Lydia Owens grew up in Oklahoma, where storm chasing alongside her father and brother was her greatest passion. But everything changed when a tornado took her father's life, leaving an irreparable void in her heart.
Fleeing from painful memories, Ly...
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Scott was drunk. Not blackout drunk, but definitely tipsy. The kind of drunk where the edges of his vision blurred and the room seemed to sway slightly, but he still knew exactly who he was talking to and what was going on around him. The dimly lit bar buzzed with the low hum of conversations, but none of them interested him. Instead, he found himself leaning against the counter, a glass of whiskey in his hand, listening to the girl who had sidled up next to him.
"Tell me, honey, why do you look so handsome in this uniform?" she purred, her voice syrupy sweet, but it grated on his nerves.
Scott felt the light touch of her pink manicured nails on his arm, tracing a line that was supposed to be seductive but only made him tense. He didn't even bother to look at her. The scent of her overpowering perfume filled his nostrils, making him want to recoil.
"I don't know," he muttered, his voice flat and uninterested.
She giggled, a sound that seemed too high-pitched for the quiet intimacy of the bar. "Maybe you'd look even more handsome without it," she teased, leaning in closer, her breath hot against his ear.
Scott didn't flinch, but his grip tightened around the glass. "I don't know," he repeated, this time more firmly. He wasn't here for this, and his mind kept drifting elsewhere, his thoughts hazy but persistent.
Just then, the door to the bar swung open and a burst of laughter filled the space. Scott's eyes were drawn to the source of the noise like a magnet. Lydia walked in, flanked by Tyler and Kate. The three of them were laughing, their cheeks flushed with excitement from whatever adventure they had just come from.
Scott's heart skipped a beat at the sight of Lydia. She was wearing a pair of tight jeans that hugged her curves perfectly, accentuating her legs and making her ass look incredible. Her hair was loose, falling in waves around her shoulders, and her smile was bright, lighting up her face in a way that made Scott's chest tighten.
She moved with an easy confidence, her eyes scanning the room before she walked over to the bar with her friends. Lydia leaned against the counter, her body angled towards Tyler and Kate, but Scott noticed every detail — the way her shirt rode up just slightly when she stretched, revealing a sliver of skin, the way she absentmindedly twirled a strand of her hair around her finger as she listened to Kate. She looked so effortlessly beautiful that it hurt.
He watched as she ordered a round of shots, her fingers drumming on the bar top while she waited. When the bartender placed three shot glasses in front of them, Lydia grinned and grabbed hers first. She raised it high, her eyes sparkling with mischief. Tyler and Kate laughed, clinking their glasses against hers before they all downed their tequila shots. Scott couldn't tear his eyes away from Lydia as she tilted her head back, the curve of her neck exposed for a moment, her throat working as she swallowed. She slammed the glass down on the counter with a satisfied gasp, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.
