Managing Blake by Debra Elise

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Wolf whistles and cat calls filled the room. Caris began to laugh and lost herself in the moment. She’d never crashed any party, let alone a bachelor party. She scanned the pub to make sure there weren’t any strippers hiding among the packed room of the best-looking group of men she’d ever seen in person. But it was the man standing in the entryway who captured her immediate attention.

The manager of the Outlaws, Blake Anderson, was looking her up and down. His ocean-blue gaze captured hers. He’d caught her looking, which she didn’t have a problem with. Any woman she knew who enjoyed a finely sculpted man would have done the same thing. She appreciated his wide shoulders and long legs encased in jeans that fit him in all the right places. His dark hair brushed the collar of his white button-down shirt. His sleeves were rolled up, exposing his sun-kissed skin and muscled forearms.

She was a sucker for a man with well-defined shoulders and arms. And a muscled back. But she had no way of knowing if his back matched his front; she could only guess and dream. Because the dream she had of him the last time she saw him came rushing back and warmed her cheeks. They may have never spoken more than polite hellos, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t thought about him a time or two. Well, maybe more than that, but it was a fantasy she’d never thought would happen. She never thought their paths would cross again. Tonight, it had. He was looking at her similar to how he did in her dreams.

But she didn’t appreciate the knowing grin on his face. She gave herself a shake and broke eye contact. She was not here to hook up. Not with Blake or anyone else Lara had plans to put in her path. She had enough drama going on in her life, thank you very much. She just wanted to have another drink and have a good time with her friends. And maybe window shop the group of well put together baseball players who dominated the room.

Maverick and Kelsey had ended their epic kiss, and she was helping him remove the cornucopia of bras he’d acquired. She found Noel at a table sipping a drink while Lara and Luke seemed to be in deep discussion. Their wedding was next month, but at the moment neither one was putting off the vibes Kelsey and Mav were transmitting. Caris walked over to the table and sat down.

“So, what’s everyone drinking?”

Noel waved her off and mouthed, ‘not good’. Caris looked back at the arguing couple and cringed. Dammit. She hated seeing people she cared about argue. It brought back too many memories of her own parents and the constant turmoil they seemed to thrive on.

A glass of wine appeared in front of her on the table. It was attached to the arm she had just been ogling moments ago. Without asking, Blake pulled out a chair, sat and ignored her.