Add one more thing Mother Nature had endowed this guy with, intelligence and compassion. Two things, actually. Before she could respond, another bartender, Will, elbowed her as he passed by. “Guy’s looking for a refill down at the other end.”
“Oops, got to go. I’ll check on your food, too.” He gave her a two-finger salute and stared at his beer once more. As she walked away, though, the back of her neck itched as if he watched her. Hoping he was, she put a little more swing into her hips, such as they were. She really hoped he liked petite.
She filled orders and bantered with her other customers the way she normally would, but half her mind and all of her hormones were focused on Aidan. Her skin tingled, and her breasts were heavy with mounting excitement. This was a first for her. She had rarely dated anyone she met at the bar and had never considered simply picking a guy up and taking him home. Normally her brain ruled her body. This night was different. Desire for the guy was so strong, she wanted to race around to the front of the bar and hop on his lap. She needed a reality check.
When Aidan’s food order was up, she grabbed it and nudged Will to one side. “Help me out here.” When he reached to take the plate, she pulled it away. “Not that kind of help. I need advice. You know the guy at the end of the bar? Don’t look!” she hissed when he automatically turned his head.
Will rolled his eyes. “Yeah, you mean Admiral Scrumptious? What about him?”
“I’m thinking of jumping his bones.”
“And you want to know whether you should do it here or wait until you get to a more private place?”
Marissa grimaced in exasperation. “You know me, and this is decidedly not me. Am I being too risky? Will they find my various body parts tomorrow in dumpsters around Key West?”
“What’s his name?” She told him. “Wait a sec.” She watched him walk over to Aidan and say, “Excuse me, sir. We forgot to card you before serving. May I see your I.D. please?”
“Seriously?” Marissa said it under her breath as she heard Aidan say it to Will. A wallet came out, a card was passed over the bar. Will smiled and thanked Aidan before returning the card and sauntering back to her.
“I.D. confirmed. Jump away. If you end up dismembered, I’ll know who to send the cops after.”
“Thanks,” she replied with a laugh.
Before she took a step, Will grabbed her arm and said in a low voice, “You know he’s disabled, right?”
“Yup. Not a problem.”
“I agree. Just wanted to make sure you knew.”
Marissa smiled at Aidan as she placed his food order in front of him. “Here you go.”
“Thanks, looks good.” He nodded toward Will. “What was that all about? I’m pretty sure I look older than twenty-one.”
Embarrassed that Will’s obvious ploy was so…well, obvious, she felt her cheeks pink up. She bit her lower lip, unsure of how to phrase what she wanted to say. God, she was such a dweeb sometimes. She may as well say it out straight. “He’s looking out for me. I don’t normally ask guys what I’m about to ask you.”
Aidan raised his eyebrows. “What would that be?”
“Do you want to come home with me tonight?”
Chapter Two
Aidan all but swallowed his tongue at the blatant invitation. Was it really going to be this easy? Although he was used to women making the first move with him, that was before he had become disabled.
No, he refused to think of his body in those terms. Differently-abled had seemed like a pointless change in terminology before it applied to him. He knew better now. He couldn’t do some of the things he had done before, but those were small in number compared to the skills he retained. He just had to do some of them differently, like waterskiing with one leg instead of two. Sex would be like that, the same with some minor modifications. Only, unlike anything else he’d tried since losing his leg, fucking required up close and personal observation of his body by another person. It was a distinction that mattered.
He must have mused a little too long because he saw her eyes go wide, and she backed up a pace. “Sorry if that was too blunt.” She blushed a dusky rose color under her tawny skin. “I totally get it if you’re not interested.”
Aidan laughed. He couldn’t help it. “You actually think I might turn you down? Why on Earth would I do that?” The obvious occurred to him. “Because of my leg?”
Her eyes got wider and her cheeks redder. “God, no! I meant because I’m half Asian, Thai, actually. Some guys aren’t into that.”
“You mean ‘some guys’ as in assholes,” he replied because who in their right mind wouldn’t fall to his knees in gratitude for a chance to be with her? Yet, she had picked him. He had seen a lot of good-looking guys with both their legs in the bar, so maybe her offer was based on the one reason he would turn her down. Leaning in closer to her, he asked in a low voice, “Are you making the offer because of my leg?” He held his breath, afraid of the answer because if it were a pity fuck, his answer would be no.