Free Accidental Sex Goddess by Lexi Ryan Page A

going to change that,” she said softly.
    Slowly, she opened her eyes and stared at the floor. The warmth of the bartender’s hand left hers but she still couldn’t look at him.
    She took a deep, fortifying breath. Time to put your chin up and go home.
    “Hey.” He ducked to catch her eye. The bartender stood on her side of the bar now. “Don’t you dare,” he said softly, “give that loser one more thought.”
    She looked into his eyes, swallowed hard. “Okay.”
    He gave a curt nod. “That’a girl.” Stepping back, he winked. “Now tell me what your drink is. It’s on the house.”
    “I don’t suppose you have any good wine,” she hedged.
    He slid around the back side of the bar and chuckled. “This establishment caters to the college crowd, so unless you idea of a good wine is cheap white zin—”
    Reese shuddered. As an impoverished college student, she couldn’t really afford the good stuff, but her parents had brought her up on fine wine. “I’ll pass, thanks.”
    “This is what you need,” he said. He poured her a shot of amber liquid and pushed it across the bar.
    Reese frowned. “What is it?”
    “Tequila. Drink of choice for any self-respecting heartbroken college girl.”
    She scowled. “I am not heartbroken. I’m mortified.”
    “You’re thinking about the ass again.” He nudged the shot an inch closer. “This will correct that.”
    She gave a sharp nod. “Fair enough.” She threw it back and winced as it went down. It hit her belly hot and fast, making her draw in a sharp breath. “Well, then.”
    He refilled her glass.
    She shook her head and held up a hand. “I know my limits.”
    He raised a brow. “Have you stopped believing what the asshole said yet?”
    Point taken, she threw back the second shot.
    When he smiled at her, the warmth in her belly grew beyond the boundaries of the hot trail left by the tequila. “I’m Reese,” she said softly. “Thanks for saving the day.”
    “Ben.” He whisked the empty shot glass and wiped the bar in front of her. “And I didn’t do a damn thing.”
    Something pulled inside her chest as she studied him. She swallowed. “So, what about you? Are you a student?”
    “I’m finishing up a degree in construction management—two semesters left.”
    “Oh, so you’re my age.”
    He chuckled. “Not unless you, Miss University of Chicago, are also on the six-year plan.”
    She waved a hand. “Doesn’t really matter in the end. What are you going to do with that degree?”
    “I’m going to build houses for people who have more money than they know what to do with.” He leaned forward on his elbows. “What about you?”
    Reese reached for her water. “I’m in public relations. Actually, I stayed in town this summer because I was taking an internship, but it fell through. This morning.” She forced a smile. “It’s turning out to be a gem of a day.”
    Ben frowned and snapped his towel toward her. “Hey, what about that charming bartender you met today? That part wasn’t so bad.”
    Reese bit her lip, her cheeks warming. He was flirting with her. “I think he was trying to get me drunk,” she said, voice low. “But he is pretty charming.”
    Ben propped himself on his elbows and leaned forward. “And handsome?”
    “Don’t push your luck,” she said. Her cheeks were full-out burning now.
    “You’re cute when you’re embarrassed.”
    His gaze dropped to her lips and Reese stopped breathing. His Adam’s apple rose and fell as he swallowed. God, he was sexy, and man alive did she want him to kiss her.
    She parted her lips, leaned forward a fraction of an inch. Movements so small someone across the bar probably wouldn’t have seen them, but they both knew it was an invitation.
    Ben snapped upright and made work of straightening some bottles.
    Reese inhaled deeply, looking for sanity in the deep breath. He’d seen her be embarrassed and he was trying to be nice. She wasn’t the type of girl to pick up a hunky