“Lime?” he asks.
I nod, and he grabs a couple of wedges from the little glass at the back of the bar.
He’s watching my every move like I’m the sexiest thing he’s ever seen. Like I’m some sort of erotic film he can’t look away from.
“We called these snakebites when I was in high school,” I say. “We’d do them at parties. What do you call them?” I bring my wrist to my mouth and wet the inside of it with my tongue.
“Sexy.” His voice is a low rumble. “But with your mouth, I might need to modify that name.”
Raising a brow in question, I grab the salt and sprinkle it on my wrist. We used to do these as body shots. In fact, I remember Will taking one off Cally before they started dating. I remember standing there and thinking, Someday, a guy is going to look at me the way Will is looking at Cally right now. I’m not feeling quite brave enough for body shots, though, so I carry on, knowing he’s watching me.
Slowly, I lick the salt off my wrist then shoot back the tequila. It’s high-quality stuff and drinks smooth, a silky rush of heat down my throat then circling in my belly.
I lift a lime to my mouth and suck.
Nate’s lips part. His pupils dilate. Max used to look at me like that.
When I pull the lime from my lips, I can see Nate’s pulse thrumming beneath his Adam’s apple.
I need this. I’ve been in such a dark place this week. Since I got that text message and my world imploded. I want to get lost in this man, to spend my evening reveling in superficial attraction—even if it’s completely irrational coming from a music god who dates celebrities and can have any woman he wants. But it’s there, thrumming between us as clear as the notes he played on his guitar. And that is exactly what I need.
“Hanna.” Maggie’s voice pulls my gaze away from Nate’s for the first time in too many heartbeats. “Asher and I are heading back to the hotel. You ready?”
I look at Nate and back to my sister.
“I’ll take her,” Nate offers. He shifts his attention to me. “If that’s okay with you. I thought we could hang.”
“That’s…that’s fine with me.”
Maggie’s studying us, a crease between her brows. “I thought you said you were tired?”
Asher slides an arm around Maggie’s waist and squeezes. “Let them hang. Nate’s harmless.” He raises a brow in Nate’s direction and nods toward the door.
Nate and Asher step into the hallway, leaving me alone with Maggie and her worried eyes. “You don’t have to entertain Nate just because he’s putting on the charm.”
“I don’t,” I blurt. Taking a breath, I force myself to relax. “I don’t feel like I have to. I just want to chat for a while.”
She chews on her lip then nods. “Okay. But call if you need anything.” She squeezes me into a hug and then heads for the door.
“Maggie?” I ask, stopping her. “He’s like Asher, isn’t he?”
“What?”
“Nate. I mean, he’s a good guy like Asher is, isn’t he?”
“What are you doing, Hanna?”
“I just need someone to talk to. Someone who isn’t from New Hope. Nate seems…” I drop my gaze to the floor. I’m ridiculous. I just met the guy and I’m cr
ushing so hard that I want to turn cartwheels. I’m pretty sure this is what they call the rebound.
“He’s a good guy,” she finally says. “But so is Max.”
I don’t know if that’s true anymore. But I say, “I know,” and watch her leave.
ASHER’S SCOWL isn’t something I’ve been on the receiving end of many times. “Behave yourself,” he warns. “That’s my future sister-in-law you’ve been molesting with your eyes.”
“Future sister-in-law, huh? Is that an official title?”