“Do I know you?” And how did he know she had crashed? She hadn’t even realized she’d run out of energy until she’d felt the familiar heaviness in her chest. It wasn’t a medical condition. Just a physiological quirk that allowed her to push past her physical limits until her body decided it had had enough.
He raised one thick eyebrow in what appeared to be disbelief. Delicious shivers slid down her spine as she assessed his cool, sensual face. His eyes were the deepest shade of brown, dark like the forest floor she’d hidden on before she’d taken a chance to claim victory for her team. A hint of a cleft in his chin and full lips in a beautifully shaped mouth softened what might have otherwise been a severe expression. As his gaze raked up and down her body, her nipples tightened and she crossed her arms over her chest, silently thanking the ’80s for her massive puffball sleeves.
“Are you kidding me? We were on the same team today.”
She studied him, trying to place his deep voice. Something niggled at the back of her mind, but after a few hours of drinking, her memories were a little fuzzy. “Sorry. Don’t recognize you. I’m good with faces. Not so good with masks. Excellent with beer funnels, though, so you can cancel that cab. I’ve been doing them for years. I’ve got a special trick where I relax all the muscles in my throat so the beer can slide right down. I could get a fire hose down there and not choke.”
“I . . .” He cleared his throat. “Didn’t need to know that.”
“If you think I need a cab, then you did need to know that.” She gestured toward the bar. “I need to find Maria and let her know she’s down a bridesmaid.”
He lifted his chin in the direction of the restroom door. “Does she need a hand?”
Despite his abrupt manner, the dude had a good heart to go with his looks, Zara decided. He was the whole package. “Thanks, but I’ve got it under control.” She walked down the hallway, acutely aware of the gorgeous man following slightly behind her. “Your concern is a refreshing change from the douchebag I was paired up with on the field this afternoon. Talk about bossy. He thought he knew everything about paintball.”
She stopped as they emerged into the bar, hoping he would continue on his way. He was too attractive, oozing power and confidence with every step. For a woman who had sworn off men, he was a dangerous temptation.
“Maybe he did know everything about paintball.” He frowned again, his voice clipped and hard.
“I doubt it,” Zara said. “Even if he was a pro, I can’t stand guys like that. I’ll bet he’s one of those wannabe military types who spends his weekends playing paintball with his geek friends, pretending he’s the real deal. It was sad, really. He clearly wasn’t good with strategy. You can’t win by doing what everyone else is doing, but he wasn’t interested in hearing what anyone else had to say.”
“？‘Wannabe military’？？” He gritted out the words like they were a personal offense.
Zara felt a prickle of unease when his brow creased, but it was too late to backtrack now. “You know who I’m talking about. The guys who love the idea of serving our country but don’t have the balls to enlist . . .” She trailed off when his scowl deepened. “Is he a friend of yours?”
“Not exactly.” He walked slightly ahead of her, clearing a path through the crowd with a calm competence that made her feel curiously safe.
“I’ve been looking all over for you.” Parvati intercepted them a few steps away from the bar. “Maria’s going to try the funnel. You have to come and cheer her on.”
“I can’t.” Zara watched Parvati’s attention focus on the man beside her. “I have to look after Stacy. She’s all partied out for the night.”
Parvati held out her hand to Zara’s companion. “Parvati Chopra. Currently single.”
“Jay Dayal . . .” He shook her hand, his gaze sliding to Zara, lips curling in a smirk. “Otherwise known as the douchebag.”
Zara sucked in a sharp breath. Why had she not recognized him? It was all right there staring her in the face. The height. The muscular chest. The thick biceps. And that voice. She’d definitely had too much to drink. “My apologies.” She swallowed hard. “If I’d known it was you, I would have kept my opinions to myself.”
“I think that’s highly unlikely,” he said bluntly. “In the short time we’ve known each other, you haven’t kept your opinions about anything to yourself.”