The Life That Mattered (Life #1)(25)

When I glanced at Ronin, he gave my drink a single peaked brow.

Yes, buddy. I’m drinking, probably more than originally planned because I don’t like Vanessa sitting by you. And my grown-ass, thirty-four-year-old self shouldn’t have an issue with it. But I do because it’s been a shitty day. I’m human. And insecurity is a bitch I’m not immune to.

“Song choices. Sign up at the bar if you’re interested.” The waitress set a piece of paper in the middle of the table with a list of songs.

Vanessa plucked it from the table before anyone else had a chance to grab it. “Oh! I love this one.” She pointed to a song, showing Ronin. “You have to sing it with me! Please!”

“Sure.” He shrugged before taking a swig of his beer.

You’ve got to be shitting me.

The one thing I could do was sing my ass off, not as well as my shower Sinatra, but I could definitely carry a tune. Yet, Ronin said yes to a duet with Vanessa. I took the second tequila shot.

“Pace yourself.” Tami laughed, sipping her wine.

Ronin’s one-peaked-brow of concern turned into two, but I ignored him, quickly ordering more shots from the waitress. That brought him out of his chair, working his way around the table to me.

“Come here.” He smiled, holding out his hand so the rest of the table didn’t question what was up.

I stared at his hand a few seconds, already feeling a buzz from two shots on an empty stomach. Then my gaze flitted to Vanessa. She watched me while sipping her beer. Placing my hand in his, I let him help me up and drag me toward the back of the bar to the one empty barstool on the corner.

“Water,” he said to the bartender, lifting me onto the stool and wedging himself between my legs, hands on my thighs. “What’s up, Evie?” His head cocked to the side.

I shrugged, dragging my sluggish gaze around the room. “Nothing.”

“Two shots in less than five minutes doesn’t seem like nothing. Try again.”

I forced my eyes to meet his gaze. To meet all of him—his dark blue jeans hanging just right on his waist, black leather unlaced boots, and a fitted white button-down with the sleeves rolled up showing off his sinewy arms. And don’t even get me started on how good he smelled, like pine and cedar. My mountain man.

“I like karaoke.”

“Okay,” he replied on a soft chuckle, handing me the water the bartender just set on the counter.

I took a few swigs before handing it back to him.

“Then you should sing.”

I frowned. “I didn’t know you sang, except in the shower. And now you’ve agreed to sing with Va-ness-uh”

“Va-ness-uh?” He smirked at me. “Why are you saying her name like that?”

“Like what?” I blew a few strands of hair away from my face.

“Like you don’t like her.”

“I just met her today. Why wouldn’t I like her?” Such a great question and completely rhetorical.

“Exactly. So … are you saying you want to sing with me too? We can sing together.”

Too? No. Instead? Yes. But I couldn’t tell him that. It would’ve come across like I didn’t like her, which was crazy because I’d just met her. And she’d done nothing wrong. Except touch Ronin. But Tami hugged Ronin. And Lila had touched him in a friendly way, hugged him, seen him naked having sex with me.

Not helping!

“I’m not in the mood to sing.” I grabbed his shirt and pulled him to me, brushing my lips over his.

“No?” he said in the same deep voice he used to whisper dirty things to me in bed. “What are you in the mood for?” He kissed me.

I wrapped one of my legs around him, hooking his leg with my foot, deepening the kiss, moaning because those two shots had stolen my self-control. That … that was what I needed. Ronin brought me back to center. He was balance and reason to my instability and doubt.

“We’re up!” Vanessa interrupted, tugging on Ronin’s arm like she couldn’t see us kissing.

He pulled away, looking only at me. “I think I’m going to pass on karaoke tonight.”

“What? No! It’s one song. We’re up now. It’s less than four minutes. Evelyn, tell him to get his ass on stage with me. Don’t you want to see him sing?”

I rubbed my lips together. Confrontation was not my thing. “It’s … yeah. Fine.”

Ronin took a step away from me as Vanessa incessantly pulled his arm. “You sure?”

I smiled when I couldn’t make my head submit to a nod. Well, I wasn’t sure it was a real smile. It felt more like a grimace. A painful grimace.

He let her pull him up on stage, and I made my way back to the table.

“Have you heard him sing before?” Tami yelled in my ear over the start of the music.

“Yes, but just in the shower.”

She laughed, jerking her chin toward the two new shots the waitress delivered while I was at the bar with Ronin. “Going big tonight, huh?”

I stared at the shots. It was fine. I didn’t need them anymore. Ronin kissed me. That soothed my nerves and numbed my insecurities more than alcohol.

“Whoa! Interesting song choice.” Tami rested her hand on my arm.

I glanced over at her. “I haven’t heard it.”