since she’d been here, she felt her stomach tighten up over a good-looking man. Embarrassed because of the way she was reacting to him, she looked down at the floor.
“New York,” Mac said. “Doc Stevens is right there!” He gave her a little shove.
Sashi was sure she was bright red by now. The curse of pale skin.
Stop it, Sashi. Go give the doctor his key!
His table wasn’t far from the bar. She pulled herself together and crossed to him. In an effort to appear in control, she focused on a spot behind his broad shoulders and not on his handsome face. Her heart was pounding too hard. This kind of thing didn’t happen to her.
“Welcome to the Watering Hole, Dr. Stevens.” Now she met his gaze. Whew! His eyes were a luminous gold. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the key. “I believe this is for you.” As she handed it to him she said, “Mr. Marshall wanted me to tell you ‘thanks again.’”
As the doctor took the key, his hand brushed hers. She felt a jolt of energy from her fingertips to her midsection.
Sashi had heard of love at first sight, or what she preferred to call lust at first sight, but had never believed in it. She chalked it up to living in New York. Or maybe never having a relationship last. Whatever the reason, it had turned her into a real cynic about romance—until this moment. She’d never felt such attraction. No doubt it was one-sided, but it was shocking nevertheless.
“Thank you, Sashi,” he replied.
“Oh! You’re welcome.” She smiled. “It’s part of the job. Hey—how do you know my name?”
Suddenly the two most adorable creases bracketed his mouth. “It’s on your name tag.”
“Of course.” She felt herself blush again and bit her lip, continuing to look at him as he looked right back at her. Needing to break the silence, she asked, “Can I get you anything to drink?”
“I’ll have whatever you think is the best on tap.”
“Are you a lager kind of guy?”
“Always.”
“Then I’ll be right back.” Sashi started to make an escape and compose her thoughts.
“Wait.”
Her body quickened. This weird attraction was well beyond her comfort zone. She needed to talk to Kendra right now! Unfortunately, Kendra was with Freddy Marshall, a shameless ladies’ man. Sashi detested him, but his father was the boss, so she kept her feelings quiet. What baffled her was how Kendra could be in love with a man who kept breaking her heart.
Sashi had no choice but to turn back to the doctor. “Is there something else I can get you, Dr. Stevens?”
The man leaned back in the chair, his long legs stretched out before him. Was there anything unappealing about him? “First off, call me Cole. Everyone does. Up here we’re a pretty informal bunch.” He smiled warmly.
Sashi’s throat went dry. Maybe this wasn’t just a one-way attraction. “Okay—Cole.”
He looked at her curiously. “Where are you from? East Coast?”
“Originally from Virginia, but I’ve spent the past ten years in New York.”
He sat up to lean closer to her. “That’s why your accent sounds so familiar. A colleague of mine is from New York. He sounds like you.”
“Everyone calls me ‘New York’ up here.”
“What did you do there, if I may ask?”
Sashi wondered if the wheat-colored hair that fell over his forehead was soft to the touch. “Pardon?”
“I asked what you did in New York.”
“Oh. I studied ballet. Um...let me go and get you that drink.”
Sashi headed back to the bar to get his beer, chastising herself for acting like a teenager around him. Get your act together, girl. He’s a customer who wants a beer. That’s all. With that little pep talk, she headed back to his table with the beer.
“Oh, dear,” she muttered to herself. This wasn’t going to be easy. The man was too damned sexy.
Sashi put his drink on the wooden table. “One lager on the house, courtesy of Mr. Marshall. Is there anything else you would like, Doc—I mean Cole?”
He took a swig of his drink, then set it down. “This is good.” He flashed her another warm smile.
“So I’ve been told.” Sashi felt herself smile back.
“You’re not a beer drinker, then?”
Sashi wrinkled her nose. “I’ve never been a fan of beer. Too many calories.”
He studied her. “Like you need to worry. So what do you drink?”
Her heart raced from all his attention. “If I do...a gin and tonic.”
“Cole!” Mac yelled from the bar. “Stop hitting on the staff!”
“Then stop hiring such good-looking women!” Cole fired back.
Sashi could feel her cheeks burning again. She had to get away. She flashed Cole a smile, then moved to other customers and began taking orders. She couldn’t risk jeopardizing her job, not with only three days left. For the past three months she’d spurned every man who’d come on to her, be it an employee or guest.
She needed to ignore this attraction. But it did make her feel better to know she wasn’t completely frozen inside, as the men she’d turned down had told her. She guessed she simply wasn’t attracted to most men. Only to one blond god with tawny eyes.
The rest of the shift passed quickly. When the doctor ordered another lager or asked her a question, Sashi did her best to look unaffected.
* * *
SINCE THAT RED-HAIRED beauty had appeared, Cole sat at the table thunderstruck by what had transpired. Women like that didn’t just walk into saloons up in Alaska every day. Was she one of the girls Freddy had brought up from Washington, D.C., under the pretense of proposing to her?
Even if she was interested in Freddy, there’d been a spark between Cole and her when their eyes had met. Cole needed to catch her alone before he left the bar in order to find out if this attraction was only in his mind.
He waited outside for the place to close down and for Sashi to come out. Such an unusual name. He wondered what it meant. Hell, he had a ton of questions. Most of all he needed to see her again. She looked like a medieval princess with her porcelain skin and shiny, long hair. And her face! It was beautiful.
He heard the door open before he saw silhouettes moving in the semidarkness. Sashi was the first out. Mac followed after locking up the bar.
“Get a good night’s sleep, New York.”
“You, too, Mac.”
