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I gawked, unable to blink I had an unobstructed view of hiirls The blood rushed in ain and I was on a lonely stretch of country road, the acrid s my nostrils as I stared at his familiar face That dark blond hair cut close to his head The tall, lean body that had bent over the engine of o I could see him even more clearly now, but I hadn’t been mistaken inHis features like so chiseled from marble There was a shadowy hint of stubble on his face, and his eyes were so piercing a blue they looked almost silver

He looked just a few years older than me I could see that now It was probably the way he held himself Experienced Capable He wore a orn cotton T-shirt with MULVANEY’S stretched across one of his impressive pecs Dimly I wondered if his shirt felt as soft as it looked If his chest was as solid

The girls were tittering like seventh-graders noking at him, too I felt like someone sucker punched me My rescuer My bartender Mulvaney’s et you?" he repeated

"What’s good?" Gina propped her elbows on the bar, no doubt flashing hie

He rattled off the various beers on tap like he had done it a hundred tith of the bar as he talked, assessing the crowd

"H his head, he looked back down at her "Look, I’ll come back to you when you make up your mind" His eyes snapped over them to me "What’ll you have?"

Myme, that he dismissed the with hinition "Hey You" He nodded slightly at me "How’s the car?"

Before I could answer, Gina sentlook and then turned back to him She waved her , he looked back down at them, his expression a blend of annoyance and boredom "Then order already"

She tossed her dark hair over her shoulder "Forget it The service here sucks We’ll go so, they shoved past me

He didn’t even watch theed one shoulder and flashed me a half smile thatto look confident Like I hung out in bars all the ti forward slightly "Nohat can I get for you?" His tone was decidedly friendlier than when he spoke to the other girls, and heat swarmed my face I’m sure it was just because we knew each other--in a way--but it stillhis arms The muscles bunched A tattoo peeked out from beneath his sleeve and crawled down his tanned bicep and forear at his wrist It looked like so I would have liked to study it further, but I was already conscious that I was ogling him, and I still hadn’t answered his question

"Um A pitcher of Sam Adams" I knew Emerson liked microbrews

"ID?"

"Oh" I fuet last year for the one tilanced at it and back to my face A hint of a smile played about his lips "Twenty-four?"

I nodded, but

"Guess you just have one of those baby faces" He didn’t wait for a reply Still s faintly, he stepped away

My eyes were drawn to his broad back His T-shirt hugged the muscled expanse He wore a pair of orn jeans, and the view from the back was almost as nice as the front Suddenly the bar felt oppressively hot

He set the full pitcher and a stack of cups in front of me

"Thanks" I handed hiister

In theto say Soht draw out our conversation I didn’t let myself consider why Or that suddenly I wasn’t so averse to the idea of talking to hi

My throat closed up, panicking at the prospect How did E look so effortless

He returned withit into the tip jar

"Take care"

I looked up but he was already gone,after hi the cups under one arm, I held the pitcher with two hands and dove back into the throng Only I didn’t make it two steps before so a ineffectually at their doused clothing