Page 13 of When Sinners Rise

Fuck this.

This is the first time I’ve been out with friends, and I’m not going to have some guy ruin it for me because he can’t keep his eyes to himself.

I move past Peter, but he catches my arm as I do. “Wow, you okay?”

I shake off his grip and march directly to the man, looking at me, now with a grin on his lips.

“What is your problem? Stop looking at me.”

CHAPTER FIVE

SHAW

“No problem. You’re just the prettiest damn thing I’ve ever seen.” She calms her face down a little. Not much, but enough. “You don’t even know that about yourself, do you?” I back up a step, showing her I’m no threat at the moment. “I just want to buy a pretty girl a drink and relax, that’s all. I’ll stop looking if you don’t want that.” She looks back at her friends, who are all looking at us. “How about I buy you all a drink?” Her face comes back to me. “I get it. Being hit on is scary as hell sometimes.”

“I’m not scared.”

“No? Okay then.” I move sideways, opening up the route for the bar. “What are you drinking?”

Her eyes narrow. “I can get my own drinks.”

“I’m sure you can. But why not let me buy it for you?” I look past her towards the friends. “They like shots?”

“Who doesn’t?”

I smile as she looks at the floor. “Did you just engage instead of pushing me away?”

Her lips twitch, a shyness coming with it under a small smile. “Maybe.”

“Well now, I call that a win. Beautiful smile and a little conversation.” My hands go up in the air, and I back off another step. “I’ll die a happy man if that’s all I get.” She snorts and glances back at her friends again. “You wanna head for the bar? Or is that really all I’m getting?” The girls she’s with start shifting their hips about to the beat, pretending to fuck. Even makes me laugh. “They look like a cool crew.” She looks back at me.

“They are. You’re American.”

“Sure am.”

“Why are you here?”

I start walking, pretty certain she’s going to follow now she’s talking. “Work.”

I catch her glance back to her friends, but then she’s close on my heels. “What work?”

I get some rolled-up cash out of my pocket. “Import and export. Boring as fuck, in all honesty, but it pays well.”

She looks at the money in my hand. “Looks like it.”

I signal a girl at the packed-out bar; one I’ve already given a big ass tip to for the first drink I had. She’s over pretty quick, and I point at the shelves behind her. “That bottle of tequila. Some lime and salt and …” I look back at Miri. “How many of you are there?”

“Four. And me.”

“Yeah,I’m not forgetting you any time soon.” She smiles, wider this time. I look back at the barkeep. “Six glasses.”

Bottle of tequila in my hand, and I look at her. “Where do you want me?” Her eyes widen slightly. “Calm down. Don’t be thinking like that. I’m a virgin.” She snorts, then laughs lightly.

“You’re so not a virgin.”

I smile. “Am. Pure as the driven snow. Never even been kissed.” That pulls another laugh outta her.

“You’re absolutely not a virgin.”