Here Be Dragons (Completed)

Indulgence

The bar was busy tonight, the slightly smoky air filled with the sounds of braying laughter and a bad karaoke rendition of a song I didn't know. Apparently, everyone else in the bar knew the song because drunken voices rose to almost ear-bleeding levels as they all joined in on the chorus. Thank God my shift was over soon.

I served another beer, pocketing my tip in my bra for safe keeping as the customer sent a wink my way. I gave him what I hoped was a grateful smile but probably fell short to what he wanted. I just didn't have the energy to fake it. I was exhausted and tightly wound from two straight weeks of long shifts and no indulgence. I could use a break and some fun.

I scouted out the full bar, searching through the sea of faces for someone who may fit my criteria. There didn't seem to be many option and I sighed in resignation. Too bad, maybe tomorrow.

"Slim pickings?" A warm baritone sounded to my right and I jumped slightly at the sound. Turning towards the voice, I was surprised to see a rather captivating man sitting at the bar nursing an Old Fashioned. I didn't remember serving him so it must have been Alec, the other bartender, who had the pleasure.

He was dressed nicer then most of the men in the bar and looked rather sophisticated in his crisp white dress shirt and black slacks. His brown hair was styled neat though the natural waves added a bit of chaos to keep him from looking too polished and refined. I could see his shirt stretching slightly over his toned arms though he wasn't overly muscled. He had the body of a swimmer, firm but lithe.

"Don't know what you mean." I said, playing off his observation though the lie fell flat as he lifted his eyes to meet mine. A raging inferno flickered and sparked behind his brown irises, the intensity so hot I felt my breath catch. The moment stretched between us until I turned away, feigning shyness.

"Don't you?" He replied, tilting his glass back as the hint of a challenge glinted in his eyes. For a split second I felt a strange sense of nostalgia roll over me, like smelling the familiar aroma of your mother's cooking or the odd comforting feeling of coming home. It was gone before I could examine it and, to be honest, the emotion frightened me so I dismissed it promptly.

I nodded towards his half full drink as I pulled a bottle of bourbon from the shelf behind me. "You want another?"

The stranger shook his head, the waves in his hair dancing along the nape of his neck. "I'm good with this one for now."

I shrugged, "Let me know if you need anything else." I said, setting the bottle on the bar in front of me with an audible clunk. Fire Eyes glanced down to my hand wrapped around the neck of the bottle and I saw the flames flare with intensity once more.

I turned to leave but I was brought up short by a firm grip cinched around my wrist. I knew immediately who it was, but I still had to stop myself from using the heavy bourbon bottle to bash the stranger's beautiful face in. Refocusing my attention on Fire Eyes, I found him studying my hand quite intensively. The feel of his fingers against my skin was different but not entirely unenjoyable. Oddly, it piqued my interest.

He brought my hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss against my knuckles the way gentlemen used to do. "You have exceptional hands." The compliment, if I could call it one, was so peculiar I felt a bemused smile spread across my face. He didn't seem to notice as he ran the tips of his fingers along the lengths of mine which caused a shiver to snake down my spine much to my utter shock and confusion. "Perfectly proportional." He mused, speaking more to himself than to me.

He glanced back up at me, a slight blush covering his cheeks and I let my earlier smile tip up coyly. "Hate to break it to you, Handsome, but that may be the strangest pick up line I've heard all night."