The Divine Pact

e's the ki

e soccer ball entered the net. Tonight was the Quarterfinals of the Wo

itement of the game-it was the excitement of the community coming together, something that happened every time the national team played. T

asn't just a patron; she was working. Matt, the pub's owner, had been desperate for a waitress and Thea couldn't say no to him. He'd helped her out too many times to count, and besides, he didn

the kind of urgency that came with a packed house. He flashed her a qu

s. He was a tall man with a rough-around-the-edges charm and an easy smile

n pocket, trying to ignore the occasional lecherous glances she got from some of the more inebriated patr

ither, » he said, his eyes flicking toward the largest table in the

nt. They'd become regulars on game nights, and honestly, it made Soccer Nights the safest nights she had ever worked.

ng back in his chair, a beer in hand, looking effortlessly handsome. His blond hair was styled back from his forehead, but a few stray strands kept falling into his eyes. E

way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he laughed made her heart do this little flip. She had caught him staring at her m

ake these. » He was trying to be efficient, but it seemed like he was going out of h

crossing her arms. « I

pping in to help. She winked at Thea as she grabbed the tray. « Cutie detectiv

t rate quickening a little. She tried to tur

r, pulling Thea's attention back to her

t help the smile that tugged at

» she added with a sly grin, « he's not th

ed. « What? Who else

t was a secret. « Check out the hottie in the corner. The one with the

f the pub, was a man with dark, tousled hair and sharp features. His eyes were dark and intense, as though he was studying her every movement, every shift

the weight of his gaze settle on her. He wasn't smiling

feeling slightly flustered.

couple of weeks, but he usually keeps to himself. Quiet type. But

ion, especially not from someone who looked like him. The man had an aura of danger about h

caught in headlights, » Thea joked, but even she di

e who's noticed you. Josh has been looking at you like he wants to take you h

man doing the same thing was another level entirely. Was it her imagination, or was there an underlying challenge

rying to brush it off. « I'm

y. « Sure, sure. You keep telling yourself that. But when Josh fi

he swirling chaos of the game and the constant stream of orders, her mind kept drifting back to t

was already looking at her. Every time their eyes met, she couldn't tell whether he was intrigued or just

ely not like anyone else in the pub.