Chapter 1 01

01

« And there's the kick! Goal! »

A cheer went up, and Thea smiled, cheering with them in her mind as the soccer ball entered the net. Tonight was the Quarterfinals of the World Cup, and the little pub of Saint Arlington was packed to the brim.

The energy in the air was electric, a kind of collective pulse that seemed to vibrate through the walls of the pub. It wasn't just the excitement of the game-it was the excitement of the community coming together, something that happened every time the national team played. The pub was a mix of local regulars, tourists who had wandered in, and some unexpected faces, all drawn together by the magnet of football.

On any other night, Thea would have been sitting by the bar, a drink in hand, cheering along with the rest of them, her laughter mixing with the shouts and clinks of glasses. But tonight, she wasn'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't like to ask for favors. So here she was, weaving her way through the crowded tables, dodging elbows and outstretched arms, collecting empty glasses and plates, before heading back to the bar.

Matt was working in overdrive, his usual laid-back demeanor replaced by the kind of urgency that came with a packed house. He flashed her a quick smile as he poured another round of drinks for a table in the back.

« How you going out there, Thea? » Matt asked, handing her a tray of drinks. He was a tall man with a rough-around-the-edges charm and an easy smile, one that had always made her feel welcome here, even on the hardest days.

« Not too bad. No one's copped a feel tonight, so I can't complain. » Thea stuffed her tips into the apron pocket, trying to ignore the occasional lecherous glances she got from some of the more inebriated patrons. It was part of the job-one of the unspoken parts, really-but it didn't make it any easier to endure.

Matt chuckled and gave her a knowing look. « They wouldn't want to either, » he said, his eyes flicking toward the largest table in the pub. « Half the department's here tonight; they wouldn't be game to. »

Thea followed his gaze. The table in question was surrounded by off-duty cops from the Saint Arlington Police Department. They'd become regulars on game nights, and honestly, it made Soccer Nights the safest nights she had ever worked. Every so often, someone would get a bit too rowdy, but the cops always kept things in check, without a second thought.

It also didn't hurt that Josh Cooper, the detective she'd been crushing on for the last two months, was off-duty tonight and sitting just in her line of sight. He was leaning 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. Every time it happened, Thea's hands itched with the urge to brush them away, a simple, natural gesture that could turn into something much more if she let herself imagine it.

Josh had that smile-wide, genuine, and somehow both innocent and wicked at the same time-that made her weak in the knees. The way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he laughed made her heart do this little flip. She had caught him staring at her more than once, but she was too shy to do anything about it. The thought of him looking at her like that made her cheeks burn.

Matt pushed a few more drinks toward her, pulling her out of her thoughts. « Here, take these. » He was trying to be efficient, but it seemed like he was going out of his way to make sure Thea didn't have any chance to let her mind wander back to Josh.

« Hey! » Thea protested, crossing her arms. « I can carry my own drinks. »

« It's okay, I got this, » Shae, the other waitress working tonight, said, stepping in to help. She winked at Thea as she grabbed the tray. « Cutie detective has been sneaking glances at you all night, so you should take their drinks. »

« Really? » Thea raised an eyebrow, her heart rate quickening a little. She tried to turn around casually, but Shae hissed a warning.

« Don't look! » Shae warned in a whisper, pulling Thea's attention back to her. « He'll know we're talking about him! »

Thea rolled her eyes but couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips. « You're impossible. »

Shae shrugged, clearly amused. « Besides, » she added with a sly grin, « he's not the only one who's been giving you the eye. »

Thea frowned, confused. « What? Who else is staring at me? »

Shae gave a small nod over her shoulder, her voice lowering as though it was a secret. « Check out the hottie in the corner. The one with the black hair and the smouldering gaze. He's been watching you all night. »

Thea's heart skipped a beat. She glanced casually in the direction Shae had indicated, trying not to seem too obvious. At a corner table, near the front of 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 of her body, like a predator sizing up its prey. There was something in the way he looked at her-calculated, almost-something that made her spine tingle.

Her eyes quickly flicked away, but not before she felt the weight of his gaze settle on her. He wasn't smiling, but there was something magnetic about his expression.

« Seriously? » Thea breathed, feeling slightly flustered. « I've never seen him before. »

« Oh, trust me, he's new. He's been here a few times in the past couple of weeks, but he usually keeps to himself. Quiet type. But tonight? Tonight, he's definitely been paying attention to you. »

Thea swallowed, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks. She wasn't used to this kind of attention, especially not from someone who looked like him. The man had an aura of danger about him, but at the same time, something about the way he watched her felt strangely... familiar.

« Maybe he's just staring because I look like a deer caught in headlights, » Thea joked, but even she didn't believe the words as soon as they left her mouth.

Shae laughed. « Yeah, sure. But don't let that fool you. He's not the only one who's noticed you. Josh has been looking at you like he wants to take you home for the past hour. I'd say he's definitely trying to get your attention. »

Thea's stomach did another flip. The idea of Josh noticing her was one thing, but the thought of this mysterious man doing the same thing was another level entirely. Was it her imagination, or was there an underlying challenge in the way he looked at her? It made her feel exposed, like he could see things about her that no one else could.

« Whatever, » she muttered, trying to brush it off. « I'm just here to work, remember? »

Shae just smirked knowingly as she adjusted the drinks on the tray. « Sure, sure. You keep telling yourself that. But when Josh finally grows a pair and asks you out, don't say I didn't warn you. »

Thea shot her a playful glare before heading back to the tables. The night wore on, and despite the swirling chaos of the game and the constant stream of orders, her mind kept drifting back to the corner where the stranger sat, his eyes locked on her like she was the only person in the room.

Every so often, she'd glance in his direction, trying to gauge his intentions, but each time she did, he was already looking at her. Every time their eyes met, she couldn't tell whether he was intrigued or just waiting for something. Was he planning to approach her? Or was he content to just observe from a distance?

One thing was certain-he was definitely not like anyone else in the pub. And that made her want to know more.