicken, remember?”
“So chug that drink and dig down deep. Find that badass I know is hiding in there somewhere. Hike up your big girl panties and march your sexy ass over there and make him notice you.”
“Sexy, hmm.” She clinked her drink against his. “Flattery gets you everywhere with me, mister giant.”
The man chuckled and jerked his chin at her drink. “Bottoms up, chicken. The Beaston awaits.”
He was right. If she left without talking to him, she’d always be disappointed in herself for giving up before she even tried. Feeling reckless, she slurped the drink down and stood. “I’m going to do it.”
“That’s the spirit.”
“I’m going to go talk to him.”
“You can do it.”
She straightened her tank top over her jeans and pulled her purse over her shoulder. She turned to leave, but hesitated. “I’m Aviana.”
“Nice to meet you, Aviana,” the man said with an easy smile. “I’m Kong.”
Kong. What a strange name. “Thanks for the pep talk.”
He nodded once, his dark eyes dancing. “Anytime.”
Aviana squared her shoulders and set her eyes on the crew at the bar top.
She was definitely going to do this.
Chapter Six
A woman cleared her throat delicately behind Easton. He turned on the barstool to tell her “Gray Backs only,” but the words got stuck in his throat the moment he saw her.
She was a wisp of a woman. Taller than tiny Willa only by a couple of inches, and with a fine bone look that said he could snap her arm without any effort. Her skin was tan, a smooth olive tone that made her clear-water blue eyes even more striking. Long, dark lashes matched straight black hair.
When he’d seen her come out of the bathroom, he’d taken notice. For an instant, she’d looked familiar. Or not looked, exactly. She felt familiar. Stupid fucking thoughts.
The woman lifted her overly big eyes to him, then dropped them to his work boots as if his shit kickers were the most interesting thing she’d ever seen.
His crew grew eerily quiet. All except Willa, who muttered, “Oh, shit,” and grabbed the woman’s trembling hand to steady it.
Too late to hide her fear from him, though. If he couldn’t tell she was shaking in those sexy little pokey-heeled shoes she was wearing under those tight jeans, he sure as shit could smell how terrified she was. Acrid. Bitter. He swallowed hard and waited for his bear to slash its way out of his skin.