Page 63 of Stardusted

He lifted a shoulder in a tiny shrug. He could’ve modeled. There had to be some sexy bartender calendar out there. A shirtless one, hopefully. Because this whole package…

My focus dipped again, trailing down, lower, and—oh no. No, no, no. I didnotwant to be thinking about Sky’s…anythingpackage.

I snapped my eyes shut.

Oh my God.What waswrongwith me?

“Rae?” he asked, sounding a little bewildered. Most likely because I was standing there with my eyes squeezed shut and hands fisted. “You all right?”

What was it about him that fried my brain cells?

I gathered every ounce of willpower (and maybe a little vodka) and opened my eyes, summoning a small, weak smile. “Yeah. Thanks,” I said, swallowing a nervous laugh. “For the save. With that guy.”

My throat was so dry, and that was still shock ricocheting through my body. He’d come out of nowhere. Like he could tell I was reeling, his brows tented, humor fading.

I needed another drink. Especially if he was going to keep looking at me like that, with all that intensity.

“Sorry that guy touched you like that,” he said quietly, eyes sliding to my wrist once again. Something hard glinted in them for a second. “Some people don’t take a hint, and that’s not okay.”

I smiled up at him less tentatively this time. “I know. I’m fine, though.” I paused and glanced around. My rapidly deflating curls brushed my cheeks at the movement, and I pushed them over my shoulder. It’d gotten a lot hotter in here all of a sudden. “So are you here with friends or…?”

Instead of answering, Sky lifted a hand. I froze as he tucked the escaping stray strand of hair back behind my ear again. His fingertips grazed the sensitive skin at my temple. Fire trailed in their wake.

Breathing became a hell of a lot harder, and my cheeks blazed. Words tumbled out of me.

“What are you doing?”

Like he was wondering the same thing, Sky yanked his arm back and rocked onto his heels, giving me a smile I could only describe as sheepish. Maybe evenshy.“Sorry. I couldn’t help it. I’m not used to seeing it down.” He cleared his throat and glanced away.

Down…

Oh. Myhair.

He was talking about my hair, and he was still standing close. The dance floor’s lighting washed him in splashes of neon green, vivid pink, and deep blue. The shifting glow rendered his face in chiseled slopes and planes, shadowing his high cheekbones, straight nose, and strong jawline.

But none of that stopped suspicion from blooming as the shock of his appearance began to fade.

He still hadn’t answered me. He still hadn’t said why he was here.

Or why, for the second time in as many days, he’d appeared out of nowhere to save the day. First the country road. Now Crescent. Sky Acosta was starting to feel like my own personal knight in shining armor.

The strand of hair he’d tucked behind my ear had escaped, and I pushed it back again, fingers clumsy. Where had that thought come from? I wasn’t the damsel type. My thoughts felt like scrambled eggs. Probably from the deadly combo of alcohol and the sheer amount of heat he radiated.

He had to be used to girls melting like this. That thought helped me rally enough brain cells to ask again, “What are you doing here, Sky?” Frowning, I added, “Weren’t you working or something tonight?”

I regretted it the second it left my mouth.Right, because it’s totally normal to assume he lived behind the bar.

He didn’t look offended. If anything, he looked amused again, his dimple reappearing. Some of his tension bled away as he raised a brow. “I’m sorry—are you the only one who gets days off?”

“No, of course not. I meant…” I scrubbed my palm against the dress’s slinky material and sighed. “What are you doinghere, here?” I swept out my unmarked hand to encompass the dancers around us, the crowded bar. The DJ bopping away to the heavy beat.

He followed my gesture. “Well, I’m not doing anything right now,” he said, raking his bangs back with one hand. He hesitated, then: “So…did you want to dance?”

My mouth dropped open.

“Withyou?” I squeaked. “Right now?”

I had a completely irrational urge to run away.Skywanted to dance withme? Here? In front of all these people?