Ruined: Loving An Alpha Male: BWWM Romance Read Online Free Page B

following me?”
    See? What did I tell you?
    He wasn’t fazed by my fumbling self. He leaned in closer to me so he could be heard over the jukebox blaring some rock song I’ve never heard before.
    He said, “If I told you that I was, would you give me your number?”
    I blushed and shook my head. He shrugged. “Well, I guess I’ll settle for just a Scotch net. And none of that cheap shit.”
    I frowned. “Never,” I said.
    Then I smiled and turned from his gaze. Lou kept a stash of expensive Scotch behind the bar, so I reached for that and poured him a glass. I passed the glass to him, and he gave me his card.
    “Keep that open for me, angel.”
    I nodded and tried not to show how just those simple words and that smile of his was effecting me. I went back to work, trying to concentrate on my patrons and not his eyes that seemed to see right through me. I was glad at first when some blonde started talking to him because it kept the focus off me. But then I started to feel a little jealous.
    Really, Max? How the hell can you be jealous over someone that doesn’t belong to you? I asked myself, shaking my head at the notion.
    I continued to busy myself, trying not to pay attention to him. But he was making it really hard. Even though everyone in the bar could tell this blonde was throwing herself at him, I kept feeling his eyes on me—undressing me, unhinging me. I saw him motion for me, and I walked over to him again, trying to control myself. But as I got closer to him, my heart started to beat faster…Damn him.
    I smiled instinctively, but realized at that moment that the smile he gave me was totally genuine and honest. I felt myself completely relax. I poured him more Scotch.
    Noticing that the blonde was gone, I asked, “So are you out by yourself tonight?”
    I saw his eyebrows raise with my question, and I immediately realized my implication.
    He smiled and said loud enough for me to hear without moving closer to him, “No, I’m waiting on a friend of mine.”
    “Oh, so you have a hot date then? Huh?”
    Damn, Max. Really?
    It’s so unnerving how I’m acting around him. I shook my head slightly, hearing the disapproval pulsing through in my voice. I looked in his eyes and saw them drenched in amusement. Wait! Is he blushing? He looked down at his glass first, as if he was thinking about how to answer me.
    He then smiled shyly, and said, “I wouldn’t call it a hot date.”
    I nodded. “Oh, I see.” I was actually disappointed.
    Take a deep breath, Max. Act natural. You are, after all, in a relationship. It shouldn’t matter if this guy is on a date or not.
    “So are you guys going to hit the bars along South Street?”             
    He laughed and shook his head. “I hope not.”
    My eyebrows rose. I asked him as I made someone a drink, “No? Why not? Is the scene too fast for you?”
    He laughed and said, “Uh, no actually. I mean… Can I be honest with you?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “The purpose of hopping around bar to bar, in my opinion, is to seek that atmosphere you like. Or maybe it’s to find someone to take home with you. Well, for me…I would be dumb to leave this place, since I have the best of both.”
    Now normally I would be offended, especially since he was about to be on a date. I would have normally had a great comeback line for his “take someone home” comment, but I was at a loss. His eyes were searching mine and completely undressing me. I couldn’t do anything but smile.
    I finally gathered myself and said, “Your Texan charm is lost on me, country boy.”
    He smirked devilishly and said, “Well, shit. I better work on that then, so maybe I can put more than just my charm on you.”
    Okay, this guy is definitely having an effect on me. I was speechless. All I could do at that point is move away from him and continue making drinks.
    Okay, Max. Get a hold of yourself. This isn’t like you . I coached myself. I mean, I’m supposed to be the