Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 140604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 703(@200wpm)___ 562(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 703(@200wpm)___ 562(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
“I don’t think you see the way he looks at you when you’re not paying attention,” Miranda insisted.
Gigi’s nose wrinkled. “Uhm, how would I see if I’m not paying attention?”
“Duh, that’s what I’m trying to tell you,” Miranda insisted.
The girls were excellent at carrying out a whole conversation over loud music while never missing a step. They were obviously veterans at this.
“If he looks at me, it’s because he thinks I’m a dumbass who can’t pick a decent man,” Gigi argued.
“And yet he puts together tops and subs all the time, but he constantly drops the ball when it comes to setting you up,” Miranda pointed out.
“Because he doesn’t think I’m ready for anything serious, and guess what?” Gigi asked cheerfully. “I’m not. I’m having fun. I’m traveling. I’m happy right now. I don’t need a permanent top.”
And now he knew why Gabe hadn’t made a move.
They’d sat with Olivia’s friend for almost an hour, talking about how he came to found The Hideout with his friends. Gabe seemed to be a serious top. The kind that never gave up control. He wasn’t sure a free spirit like Gigi could handle that.
Not without someone in the mix who could soften things. Someone who understood both roles. Someone like him. A sense of pride filled him at the thought. He was a bridge between Olivia and Keane. They wouldn’t work without him. The same way they wouldn’t work without Keane. The way he was starting to think they hadn’t worked without Olivia.
Something was building between him and his closest friend. Something warm and exciting, and he wasn’t even afraid. He was looking forward to it.
“Where’s Livie?” Garrett asked. “Did she not want to dance?”
“She wanted to finish her margarita,” Keane said. “But she thought Gigi might need backup. It looks like Gabe’s satisfied you saved her. Everyone okay?”
Gigi gave him a beatific smile. “I’m fine. The guy was getting handsy, but I could handle it. Not that I don’t appreciate the save very much.”
Keane nodded to a place at the edge of the dance floor. The cowboy stood there, staring at Gigi, his arms crossed over his chest. “Well, he’s still watching you, so stay close to one of us.”
Gigi nodded. “No problem. I can dance with the ones that brung me, as the old folks used to say.”
Garrett’s cell buzzed in his pocket. He thought about ignoring it since it was well past work hours, but he slid it out, trying to keep dancing. Ruby Lockwood.
He needed to take that call.
He stepped back. “Hey, it’s the PI.”
Gabe was at their side in a heartbeat. Like he’d been standing there waiting and watching for his turn to play knight in shining armor. “I’ll take care of her.”
Gigi rolled her eyes but stepped into his arms like she’d been there a million times. “He took me to my senior prom since my boyfriend at the time was into dirt bikes, but they didn’t love him as much as he loved them. He broke his leg the night before, and Gabe got conned into taking me because it would be gross to go with one of my brothers. I asked Seth Taggart, but he had to study. Which is weird because he’s not the studying type, if you know what I mean. Now that I think about it, I asked a couple of guys I knew, but they all had things to do so Gabe took one for Team Gigi.”
Sure, he had. Yeah, it was a real sacrifice.
He slid his finger across the screen as he walked off the dance floor. He was almost certain Gabe had found out about the dance and told everyone to tell her no so he was the only one who could do it.
Of course, even knowing Gabe a little made him wonder if he’d done something to cause the accident. Probably not.
“Hey, Ruby. Let me walk outside. It’s loud in here.” He glanced back, trying to catch a glimpse of the table where Olivia had been sitting, but he couldn’t see through the crowd.
He breathed more easily as he stepped out into the warm night air.
“Sorry. We’re at a roadhouse,” he said.
“You’re at The Barn,” Ruby replied with a chuckle. “Does Olivia know that for years her parents kept a room upstairs? At one point it was for her papa so if he had too much to drink, he didn’t drive, but later the rumors are there were some fun nights had in that room. I wonder if they still have it.”
It didn’t surprise him that Olivia’s parents had a nookie room. He kind of wanted one himself. One for him and Keane and their gorgeous, smart sub.
He wasn’t a great dancer, but he wanted to dance with her. Not because some cowboy looked her way. Because he wanted her in his arms all the time. They would have to figure out how to dance as a threesome. See, that was where her dads could help.