Rob returns and I force myself to look away. Sylvia immediately hops out of his seat, grinning from ear to ear as she returns to the dance floor without another word.
“What’s Sylvia so happy about?” Rob asks.
“That I’m having fun.”
He clicks his beer bottle into the glass in my hand. “Here’s to having fun.” He lifts the beer to his lips. I watch him drink, my gaze landing on his mouth, his neck. I watch his Adam’s Apple bob as he swallows. When he lowers the bottle it takes me several seconds to figure out that he’s watching me. “You’re making it really difficult to stick to my promise,” he murmurs.
My eyes lift to his, and I’m surprised to see that his are dark with longing.
I laugh before I can stop myself, and to my surprise, his expression fills with amusement. “You think that’s funny?”
“You’re presuming I would agree to sleep with you and that’s never going to happen.”
He holds his beer in front of his chest. “Is that a challenge, little Lexi?”
My humiliation with Brandon comes rushing back. I shake my head, sobering. “No.”
He senses the change in my mood and sets down his beer, leaning toward me so that his face is just inches away from mine. “I’m teasing. You have nothing to worry about.”
I sigh and sit back in my chair, disappointed in myself for killing the jovial mood of the evening. Why do I have to spoil everything?
He stands and grabs my hand, pulling me from my seat. This time he’s the one to guide me onto the dance floor. The band is playing a slow song and Rob pulls me closer this time, one hand on my lower back, the other pushing against my shoulder blades. I rest my cheek on his chest as we sway, letting myself enjoy the moment.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see the shy man and woman dancing together.
So my earlier impression was right; the bartender played matchmaker.
I’m not sure why this surprises me. He seemed somehow cynical the night before. But my gaze searches him out and I’m surprised to see him watching me again. My stomach jolts, but then I realize I’m standing next to the couple he set up. Way to be narcissistic, Lexi.
I release a sigh and relax into Rob. I’m imagining things that aren’t there. I may feel a strange connection with him, but nothing will come of it. The chances of me ever coming back to this bar again are slim to none. I’ll never see him again. And even if I did, I have no desire of repeating the nightmare I experienced with Brandon. Better to keep things casual with a guy; better to spend time with someone like Rob. Someone who won’t make me want more.
“Somebody really broke your heart, huh?” Rob whispers in my ear.
I look up at him in surprise.
“Not all men are total asses,” he says. A grin tugs at his lips. “We’re all partial asses, but not total.”
I can’t help but smile. I need to relax and enjoy the moment. Rob only wants to have fun. I’m capable of that, despite myself.
With my change in attitude, my mood lightens and we dance for several more songs, laughing and teasing each other. Within an hour, most of the group reluctantly calls it a night and I tell Rob I need to go too.
“I’ll walk you to your car,” he says.
Sylvia’s gaze narrows in question, and I nod before turning to Rob. “Thanks. That would be great.”
He helps me put on my coat and takes my hand as we walk back toward the theater. “My car is parked in the next lot over,” I say, “behind the building.”
We cut through an alley to the parking lot. My white Volvo is the only one left. I stop and search my purse for my keys then look up at Rob and cringe when the memory hits me. “I’m pretty sure I left my keys on the makeup station in the theater. Which is locked.” I sigh. “I can probably still catch Sylvia. I’m sure she’ll take me home.”
“Why not go inside the theater and get them?” he asks.
“Because the key I have for the theater is on the same key ring.”
He digs his hand in his pocket and pulls out a key ring. “Good thing I’m here.” He leads me to the back of the theater and opens the door, ushering me inside. It’s dark except for the glow of a soft light from an open office door. We walk silently to the backstage area, where the makeup table is stationed. He spots my keys right away and picks them up. Sitting on the edge of the table, he places them in my open hand with a teasing grin. “Don’t lose these. We don’t want you to get stuck here.”
“I didn’t see your car anywhere. Where is it?” I ask.
“Parked on the street, a couple of blocks down.”
“Then this is inconvenient for you.”
He puts his hands on my waist, his touch gentle. “Nothing about tonight has been inconvenient,” he murmurs before lifting his hand to my neck, lightly tracing my jawline with his thumb.
My breath catches. “Thank you for making me have fun.”
“Making you have fun. That’s the saddest thing I’ve ever heard,” he says, but he’s grinning.
I like being this close to him and I can’t help but wonder why. Of course he’s an attractive man, but so was Brandon. My lack of anxiety is liberating and all my nerve endings are pinging with awareness.
His gaze drops to my lips. “I want to kiss you. That’s all, just kiss you. Is that okay?”
I nod, surprised that I want him to.
His mouth lifts to mine, and I close my eyes, taking in the sensation. Rob’s a great kisser and I soon find myself leaning against his chest, losing myself in the moment. If neither of us set any limitations, I would have considered letting this go further, which catches me off guard. When I made out with Brandon, I always felt a sense of anxiety, even when I was turned on. Right now I feel nothing but the desire to take this further.