Emma stared back at her as her foot began to tap on the floor. She realized they were concerned about her, but she wished they would understand she was content to stay single, and a fling wasn't exactly her thing.
"It will take more than that to forget about Tristan," Emma said.
Jill sighed and pushed one of the shots of tequila toward her. "Let's not say that piece of shit's name again for the rest of this trip. Drink up."
Emma was more than happy to agree to those terms as she picked up the shot glass and downed the tequila. Her face scrunched up as the liquid hit her tongue and burned all the way down her throat; it wasn't overly unpleasant and made her feel warm and fuzzy. She placed the glass on the table and turned to watch the waves roll in and out again as Jill ordered another round.
"That should be illegal," Jill purred.
"Wow," Mandy breathed.
Emma didn't look to see what they were talking about, which annoyed Jill enough that she kicked Emma’s shin under the table.
"Ow," Emma said and leaned forward to rub her shin.
She shot Jill a disgruntled look, but Jill smiled annoyingly in return and nodded her head toward whatever had caught her and Mandy's attention. Emma immediately spotted the two men Jill indicated as they were both large and exuded a raw sexuality. They were two of the best-looking men Emma had ever seen in her life. Her jaw almost dropped, but she caught herself in time to stop that from happening.
Both men had dark hair framing their faces, broad shoulders, and powerful forms. The similarities ended there between the two of them. The one with black eyes appeared older, he seemed more aloof as he searched the room, and his hair was more the color of coal. The one with the most beautiful emerald eyes she'd ever seen had a more youthful air to him as he leaned against the counter. His hair was a blue-black color that reminded her of a raven and made her itch to run her fingers through it. The muscles in his forearms flexed as he clasped his hands before him.
She couldn't tear her eyes away as she drank in the details of his body. Stubble lined his chiseled, square jaw; she could almost feel it rubbing against her cheek and over her throat. The sensation was so real that everything around her became irrelevant. Her gaze drifted to the full lips curled into an endearing smile that made her heart melt. There was a dimple in his right cheek as his smile grew and he unclasped his hands to gesture around the room. The form-fitting dark blue T-shirt he wore hugged his broad chest and emphasized the sculpted muscles underneath. Her gaze traveled over his waist and the obvious bulge in his jeans before she hurriedly looked away.
She kept her lashes lowered over her eyes as she looked surreptitiously at him again. Her breasts tingled as her mouth watered. Something about this man made her entire body react in a way it never had before. She almost rose from the table to go to him but stopped before she made a complete fool out of herself in the crowded bar.
It was all so strange; she didn't understand her reaction to him, but she welcomed it. Seeming to sense her stare, his head turned toward her. The smile slid from his face as his eyes locked with hers. She felt as if she were hurtled through space, and the stars and cosmos were flying by her as she was lost in the intensity of his gaze.
He continued to stare at her as people moved and flowed around them. A tall, brunette woman with golden highlights flowing through her hair walked over to the men. She was speaking as her hand gestured around the room. Jill and Mandy released a low groan when the other man bent to kiss the woman, but Emma barely heard them. With the kiss broken, the woman grabbed hold of the man Emma was looking at, drawing his attention away from her.
Emma had the strangest urge to cry when the connection between them broke. She took a deep breath and bowed her head as she tried to calm her accelerated pulse. It had been over a year since a man touched her romantically; that was the only reason she felt so completely out of control right now.
Turning back around, she grabbed one of the fresh shots Jill ordered and downed it.
"I wonder if the other one is single," Jill said as she played with her straw.
"Looking like that, I doubt it," Mandy replied.
Emma didn't even want to think about it as she gulped her drink down. The last thing she needed was another man in her life, considering the debacle the end of her relationship with Tristan had been. A shudder worked through her; she didn't like to recall the time she'd spent with the only man she'd ever had a serious relationship with. Everything between them had started out well enough; he'd been kind to her, and even if she wasn’t head over heels for him, she'd thought it was a good relationship until it all went so horribly wrong. What started out as pleasant took an ugly turn into a threatening world she feared she wouldn’t escape.
"Maybe it's time to head back to the house," she suggested.
"Things are just getting interesting here though," Jill protested.
"We shouldn't spend all of our money on our second night," Emma replied, but all she could think about was bolting out of the bar. The bizarre reaction she'd had to the man left her rattled and in need of some fresh air.
"True," Jill said. "Plus, there's alcohol at the house for us to enjoy."
Relief filled her as Jill agreed; sometimes she could be relentless. Emma pulled out some cash and tossed it on the table before rising from her chair. Her gaze involuntarily returned
