“Hi. My name is—”
I put my hand up. “No names, please. Or, if you want, call yourself by another name.”
The guy standing next to me at the bar smiled. It was a nice smile. It showed off his gentle eyes. They were the kind of eyes a woman could easily get herself lost in. They were the most unusual shade of green I had ever encountered. His dark hair was cropped short, and he had a very well-defined jaw. Scanning him further, I noticed that not only was he the most handsome and mature man I had ever seen, but he was also the sexiest. His body was toned and taut, and his hands were big and bulky. Looking at his hands, I spotted no ring on his left wedding finger.
Bingo!
Glancing back up, I saw a very rugged five o’clock shadow. I suddenly had this urge to lick his face and run my tongue against his stubble. Lord knows where the hell that thought came from, but I ran with it.
“So, let me get this straight, young lady. If you’re asking me to give you a fake name, then am I right in thinking that you’re planning on spending the evening with me?”
He leaned over the bar and swept his finger over his mouth as he waited. That was all the encouragement I needed. Man that was sexy.
“Yes,” I breathed, a little uneasily.
“How old are you... ?”
“Nikki.”
He smiled. “Nikki. Hmm, I like that. So, how old are you?”
“Old enough. In fact, it’s my birthday today. I’m out celebrating.” I smiled and held my drink up for him.
“Well, happy birthday... Nikki.” He winked at me knowingly. “Call me Miller.” He held his hand out, so I shook it. “What can I get you to drink, Nikki?”
He was good. In fact, he was better than good. The only problem was that I had no one else to compare him to until I met Brent. Boy, what an arsehole he turned out to be. I found him in a nightclub toilet getting a blowjob from my so-called mate, Jennifer. To say she didn’t go home that night with a slapped face would be a lie. I never saw her again after that. Brent still called for a while afterwards, though. I got the usual bullshit.
“She means nothing to me.”
“It was all a mistake.”
“You’re the only one for me.”
He was the one who began my theory that men could never be relied upon. I especially found that out for myself with my next boyfriend, Chris. We had only been dating for two months when he shagged his next door neighbour’s daughter. I would have given the arsehole a thorough hiding, but the girl’s dad got to him first. I must admit I felt a little smug about that.
From then on, I had had no one. I had not relied upon men for anything. All they had ever done was leave and disappoint.
The problem I was having was with my last encounter. He was a man I couldn’t get out of my head. Miller, my first, knew what he was doing, but this other guy? Wow. I wasn’t sure if it was the chemistry between us that set the fireworks off, or what. All I knew was that I wished it had never happened. For the last two weeks, I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about how he touched me in a way that made me think he knew my body better than I did. He couldn’t have been that much older than I, but boy... he knew how to please a woman. There was no second guessing needed regarding the number of women he had probably slept with. I mean, he agreed to sleep with me with no promises of a phone call after. That kind of told me everything I needed to know. I suppose I was being hypocritical, but I doubted I was wrong about him. He called himself ‘H,’ and I told him to call me ‘AJ’ for Ayden Joanna. I didn’t know why that slipped out. In fact, I cursed myself for giving him my nickname—a nickname which was only ever reserved for my father.
Why did I do that?
“Why are you coming to bars to pick up men? You don’t look like you belong here.”
I placed my hand on my chest. “Me? Not belong here?” I started laughing.
That damn sexy eyebrow of his arched again. He was hot, and I mean really hot. His hair was dark brown, almost black. He also had green eyes that reminded me of the man I lost my virginity to. What was it with me and men with dark hair and green eyes?
Although the man, who called himself Miller, was gorgeous, he couldn’t hold a candle to this guy. When he looked at me, it was almost as if he was reaching into my soul. It both terrified and fascinated me all at once. Despite my head and my heart warning me that this guy would only be trouble, I ignored them both. I went with what my body craved, and it craved to have this man inside of me. On top of me. Underneath me.
“You don’t look like the kind of woman who picks up men at bars.” He smiled, leaning in a little bit more. I caught a whiff of his aftershave, and it hit me straight between my legs.