Treat Me (One Night with Sole Regret #8)(15)

The man's eyes were shadowed by the brim of his hat, but were light in color-either gray or blue-so were sure to melt Leah into a puddle. Check. He had a friendly face, a bit too round to be handsome, but he was definitely cute. Hesitant check. His smile was pleasant and he didn't leer at her or stare down her shirt. Enthusiastic check. So far, he was getting good marks. He wasn't completely approved yet as he hadn't spoken, but she had a good feeling about this one.

"Did you hurt yourself?" he asked.

Showing concern for her well-being but not using it as an excuse to paw her. Check.

"Oh, I'm fine. I was more worried about you. I just plowed right into you like an idiot."

"A pretty little thing like you is going to have to hit me a lot harder than that to do any damage."

His come-on was a bit oafish, but not the worst introductory flirting she'd encountered. Not by a long shot.

"Can I refill that for you?" he asked, nodding toward her glass. "What are you having?"

A little fast, but he probably thought she was hinting for him to buy her a drink.

"No thanks. I don't think my boyfriend would appreciate me accepting a drink from a gorgeous stranger." She waited for his response, hoping he didn't disappoint her by suggesting she ditch her boyfriend and go back to his place. No way would she introduce a jerk like that to Leah. And more than one guy had said exactly that in this same situation.

He frowned slightly, but tipped his hat at her. "Lucky guy," he said. "You take care now, darlin'." He turned back toward the bar, cradling his drink between both hands and yep, looking a little lonely.

Amanda set her empty glass on the bar and caught the bartender's eye for a refill.

"Are you here alone?" Amanda asked the cowboy as she waited.

"I thought you had a boyfriend," he said, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye and blushing slightly.

"I do. I'm going to level with you. What's your name?"

"Colton and yes, I'm flying solo tonight."

"Nice to meet you, Colton. I'm Amanda. I'm not trying to pick you up. My friend thinks you're cute, but she's too shy to come hit on you herself."

The guy chuckled and turned in his stool, glancing around, presumably for the smitten friend she'd mentioned.

"Don't be obvious," Amanda said, clutching his arm. "She'd kill me if she knew I was doing this." Not really. Leah expected Amanda to do this. "She's over there in the corner. Black hair. Pink sweater." Amanda tilted her head in Leah's direction and then noticed she was cornered by two guys who were obviously drunk and checking none of her boxes. Cringing away from the one trying to wrap his arm around her, Leah looked ready to bolt. Crap.



       
         
       
        

"Just a minute," Amanda said to Colton. "I'll be back."

Amanda rushed to the table. "Is there a problem here, gentlemen?" she said loudly.

"Yeah, there's a problem," said a guy who looked barely old enough to shave. "She won't dance with me." His words were slurred, his eyes unfocused.

"Maybe she doesn't want to dance with you," Amanda said, checking with Leah for validation. Staring at the hands she held twisted in her lap, Leah shook her head vigorously. "She's probably afraid that you're so drunk you'll fall on top of her and crush her."

"You look a lot sturdier than she does," the guy said, leaning heavily into his silent friend looking ready to fall flat on his face. "You dance with me."

Sturdier? Oh yes, Casanova, how could I resist that wonderful compliment?

"Get lost," a deep voice said from behind Amanda. "You're bothering the ladies."

The drunk whirled to confront the intruder, but seemed to recognize that Colton was much sturdier than himself-and Amanda-and he was also steady on his feet.

Leah's harasser stumbled away with his friend's assistance. "Whatever," he grumbled. "She was ugly anyway."

Amanda's foot automatically shot out in front of him, and he had to grab some random dude in the crowd to keep from face-planting on the dusty wooden floor. "Asshole," Amanda muttered under her breath.

"Are you okay?" Colton asked Leah.

She flushed prettily and nodded. "Thanks for chasing them away," she said.

"My pleasure, miss." He lifted his hat, momentarily exposing hat-flattened blond hair, and Amanda smiled at the flush that rose up Leah's face.

Yep, Leah was definitely interested.

"Would you mind sitting with us for a while?" Amanda asked. "Just to keep drunk jerks from hitting on us."