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She registered the exact moment when he noticed her stare. His eyes met hers and he came to a sudden stop, focusing on her with heavy, earnest attention. She felt his gaze like a physical touch against her skin.

Sage refused to look away. She knew that some people preferred to play coy, to pretend that they weren’t interested, but in her mind, why lie? When a man looked like that , why the fuck would she pretend?

She knew what she wanted.

He looked at her, really looked at her, and when his eyes trailed down her body, she felt her skin heat under his attention.

The man looked back up into her eyes and smiled. It was a good smile, one that was almost nervous as it creased the skin around his dark eyes. Her gaze dropped to his mouth just in time to watch his tongue dart out and wet his upper lip as he walked toward her, his long legs and easy stride on full display.

She didn’t take her eyes away as he approached, sliding onto the empty stool beside her. He shifted so that he faced her, his long legs bent and one of his thick forearms braced on the bar in front of him.

“Hey,” he said, his voice graveled and warm in a way that reminded her of a country singer in a rural bar. He was the kind of man who belonged on the pages of one of her Western romances, all big and dark-eyed and messy-haired under his baseball cap.

“Hi,” she replied. Up close she could see that his eyes were a rich brown, framed by feminine eyelashes, with unruly, expressive brows. His nose was prominent, but didn’t look at all out of place with the rest of his features.

“I’m David,” he said, extending a hand toward her.

“Sage,” she replied, taking his large hand, which was just rough enough to not be considered soft. “You’re beautiful.”

David’s brows shot up as a deep laugh burst from him. He shook his head at her, blinking like he couldn’t quite figure out how to respond. “I…thank you?”

Sage drained the last of her margarita and grinned. “You’re welcome.” She’d obviously caught him off guard.

“I think that’s the first time a woman’s ever called me beautiful,” he finally said, eyes dancing with amusement. “I mean, I was thinking of using that word to describe you, but now you’ve stolen it.”

“You poor thing,” Sage teased, feeling her cheeks warm at the compliment.

“Can I buy you another of whatever you’re drinking?” David asked, pointing at her empty glass.

She nodded. “Jalapeno margarita.”

He wrinkled his nose, an unexpectedly adorable look on such a large man. “I can’t handle spicy.”

“But it makes everything better!”

David shook his head. “No way. I like my flavors predictable; sweet and salty are more than enough for me.”

She scoffed. “That sounds like a terribly boring way to live.”

With a low chuckle, David turned to the bar, waving to try to catch Maggie’s attention.

Sage hadn’t even noticed that she’d turned in her seat to face him. His legs had somehow gotten on either side of hers, close enough that if she widened her thighs slightly they’d brush against his. There was something about him that pulled her in, drawing her into his orbit in a matter of minutes.

“What can I get you and my new best friend?” Sage heard Maggie ask as she stopped in front of them.

David glanced over at Sage before turning back to the bartender. “A jalapeno margarita, and a Corona, dressed.”

Maggie shot a wink at Sage. “This one’s beautiful,” she said, nodding her chin in David’s direction. “Go get ‘em, girl.”

Sage felt her cheeks heat again as she let out a loud snort.

David looked indignantly between them. “I mean, I’m obviously flattered, but this is twice in five minutes that I’ve been called beautiful.”

Maggie gave him a sympathetic smile as she mixed Sage’s margarita. “It’s the lashes. Anyone with eyelashes like yours automatically gets categorized as beautiful.”

David rolled his eyes, and Sage couldn’t help but laugh at the expression. She poked him in the arm, leaning her head close. “Please tell me you aren’t actually complaining about two women gushing over how attractive you are.”

He turned back toward her, his head angling down and leaving barely any space between their faces. She looked up, meeting his brown eyes.

“Sorry,” he said, his voice low, quiet enough that his words were contained between the two of them. “You honestly caught me off guard.” His eyes dipped down to her mouth before he looked back up at her. “I came out tonight with the guys planning on having two beers, destroying a plate of nachos and some loaded tots, and then calling it a night.”

Sage shrugged, her lips curving up in a smirk. “I like nachos and tots.”

A low humming sound came from David’s throat. “And how about after the nachos?”

“And the tots. Don’t forget the tots,” she whispered. She could see the clumps in his lashes, where they clung together and curled. He was just so fucking lovely , while still being an absolute bear of a man. She couldn’t imagine a more perfect combination.

David chuckled. “Sorry. Wouldn’t dream of forgetting the tots.” She felt the warmth of his breath against her cheek, and felt a shiver spread down her arms. “Would you want to come home with me after the nachos and tots?”

Sage searched his eyes, looking for any warning signs that would indicate that he wasn’t safe, that leaving with him could go badly. But she saw nothing there but the hungry, heady gaze of a man who wanted a woman, preferably naked and in his bed.

With a slow grin, Sage closed the minimal distance between them, her cheek grazing against his as she set her lips against his ear and whispered, “Yeah, David. I think I would want that.”

She felt the brush of soft hair against her bare shoulder as he stretched his arm along the back of her barstool. His fingertips were gentle against her back as they trailed down over her shoulder blade. All of her focus was pulled to where his skin touched hers, little pin-pricks that made her feel alive.

The clink of glass on the bar broke through the moment, and Sage turned to find her straw-less margarita and a sweating Corona with coarse salt clinging to the neck of the bottle and a lime wedge shoved in the top.

Behind the bar, Maggie watched them with a grin, fanning herself with one hand. “Shit, you two are hot. Like, whew. Hot damn. Two tall Amazonians fucking is a great day for humanity. Make those strong babies. Sports babies. Warrior babies.”

Sage glanced over at David, who was watching Maggie ramble on with his mouth open, eyebrows arched like he couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing. He turned to Sage. “Is she always like this?” he asked, not even trying to lower his voice.

Shaking her head, Sage grabbed her drink. “I literally just met her. I have no context for her behavior beyond what I’ve seen tonight.”

Maggie reached down behind the bar, and suddenly Sage was hit in the shoulder with something cold. Looking down, she saw the ice cube skid across the bar where it landed.

She looked over at the bartender, who grinned at her wickedly.. Sage set down her drink slowly, looking Maggie dead in the eye, and then flicked the cube back at her.

Maggie shrieked as the cube hit her perfectly in the patch of bare skin exposed on her stomach. Sage broke down laughing, barely noticing David looking between the two women with obvious confusion.

“I honestly have no idea what’s happening right now,” he muttered, shoving the lime down into his beer with a long finger.

Maggie joined in laughing with Sage, flipping her the bird with a wide smile before she moved down the bar to help someone else. Sage turned back to David, taking a long drink as she raised her brows in a silent question.

David shook his head. “Was that flirting? It looked like middle school flirting.”

Sage just laughed. “I think I just made a new friend.” Suddenly she felt the weight of eyes on her, and glancing over David’s shoulder, she realized that a few of the guys from the table where he’d been sitting were watching them with expressions that ranged from curious to amused. She nudged David’s thigh with her knee. “Your friends are watching us,” she said. One of them, the one with the strawberry blonde curls, looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t place where she recognized him from.

David turned, the movement flexing the muscles in his arms, and Sage had to bite back a groan. “Ah shit,” he said. He turned back to Sage, wincing. “Please ignore them. They’re, ah, a bit much.”

“Am I stealing you away from them?” she asked, sincerely concerned that she’d taken David away from his friends. She’d be disappointed if he left her at that point, but she also wasn’t one to encroach on someone’s plans.

David shook his head, setting down his beer and reaching down to rest his hand on her denim-covered thigh. “No. No no. They get enough of me as it is.” He let out a quiet laugh. “Honestly, they’re probably placing bets on how quickly I strike out.” His eyes flashed to hers, wide with sudden panic. “Ah, shit. Not like that’s what this is, I just —”

“David.” Sage reached out and grabbed a handful of his t-shirt over his chest. “We both know what this is. No need to pretend it’s anything else.”

For a moment, something crossed his face, but within a second it was gone, replaced by that wide smile that made her bones melt. “You’re very cool. You know that, right?”

Sage shrugged one shoulder. “So I’ve been told.”

David leaned forward, his hand on her thigh tightening its grip. His eyes dropped to her mouth.

He was going to kiss her. She knew it, he knew it. Probably the whole bar knew it was about to happen.

Their foreheads connected first, and it felt like each second slowed to a crawl as David’s nose dragged across her cheek as his lips positioned over hers. Sage inhaled at the soft brush of his mouth, and then suddenly he was gone.

She blinked her eyes open; she hadn’t even realized they’d closed. David maintained his hold on her thigh, but glared at the strawberry-blonde from the table, who now stood next to them looking like he’d rather be anywhere else.

“What the hell, Chuck?” David growled at him.

“I’m so sorry,” the man said, glancing back over his shoulder at the table. “It’s Tommy. He’s a mess, and we’ve got to get him out of here.”

Sage watched David’s eyes fall closed for a second. “I’m going to kill that goddamn idiot,” he said through gritted teeth. She could feel the tension rolling off of him in waves. “It’s like college all over again.”

The other man, Chuck, shifted on his feet. “Dude, if any of us could drive, we’d do it.” To his credit, he looked genuinely apologetic.

David shook his head before looking at Chuck. “To be clear, I hate you right now. So damn much.”

With a wince, Chuck nodded. “I know, man. I’m the worst, and I know it.” He looked over at Sage, giving her an apologetic smile. “Hi. You seem lovely. I’m really sorry.”

Heaving a sigh, David pushed his beer away. It was still half full, and it left a wet trail on the surface of the bar. “I’ll be right over,” he said to Chuck. He waited until his friend walked away before turning to Sage with a pained look in his eyes. “I…I have to go. I have a friend who’s going through a divorce and he can’t keep his shit together right now, and I guess I’m the only one sober enough to get him home. The last time I called him a ride he spent an hour crying to the driver and she gave him a one star review, so now no one will pick him up.” He still held her thigh, and he rubbed his thumb back and forth over the denim. “I’m so sorry.”

Sage gave him a small smile, trying to hide her disappointment. “It’s okay,” she said, and it wasn’t a lie. It was going to be okay. It wouldn’t be as okay as it could have been if she’d completed her night with this beautiful man, but it would, ultimately, be okay.

Things always turned out okay.

“How are you getting home?” David asked, searching her face.

“I walked here,” she said, taking a long drink of her margarita.

It was the point in the night where she had to decide whether to bail or redirect. There was still time if she wanted to find someone else, but there was a part of her that couldn’t shake the feeling that anyone else would be a consolation prize after the potential of her chemistry with David. It seemed impossible that she’d find anyone who compared.

“Can I order you a ride?” David was asking, his concern clear in the furrow of his dark brows.

Sage tried for a reassuring smile. “I live really close by, and I think I might stay a while.”

David opened and then closed his mouth, looking down between them at the place where his large hand spanned her thigh. “Please let me help you get you home safely,” he whispered. “Please, Sage.”

Sage opened her mouth to argue, to say with absolute certainty that she could take care of herself, when across the bar, a male voice shouted above the music and conversation.

“Courtney! I’m coming for you, Courtney! You’re my sunshine, Courtney, and the sun never sets!”

“Damnit!” David withdrew his hand from her leg, and she immediately felt the absence of him. He looked at her, really looked at her, before shaking his head one last time. “You’re really something,” he said, rising to his feet. “And I’m so sorry. You have no idea how sorry I am.” He pressed his lips to her cheek in a kiss that was over before it even began, and then he was gone, his massive form retreating from the bar in long strides, moving toward the exit. She watched him, let her eyes drift down his muscular legs before jumping up to the broad expanse of his back.

As he reached the gate, he turned, looking at her one last time. She was certain that she mirrored the sad smile on his face, like there was an understanding between them that something had been lost that could have been.

Even if it was just for one night, it would have been something.

His dark eyes seemed to send something across the distance between them, like a message or a promise. She wasn’t sure. But she felt something in that final moment before he turned and disappeared, and she knew, without a single doubt, that if she wasn’t going home with that big, beautiful, brown-eyed man after sharing nachos and tots, then she wasn’t going home with anyone.