Page 7 of Wild Promise

“Shut up.” He pushed me away. “I’m great in bed.”

Laughing, I raised my hands in mock surrender.

Nate shook his head at our childish antics. “All you two ever talk about is partying and sex. When was the last time either of you went on an actual date?”

I picked up a cloth and avoided making eye contact with him as I wiped down the already spotless counter.

Colin propped his elbows on the bar. “I’ll admit it’s been a while for me. Our boy Zane, however—” He lowered his voice to a so-called whisper, loud enough for the whole lounge to hear. “—has never been on a real date.”

Tonya’s mouth dropped open, and all three of them were now gawking at me.

“So?” I glared at Colin. “I can get more action in a month than you do all year, if I want it.”

Tonya snorted. “My grandfather, who lives in a nursing home, gets more action than Colin.” He made a noise of protest, but Tonya shifted her gaze to me, her smile fading. “Doesn’t mean he’s not lonely, though.”

Something unsettling poked at me. A gnawing uneasiness that scratched mercilessly under my skin. It had been there a while now, popping up at random times, slowly building to an aggravation I couldn’t ignore. I’d tried to fix the problem with more parties, more booze, more hookups, but nothing seemed to curb the restless itch.

Part of it was my father. He’d called again last week, dropping in from his ivory tower in Manhattan to remind me that I was squandering my potential behind a bar. That I should be in New York, learning the business. His business. The one I wanted nothing to do with.

The other part was something less definable. A feeling that I was missing a key piece of myself. There was a hollowness inside me I had no fucking idea how to fill.

So yeah, I poured drinks and threw parties and pretended it was enough. It had to be.

“Dating is for people who’re looking for commitment,” I said. “That’s not me.”

“Zane’s allergic to commitment,” Colin teased.

“No, I’m just not interested. I don’t see the point of looking for a serious relationship when odds are, it would only end. Probably end badly, too. They always do.”

Colin sighed. “Yet women still throw themselves at you.”

“That’s because I’m a great catch.” I tossed my cleaning cloth at him.

He caught my discarded rag midair and threw it over his shoulder. It sailed in a wide and impressive arc before landing at the feet of the most exquisite creature to ever grace this earth.

Melina Marshall strode briskly into the lounge, barely sidestepping the cloth. My pulse roared to life at the sight of her sensible shoes, long skirt, and fully buttoned blouse. Or at least what I imagined was underneath them.

She was stunning. Fuck, she was beyond stunning, and she didn’t seem to have a clue.

Whenever she was near, my fingers itched to tangle in her long, inky hair and caress every inch of her flawless skin. She held me hostage with her serious eyes, sumptuous lips, and the unforgettable memory of how perfectly she’d fit in my arms.

“You’re interested in that one.” Nate’s steady voice knocked me out of my stupor.

“What?” I scoffed.

Colin laughed. “Oh yes, he is, but he already struck out. The ice queen gave him her famous cold shoulder.”

“I wish you wouldn’t call her that,” I said, trying and failing to sound unaffected. “You don’t even know her. She’s not cold, and I did not strike out. The timing just wasn’t right. If I’d tried, I’m sure she’d have been willing.”

Truth was, Melina Marshall couldn’t be bothered with me. Fuck, most days she acted like I didn’t exist. Other than a single drunken kiss, she’d never shown a speck of interest.

And why would she?

It didn’t matter that, even fully clothed, the sloppy, intoxicated lip-lock we’d shared was the hottest experience of my life. Or that the taste and feel of her was still seared into my memory.

Melina was a good girl—an honest, hardworking, follows-all-the-rules girl—and I was nothing but a slut. I’d never be more than the fun guy everyone expected me to be, and that was the complete opposite of what a girl like her wanted. Or deserved.

“I don’t know.” Tonya inspected her nails. “I’ve heard she’s really uptight.”