Bending Bethany - Aria Cole Page 0,1

still wet from a shower, and bold dark eyes eating up the space between him and us.

“Why, thank you.” My sister cooed while leaning forward to give him a very generous view of her cleavage.

“Ah, here we go.” I knew that look. She’d found her plaything for the night.

“I’m Luc, wanna dance?” His gaze honed in on my sister’s breasts.

“Taylor Howard and I would love to,” she flirted shamelessly, lifting her hand out to his. He placed a kiss on it, and the cheesiness of the move almost made my stomach turn.

“Go, dance, be merry. I’ll be here.” I waved her off, turning back to the lemon drop the bartender had just placed in front of me. “Thanks for the drink!”

Taylor and Mystery Boy had already disappeared into the quickly thickening crowd.

“He does that a lot. You may want to warn her,” a voice rumbled from over my shoulder. I sighed, thinking if barhopping meant fending off creepy men all night, I would be retiring much earlier than even I expected.

“She’s fine. She does it all the time.” I waved off his concerns, not even bothering to match a voice with a face.

“I’m Jenson.”

A hand thrust out in my peripheral vision and I paused, thinking I didn’t even want to shake it. Who knows where it had been, who it had been in. The guys who hung around these places were definitely not my type.

“Well, Jenson, this isn’t really my scene, if you don’t mind.” I spun on my bar stool, finally catching a glimpse of the stranger.

Damp locks of hair fell over his forehead in a charming, just showered way. Dark stubble decorated a sharp jawline, his cheekbones high and his eyes the most astounding shade of ice blue I’d ever seen.

“You were saying?” His smile turned up, and I knew I’d been caught.

“I-I don’t even remember. I think the drinks are getting to my head already.”

“Drunk off a few lemon drops? You don’t get out much, do you?”

I shot him a sarcastic glance before catching sight of the drink in his hand. “Only a beer? Seems a little weak, don’t you think? I would have thought whiskey, bourbon, something a little manlier.” I didn’t know this guy, what did I have to lose? The point of tonight was to be someone different, and well, brazen was definitely different.

This wasn’t my scene, he wasn’t my type, why not engage in a little banter before I returned home for the night?

“Been a long day, and I’ve got another long one tomorrow. Taking it easy tonight.” His eyes sparkled when he talked. I didn’t even know that was possible.

“So what do you do, Jenson?” I asked when he settled on the stool next to me.

“Ah, I work in athletics. You said this isn’t much of your scene. Mind if I ask what is?”

I chanced a glance at him, my lips turning up in a traitorous smile when I caught sight of his expectant look. “The library, I suppose. Or the science department. I’m a Biology major.”

“Oh, a college girl?”

“You can drop the slutty college girl fantasies right now. I’m definitely not one of those,” I blurted, then kicked myself for my candor.

His deep chuckle sent shivers down my spine.

“Caught me.” He lifted up his hands in mock arrest.

“I knew it. I could see it all over your lascivious face,” I teased, sipping my lemon drop again.

“Lascivious?!” His bellow turned a few heads. Was I actually being funny? This was a new turn of events. I wasn’t the funny one, that was Taylor. “You wound me.”

“I bet,” I laughed, finally feeling a little more loosened up. I didn’t know if it was the shot, the atmosphere, him, or that intoxicating laugh.

“Your flirting leaves much to be desired.” He leaned in as he whispered conspiratorially.

“What? No, I wasn’t flirting.”

“Sure you were. Isn’t that why you’re here? Flirting isn’t a sin. It’s connecting with someone for a few brief moments in a way that makes you feel good, no harm in that.” He shrugged and pulled away, taking a draw of his beer as he watched me. As if he really enjoyed our conversation. I’d never connected with a man like this before, held his rapt attention. Well, this will be short lived, won’t it?

“You’re very philosophical for…what did you say you did again? Athletics?” I cocked an eyebrow.

“I travel a lot, gives me time to read.”

His reply took me by surprise. I hadn’t expected him to be a reader. A young, fit football