Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 115683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 578(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 578(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
Colton presses the tip of his pinkie to my underwear. “At the Rattler, yes. But afterward? I’m takin’ my time with you.”
Oh God oh God oh God.
“Don’t you have to get back—”
“Tate and Nash are liable to fall asleep on my couch and stay there all night after Dean goes down. We got time.”
Time he wants to spend with you.
“If you’re sure.”
“I’m sure.”
“Great.” I look up, searching for our server. “Let’s get the check—”
“Already taken care of.”
I stare at him. “What? How—” Understanding dawns. “You gave her your card when you went to the bathroom, didn’t you?”
“Oldest trick in the book.”
“Here.” I reach for my bag. “I’ll pay you back—”
“No, ma’am, that’s one thing we don’t got time for.” Sliding out of the booth, he stands and holds out his hand to me. “I gotta take you dancing.”
CHAPTER 22
Honky-Tonk Hookup
LAINEY
Hell. Yes.
That’s my one and only thought as I follow Colton into the stale-beer-and-cigarette-scented bar.
It’s a classic small-town dive, with loud country music pumping through the speakers, neon signs on the walls, and a—holy shit, is that a—
“Mechanical bull!” Colton laughs. “Tallulah, how the hell did I not know about this?”
The woman behind the bar with pink hair and a lip piercing smiles as she pops the tops off a pair of longneck beers. “Because I never get to see you! How the hell have you been, Colt?”
Poking at the computer screen beside the liquor, she hands the beers to a waiting patron. Then she heads our way and holds up her arms.
“Hey, handsome.” She wraps Colton in a hug. “We’ve missed you.”
He hugs her back. “I always miss y’all. We’ve been good. Dean’s growing like a weed.”
“I bet! I saw him at the barn raising earlier this year. He looks so much like you.”
“You never answered my question about the bull.”
“Oh. That. I figured why the fuck not give it a try? If it’s a bust, it’s a bust. But I think y’all are gonna get a kick out of it.”
Thinking about Colton riding that thing—dominating it, in all likelihood—has my pulse skipping several beats.
Colton releases Tallulah, then turns a little so he can curl an arm around my waist. “Tallulah, allow me to introduce Lainey Brown. She’s on the ranch helping out for a bit.”
Tallulah turns her smile on me. “It’s so nice to meet you, Lainey.”
“Tallulah here is the owner of my favorite bar in the world.” Colton lifts his chin, gesturing at the raucous scene around us. “She and her wife, Goody, have been mainstays here in town for about as long as I can remember.”
The bartender just waves him away. “I just like to party. What can I get y’all to drink? Will it be the usual for you, Colt?”
“How do you remember what my usual is? It’s been forever—”
“I remember everything. Kinda my job. So Shiner with a tequila back for you. Lainey?”
I’m smiling and I’m hot and I’m quite possibly too happy right now, because I can’t seem to formulate words.
I love the feel of Colton’s arm wrapped around me.
Love the feel of being claimed, as fucked-up as that sounds. Maybe because it’s never happened to me before. I like how Colton just goes for it. No hesitation. No second guesses.
In the back of my mind, I do worry a little what people might think if they saw us like this. Really, I worry the Wallaces or their employees might see us and make some not-so-great assumptions.
Then again, I’m not sticking around. Once I wrap up this job, I’ll probably never come back to Hartsville. What reason would I have to visit?
I’m also not going to be taking on more projects like this going forward. I don’t have to worry about my professional reputation getting tarnished because I’ll (hopefully) be starting over in a brand-new field at a brand-new company.
I can have a little fun. Because that’s all this can be—fun. Even if Colton gets it and is shockingly easy to talk to and makes me feel like I’m the only woman in the room.
Someday, I’ll find someone like him who wants the same life as I do. Because as much as Colton and I connect on some things, on others, we’re complete opposites.
So I put my hand on his back and manage to say, “A Shiner Bock sounds great, thanks.”
“I’ll skip the tequila tonight.” Colton’s hand slips to my ass and he looks down at me, eyes dark. “I’m driving.”
Driving me up the fucking wall. You’re so good at it, Colton.
So good at everything you do.
I cannot wait for him to finally do me.
We grab our beers at the bar. Sally is there, and she introduces us to the rest of the band. I about die when she introduces her mother, Patsy, as the band’s lead singer.
“This is the coolest thing ever! How long have y’all been in a band together?” I ask.