“Not tonight, babe. I’m on a mission.” Zack paid for his drinks and then scanned the crowd again. He made eye contact with a few guys but looked away before they could take it as an invitation. Two of them were decent-looking, and one was unequivocally hot, but Zack was looking for something in particular. He had no idea what that was, but he was sure he’d know it when he saw it.

He grabbed his beer and sipped it at a more reasonable pace. Alexa and Lee were chatting about a show Zack had never heard of—he caught the words “lady detective” and “Australia”—and Kira still hadn’t arrived. All in all, it was an inauspicious beginning to the evening.

Just as Zack was about to suggest they dance, movement caught his eye. He craned his neck to look past Alexa’s colorful hair and saw a man standing a ways down the bar, staring at Zack.

Zack gave him a once-over as discreetly as he could. The guy had brown curls, tan skin, and a slim but toned body. He was handsome too, with a square jaw and intense, dark eyes. He caught Zack’s gaze and smiled. Zack blushed. Clearly he hadn’t been as subtle as he thought.

“Hey, Zack,” Alexa said, “that guy is staring at you.”

“I know. I’m staring back.”

“Want me to move?”

“Um.” Before Zack could decide, Alexa hopped off his lap, clearing a path. The man wasted no time dragging his eyes down Zack’s body and then back up to his face. Zack’s heart skipped a beat. While he was still processing the sudden appearance of this sexy stranger, the man picked up his drink and sauntered over. Alexa and Lee casually edged away while Zack remained frozen in his chair. The man stopped just in front of Zack, their knees almost touching.

“Hey,” the man said. Now that he was closer, Zack could see that his eyes were a beautiful honey-brown color.

“Hey,” Zack said automatically. “How are you?”

“I’m fine. I just thought I’d come over and say hi.”

“Oh?” Zack quirked an eyebrow. “And what made you decide to do that?”

The man laughed. It was a low, throaty sound that Zack could hear even over the music, though his voice was muffled. “You don’t recognize me, do you?”

Zack frowned. “No, I can’t say I do.”

A slow smile crept over the man’s face. He stuck his hand out. “My name’s John.”

Chapter 7

Zack’s heart stopped cold. At first, he was too shocked to do more than stare stupidly at John. When his brain finally came back online, he couldn’t think of a single thing to say. An awkward silence passed, and John’s smile faded. Eventually, he lowered his hand.

“You all right?” John asked with a look of mild panic.