One Night with Sole Regret 01 Try Me Read Online Free

bottle toward the door that Melanie was so fixated on.
    “Jacob?”
    “More famously known as Shade.”
    “Oh.” She settled her hands on her knees. “I didn’t
realize he had a normal name.”
    He laughed. “You didn’t think his mother named him
Shade, did you?”
    She shrugged. “Never thought about it.” Her
attention moved to the door again. “What kind of a dork uses a lame
stage name anyway? And why Shade? Because he wears sunglasses all
the time?”
    “Yeah, he has to wear them. He has vision
problems.”
    Melanie’s stomach dropped and she covered her big,
blabbering mouth with one hand. “He does? Shit. Now I feel
bad.”
    The guy chuckled. “I’m just fucking with you. He
wears them because he enjoys looking like a douche twenty-four
seven.”
    Melanie laughed. It felt good. Her severe case of
anxiety decreased substantially, and her bitchiness finally took
its leave. “I’m not usually this disagreeable. I just really would
rather be anywhere else than waiting for Nikki to finish her fun. I
honestly don’t understand why she thinks he’s so hot. He looks like
a prison inmate.”
    When the guy didn’t speak, she turned her head to
look at him again.
    He traced his bottom lip with his middle finger as
he assessed her. “You don’t seem too enamored with the band. What
brings you backstage?”
    “A friend I can’t tell no .” She sighed. “I’m
such an enabler.”
    “Or maybe you’re just a good friend.”
    “More like a dumb friend. If I’d quit sticking my
neck out for her, maybe she’d learn some responsibility.”
    “But if something really bad happened to her, you’d
feel responsible.”
    She gawked at him, surprised he understood the truth
behind her actions so easily.
    He smiled, revealing a set of perfect white teeth.
That simple expression transformed him from gorgeous to
dazzling.
    Melanie’s breath caught. Wow. Now this guy . . . She could understand wanting to jump
in bed with him on short acquaintance. Please and thank you.
    “Yeah, I totally get it. I’m one of those enabler
types too,” he said.
    “So you admit you’re as dumb as I am?”
    He chuckled. “I guess so. Would you like a
beer?”
    She shook her head. “I have to drive and I’m already
at my limit.” She was pretty sure her sudden lightheadedness was
caused by the company, not the alcohol.
    “How about a Coke then?”
    She smiled at his thoughtfulness. “Water?”
    He nodded. “Jordan!” he yelled at the man at the
bar. “Bring the lady a water.”
    “Got it!”
    He turned his attention to her again. “So are you
going to tell me your name?”
    She relaxed into the sofa cushions, glad she’d found
a normal person to talk to. She’d thought she’d have to spend the
entire night pretending to be invisible. “Melanie Anderson.
Yours?”
    He laughed. “You really aren’t enamored with the
band, are you, Melanie?”
    What did that have to do with telling her his name?
“I like their music, but they’re not my favorite band or anything.
A bit too heavy for my tastes. Nikki is the one obsessed with them.
She dragged me here against my will.”
    A glass of water was pressed into her hand.
“Thanks,” she said to the bartender. She took a sip and waited for
her gorgeous companion to speak again.
    “I see. I’m Gabriel Banner.” He grinned at her and
suddenly overwarm, she wondered if someone had switched off the AC.
“Call me Gabe.”
    A totally normal name for a totally normal guy. She
would have felt uncomfortable talking to any of the other men in
the room—tattooed, pierced, strange haircuts, chains and
leather—but Gabe looked as normal as she did. His only notable flaw
was the Texas Rangers ball cap he wore. The Angels’ fan in her
wanted to poke fun at his team loyalty, but she could forgive one
little fault.
    She smiled and offered her free hand in greeting.
His hand slid into hers. Though he clasped her hand with a gentle
grip, she could feel the strength in those long