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Nico gave her his million-dollar smile, then raced out of the kitchen carrying another tray of drinks. It was a Wednesday night. Not usually a busy night for Madigan’s, but with Nico firmly on the schedule for her slower nights, she had to admit, business was better than usual.
Skyla smiled to herself. What were a few broken glasses when the man was practically sex on a stick? One of the busboys cleaned up the glass while Skyla followed Nico out of the kitchen to get a quick glance at the patrons. Almost all the tables were taken, and a few singles were sitting up at the bar, their gaze glued to one of the flatscreens.
Blake O’Connell sat in his usual spot, and a momentary feeling of both panic and excitement shot through her. He’d been coming by almost every night, and the last thing she needed was the Feds getting too close to her or her business. The thought almost made Skyla laugh out loud. One of her best friends was living with an FBI agent, and the other one was married to a Dallas Police Detective. To say she was surrounded by law enforcement on a regular basis was an understatement. She just hadn’t given it much thought until Blake started hanging out at Madigan’s. Besides, it wasn’t like seeing Blake was a hardship. It was only when those baby blue eyes of his met hers that her skin warmed and she forgot what she was saying or doing.
Forcing herself to look away before Blake made eye contact, Skyla focused her gaze on Nico as he strode over to a table with four women. They all looked like they had just broken up with their sorry ass boyfriends and were in desperate need of a good time. They giggled shamelessly as he approached, giving him the kind of eye fucks that would make even a seasoned flirt blush.
He set the drinks down on the table in front of them and stayed to chat for a few minutes, clearly working on his tip. Skyla approved. The man worked hard, didn’t complain when she asked him to stay late or come in early, and she hadn’t yet met a woman who didn’t like him. He also didn’t start or create fights with the men, unlike the bartender she’d had to fire before him.
“Can I get another one?”
Skyla’s body tightened as the rich timbre reached her ears. Did that man even know the effect he had on her? Obviously not, since he kept coming around, without so much as saying more than ten words to her in as many days.
She stepped behind the counter and raised her gaze, instantly crashing into his, making her world tilt. Her body hummed with awareness, but he just lifted his glass higher until it caught her eye, breaking the spell of Blake O’Connell. God, she loathed the weird trance he always put her in. It wasn’t like she’d ever act on it. No way. Everyone she’d ever loved or cared about had left her, and she wasn’t going to put herself through that kind of pain ever again. “Blake,” she managed to croak out while taking his glass carefully so their fingers wouldn’t touch. She made him another gin and tonic, and felt his intense gaze on her. Was he worried she wouldn’t make it correctly? She smirked to herself, then placed the glass in front of him as soon as she was done.
“Thanks,” he said, pushing a hand through his unruly curly blond hair. With that hair, those eyes, and his chiseled jawline, the man could easily be on the cover of magazines. She didn’t know why he’d chosen a life in law enforcement, but what was even more puzzling to her was his most recent behavior.
“Didn’t think of you as someone who would turn to the bottle,” she said, half joking. Ever since getting shot on the job a few months ago, he’d been quieter around his friends. Then, he started coming to Madigan’s almost every night. It wasn’t hard to figure out the man was struggling. She just didn’t know how to help him. Not that he’d ever accept her help.
Blake’s eyes narrowed as he met her gaze with all the heat of a roaring fire. “Never.” The word came out like a bullet. Strong. Fierce. Decisive. A lot like him.
She raised an eyebrow and pointedly glanced down at his drink. She wasn’t about to outright accuse him, but she wouldn’t ignore this obvious trajectory either.
Blake set his glass down and locked his gaze with hers. The guy was nothing if not intense. “My dad - well, my stepdad - was in the Navy. When he got out, he hit the bottle pretty hard. It took him years to put that shit behind him.”
Skyla stood frozen. Blake never talked to her about, well, anything. For him to open up like this was the last thing she expected.
“James was a good guy,” Blake continued. “But he had his demons. He didn’t talk about them often, but sometimes he’d take me hiking or fishing on the weekends. That’s when we’d talk. Well, he’d do most of the talking. I’d listen.”
Skyla’s breath caught in her throat. He was opening up to her. Actually, talking to her. She was quiet a moment too long, before she said, “Was?”
Blake nodded, solemnly, as if he hadn’t even realized what he’d said. “James died when I was in high school.”
“I’m so sorry,” she said, all the breath leaving her body. She knew about loss like that all too well, and while she couldn’t bring herself to share anything with him, she was more than happy to be here for him.
Someone shouted something at the television overhead, and it was only then she realized that she’d momentarily been sucked into Blake’s world, and completely forgot where she was or even that there were other people around them. That happened a lot when he was around, just never quite so fully. The most she’d ever gotten out of him before was a “hey” or “what’s up?” This was decidedly different.
Blake shrugged and took a sip of his drink. “Looks like business is booming tonight.” He nodded in Nico’s direction.
Skyla didn’t miss the abrupt change of subject, but let it happen. “It’s okay,” she shrugged, still thinking about what he’d just told her. Blake was a nice enough guy around his friends, and while Skyla usually found his light blue eyes and permanent scowl incredibly sexy, this other side of him was damn near mouthwatering. Shields, she reminded herself. She needed to put up her metaphorical shields and keep them up. Blake O’Connell was not an option. Ever.
Besides, just because he kept coming around didn’t mean it had anything to do with her.
“How’s the new busboy working out? Heard the little ruckus in the kitchen a few minutes ago.”
Skyla smirked, ever aware of the growing number of glasses Nico had already broken in his short time at Madigan’s. “Waiter, not a busboy, and he’s… good for business.” She finished quickly, not missing how every woman in the place was eyeing the guy like he was the most delicious thing on the menu.
“I think you’re the one that’s good for business,” he said without missing a beat.
His words hit her square in the chest and her eyes shot up to meet his. Shit. There went that carefully erected shield.
He gave her a little nod before taking a quick sip of his drink. “So, what’s his story?” Blake asked, catching Skyla off guard. She shifted her feet, not used to having such a prolonged chat with him.
Maybe that was the reason for his frequent visits to Madigan’s these days. Was he lonely, or trying to forget someone, or work through something? She hadn’t heard of him being involved with anyone, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t been.
Skyla shrugged, both in answer to his question and to her own. “First year law student. Needed the money for tuition and rent.”
Blake’s eyebrows shot up as he leaned back in his stool, creating several inches more distance between them.
