Our eyes hold for a beat as a sly smile curves her lips. “For the record, Saint, I got the hell out of Dodge because I wanted to find some random town with an even more random and sexy man. One who would pin me against the wall while kissing me senseless before carrying me off to have some wild, bed shaking sex. A little—or hopefully a lot of—something to take my mind off my dumpster fire of a love life and the train wreck my creativity seems to have fallen victim to.” She lifts the glass of wine and finishes the rest of it in one long gulp. “Is that the answer you were looking for?”

I’m not sure if I should applaud her endgame or raise my hand and volunteer as tribute. Regardless, I bark out a laugh and lean across the bar top to get closer to her. “If that’s the case, Humbug, you’ve come to the right place. We’re as random here as random can get. And as for the second part . . .” My eyes flicker to her lips and then back to her eyes just as she abruptly stands from her seat, confusing me. “Wait. Where are you going?” I ask, not ready for this conversation to end.

“If you’re saying this is the destination I was looking for, then shit, I better start looking around for the sexy guy portion of it.”

“Oof.” I thump the side of my fist to my heart as if I’ve just stabbed myself. “That was brutal.”

She stops mid-motion from sliding a ten-dollar bill under her empty glass and offers a lift of her eyebrows. “I guess that depends on what side of the conversation you’re on.”

I glance down at the money. “Keep your money. The wine was on the house.”

“Then put it toward my dinner.”

“But you’re leaving,” I say, and hate that it comes out with a tinge of desperation to it.

She points to the booth in the corner that a couple just vacated. “I think I’ll get more work done sitting there than if I stay here.”

“True.” I pick up her empty wineglass. “Plus, it’ll give you a view of the entire bar,” I say, motioning to the expanse of bar top that stretches the length of the room.

“And why would I need that?”

“Because that’s where I’ll be, and since taking your eyes off me is proving to be a challenge for you, it’ll give you the best vantage point.” My grin is wide as I turn and walk down said length of the bar and give her a good look at my ass she was staring at earlier.

Harley Humbug.

Of all the gin joints in town, she picks this one.

Then again, that old saying doesn’t hold water.

We are the only gin joint. Hell, we’re the only joint whatsoever.

5

Harley