“Stunning,” she said.
“Lipstick on my teeth?” I asked, and grinned just enough to flash her my pearly whites.
“You’re all good,” she assured me.
I let out a deep breath. “See you later.”
“Have fun,” she called after me.
I walked away and headed towards him. With every step I took, it felt like I was heading towards a significant moment.
A moment that could quite possibly change everything and it made me not want to proceed, but then I reached him.
He got off his stool. “Hi,” he said.
I couldn’t get myself to respond, so I just focused on settling as gracefully as I could on the stool, which was quite the task given how easily it swiveled around.
He on the other hand, set his foot on the ground as he took his seat.
I realized then just how tall he was. I calculated that the top of my head would barely reach his shoulders.
He called the bartender over and turned to me, a smile on his face. “What do you want to drink?”
I decided to be confident. I wasn’t one who felt irrefutably convinced of their own charm, but since he had noticed me, there was undoubtedly something here I could work with. Somehow, being in his presence made me feel sexier and more desirable than I ever had. The tip of my tongue softly rimmed the inside of my upper lip as I took a second to think, and then the words slid out of my mouth like butter, “Sex on the beach, would be great.”
He didn’t blink.
His gaze lingered boldly on my lips, painted a stark red, and then he lifted his eyes to mine.
At first sight I had thought his eyes were grey, but as it turned out, they were green. An aqua shade of green and mesmerizing.
“Sir…” the bartender called.
He peeled his gaze away from mine to place our orders. “Just a Macallan for me, and Sex on the Beach for the lady.”
I relished the husky tone of his voice. It sounded so smooth and quiet, but the underlying authority was unmistakable.
He resettled his gaze on me. “My name is Carter Edwards.” He held out his hand.
I paused, realizing we hadn’t even introduced ourselves. I accepted the offered hand and replied, “I’m Leah… Leah Peters."
“You're American, I suppose,” he said.
My gaze lingered on the joining of our hands as I slowly pulled mine away, almost convinced they were beginning to sear from the contact with him. “I am.” I thought about mentioning that I was from Indianapolis, but I didn’t think it was needed. Tonight was about two strangers meeting in a different part of the world, choosing to be in each other’s company for a little while.
Perhaps it would be just tonight, so the less we knew of each other, the better off we would be, but exactly what was I expecting to happen between us tonight? I had never had a one night stand. I never believed I could pull one off, but right now as I stared at the insanely gorgeous man before me—it was all I wanted. We could spend the remaining hours of the night together, and then before the sun rose, we would be out of each other’s life, just as quickly as we had come into them.
I loved the sound of that.
“I’m from Minnesota,” he said.
“Oh, I’m from Indiana,” I replied, choosing to just follow his lead and take each moment as it came.
Our drinks were delivered then and he lifted his tumbler to his lips for a sip.
I noticed when our legs touched, his jean clad knees brushed against the exposed skin of mine. It sent tiny prickles of excitement coursing through my body.
“So what brings you all the way to Turkey?” he asked.
“Just a quick vacation,” I replied. “With friends.”
“And how long are you here for?”
“About two weeks.”
“Hm. And you’ve been here…”
“Two days,” I replied. “What about you?”
“I’m here on business. It’s my first time here, so I have been struck by how beautiful this city is. I might just extend my stay for a proper vacation. Now that I'm here I think I need one.”
I smiled. “Don’t we all?” I lifted my glass, the liquid wetting my lips as my gaze lowered to the sliver of rich, olive, skin beneath his white dress shirt. I couldn’t seem to look away. The way the material molded to his torso was nothing short of art. It wasn’t tight, but fitted enough to show the ripped build of his frame underneath. I looked towards the dance pit of adult kids and now wanted to be in the midst of them, with him.
Quite a lot of people had taken layers of their clothing off. What a great excuse it would be for him to do the same. But somehow, I couldn’t picture him being there. He seemed too… respectable for playing in bubbles. This fact made me feel happy and sad at the same time.
“So what do you do in Indiana?” he asked.
I just wanted him to kiss me already. The information exchange just seemed too slow for me, especially since I’d just gotten out of a non-relationship with a guy I’d met online. We’d talked off and on for about three weeks before deciding to meet. I’d later come to find out after a few more dates that compulsive lying to cover his wilting confidence at being thirty-five and unemployed was a trait he’d forgotten to share.
So my enthusiasm for a love that would go the distance was currently nonexistent, especially given the breathtaking man sitting next to me. My body was currently brimming and humming for him, and I wanted to give it what it wanted‒his mouth on mine‒on me. “I work in marketing,” I answered.
“Oh,” he said. “I’m involved in marketing too. We’re actually out here handling the new campaign for the Splash brand.”
“Oh, I'm aware of them but aren’t they majorly in Dubai? They’re opening a branch here?”
“They are. We’re in charge of the marketing and advertising for their
