Julie approached the reception hall and slipped inside. Sheād stayed at the church to gather all of the scattered odds and ends from the pre-ceremony rush. As she opened the door soft slow music filled the room. She watched several couples pair off and slip onto the dance floor. How she longed to be one of those women being held close in a strong masculine embrace. She couldnāt help but eye them with envy.
It had been just over a year since Daniel packed his bags and moved out of her apartment, and her life. Almost daily his last words reverberated in her head. Heād accused her of being frigid, telling her heād only stayed out of pity. She hated him, his words inflicted more pain than if heād slapped her.
After Daniel, she vowed never to become swept up in the promises of a smooth talking man. To hell with it, she didnāt need to date...she had family and friends to occupy her time. And besides, she knew she wasnāt anything special, Daniel had made sure of that.
Julieās eyes traveled to the center of the dance floor where her friend Jane was wrapped in the arms of Doug, her groom. The looked so much in love....Julie said a silent prayer of continued happiness for them. With a sigh and one last longing glance at the loving couples swaying slowly to the music, she made her way to the bar.
The familiar scent of Drakkar cologne hit her before the visual presence of the bartender. She raised her gaze up to meet a pair of gorgeous chocolate brown eyes peering back at her. For a moment she could only stare as she took in this handsome specimen. Long and lean, she guessed him at over 6 feet tall with dark brown hair, cut in a popular style, the ends curling at the nape of his neck. His eyes sparkled with amusement and were framed with thick dark lashes, the kind any woman would kill for. He was rugged and masculine looking, Julie fleetingly wondered if he was single, then quickly brushed the thought aside.
Blushing, she cleared her throat and ordered a vodka lemonade. His eyes roamed her body appreciatively and she caught the hint of a grin tugging at his lips before he turned to make her the drink. She watched the taut muscles of his legs and back as he twisted around, reached for the bottle of vodka, then tipped it to pour. My god, heād looked at her as if heād eat her alive if given the chance. A rush of raw desire flowed through her as he turned to hand her the cocktail. His fingers brushed hers slightly and she murmured a soft thank you.