Heart Lies & Alibis Read Online Free Page A

from behind the bar..
    "Can I get you another Jameson's, ma'am?" Ouch. Thanks for the nice reminder of our age difference sexy boy. But wait. What was he doing? Oh crap, he's standing close to my chair and he's leaning in towards my ear and oh man does he smell good and crap I haven't answered his question yet.
    "You know, I was actually getting ready to go. But thanks." I smiled as my heart thundered in my chest and I felt a rush of heat fill my cheeks.
    He looked genuinely disappointed. "Really, so soon? Can I convince you to stay? I thought maybe we could talk a bit. Have another drink? Get to know each other?" Seriously, he had an Irish brogue in an Irish pub? Lord help me. My heart was really beating fast now and I was feeling things in all the right places as I looked at him.
    Before I could stop my mouth, I heard myself saying, "Oh. Umm, sure. I guess. Okay. Yeah. One more drink would be great. I'm having..."
    "A double Jameson. Yeah. I know. I have been pouring them all night for you. Be right back."
    Did he just wink at me? Oh my god. Get a hold of yourself Reagan. You sound like a sex crazed idiot. Snap out of it. Just be calm, you can do this. You used to like to flirt. A lot. You got this girl. Thank god I kept my pep talk in my head.
    He returned moments later with the drink and set it on the coaster in front of me before he slid into the seat across from me. He laid one arm along the back of the booth and twirled a napkin with the other. His eyes never left mine. He had gray blue eyes, like the color of the ocean right before a summer storm, and I knew I could get lost in them all night long. Up close I could see the tattoo on his arm better – a scroll with the words Let It Be in swirly print laced through the leaves of a four leaf clover. Below it was the name Fiona and a date. It was beautiful and I found myself wondering what the words meant to him.
    He stretched his hand out. "My name is Declan." Of course it was.
    I took it and the jolt of electricity between us at the touch of skin made me jump. "Reagan."
    Still holding my hand, he leaned across the table, his intense stare smoldering between us. "What brings you to our fine establishment this evening, Reagan?" I loved the way my name trilled off his tongue.
    I smiled nervously finding the pressure of his hand on mine distracting for a moment. "I am celebrating a birthday. My birthday. A big one actually, so I thought I deserved to have a good time." I babbled away like an idiot. I didn't add the part about also wanting to forget my cheating bastard of a husband.
    He cocked an eyebrow at me, a sexy smile hovering just at the edge of his mouth. "A big one? Really. So, let me guess, it must be your 30th?"
     
    I laughed out loud. "You, sir, are very kind. But no. It's actually my 40th." Best to get that clear right away.
    He sat back in mock surprise. "No way. I don't believe it." He winked and smiled that gorgeous smile again. "Seriously, and please excuse my boldness, but you look damn fine and nowhere close to being forty." His face spread into a sexy grin.
    Between the whiskey and the lateness of the night, my usual walls of defense were down. I looked at him for a minute. "I appreciate that. Thank you. Even if it's a bit of an exaggeration. Do you mind if I ask you a question?" I didn't wait for his answer. "How old you are you Declan? Because I know it is nowhere close to forty." Please don't let it be as young as I fear.
    He laughed as he leaned towards me across the table. His hand still held mine and his finger traced a seductive trail along my inner ring finger, ironically where it was now bare of the diamond wedding set it had worn every day for the last ten years until this morning when I had tossed it my jewelry box never to be worn again. "How old do you think I am?" The sensation of his touch made words hard to form.
    "You know, I'm actually kinda afraid to guess. I mean, I know you are at least of legal age if you are working as a bartender