I swallow. “Yeah. Just… wow.”
She follows my gaze. “Oh.”
Her eyebrows shoot up. “Oh wow. He is insanely hot.”
“Right?”
“That entire table is illegal levels of sexy cowboy,” she breathes out.
But my focus keeps dragging back to him.
Those dark eyes.
Watching. Or maybe I’m imagining it.
We make our way to the bar, squeezing between bodies, and before we even order, two guys slide into the space beside us.
Tourist cowboys. You can tell by the boots that are too clean and the accents that don’t belong here. I’m starting to learn the difference the longer I stay here. It’s fascinating to me.
“Drinks on us,” one says with a grin.
Violet beams. “Well, thank you.”
I smile politely as beers slide toward us. They make conversation. The boring small talk kind that I hate. Ask where we’re from, what we’re doing here. Violet chats easily, laughing, while I nod along.
I can’t focus. Because every few seconds, my gaze drifts back across the bar.
Back to him. Still there. Still watching.
I take a sip of beer, trying to steady the sudden flutter in my stomach.
Violet leans closer. “Cowboy table is still staring.”
I risk another glance. And yep. Still there. Leaning back in his chair, beer in hand, eyes fixed on me like nothing else in the bar exists. Which is exactly how I feel about him.
“You should go talk to him,” Violet whispers.
I nearly choke on my drink. “Absolutely not.”
“Why not?”
“Because men like that don’t get approached.” I shrug, pretending my stomach isn’t flipping inside out. “They approach. I don’t want to look desperate.”
“And you’re just gonna wait?” She looks at me like I’m dumb as a rock.
I lift my chin. “If he wants to talk to me, he can come over.”
Truth is, walking up to that table would absolutely destroy what little composure I have left.
He makes me nervous. But not scared. I’m intrigued.
My heart stammers as he reaches across the table, picks up a black cowboy hat, and settles it onto his head.
Like he knows exactly what that does to a woman.
He says something to the men at his table. One of them grins and glances at me knowingly.
And then he stands.