We walked over to the bar and grabbed two open seats.
“Hey, Damien! Can we get two shots of tequila?” Ivy yelled over the music.
He nodded and grabbed our drinks. Damien was a tall man, maybe around six foot three, with a dark chestnut skin tone and close-cropped black hair. Every time I’d seen the man, he was all smiles, but sometimes, I’d notice when no one was watching, he had a distant look in his eyes. Like the smiles were all for show. But Ivy told me he owned The Raven and was also technically my landlord since he owned my apartment building as well.
After he set the drinks down, Ivy and I faced each other, doing a quick cheers before throwing the shots back.
The liquid burn was exactly what I needed, and after two more shots of liquidI don’t give a fuck, I was on the dance floor learning how to line dance after all.
Dancing with Ivywas everything I needed to just wash away all of the self-doubt, worry, and other bullshit coursing through my head tonight. No stalker ex-boyfriend drama. No self-doubt or worry about my art. It was going to be fine. It had to be.
Thankfully, Ivy had taken the time to teach me how to do these dances, or as she said, “the steps,” so I wasn’t fumbling around like an absolute buffoon across the dance floor. I was surprisingly feeling good—confident even.
Everything felt as if it was going just fine. That was until Ivy leaned into my ear with a giggle and the last words I was expecting. “Looks like someone has eyes for you this evening.”
I looked over at her and followed her gaze, only to end up with my mouth hanging open like a pre-teen girl seeing her favorite movie star, becauseholy fuck.“There is no way in this world he’s looking at me. He’s probably staring at you.” I shook my head in complete disbelief at what I was seeing and what she was saying.
I honestly wasn’t sure if I’d ever seen a more menacing, yet handsome man in myentirelife. He was easily over six feet, with sun-kissed tan skin, dressed in dark jeans, a black t-shirt, and black cowboy boots with a backwards black baseball cap. His entire left arm was covered in tattoos that disappeared beneath his t-shirt, and he was most definitely working the light bit of scruff on his face. His dark hair was pulled back in a bun below the bill of his hat, and I immediately started to wonder how long it was when it was down, and what those tattoos looked like beyond the cotton t-shirt.
Fuck me. Stop it, Aspen.
But honestly, Clark Kent would be jealous of this man’s jawline.
Ivy bumped into me in the midst of me eye-fucking the stranger and glanced over at me. “What are you doing? I thought you were getting the hang of this. Or is a certain someone distracting?” The smirk on her face told me she knew the answer already, so my reply wasn’t actually mandatory.
“Oh, I uhm…well…I was! I am! I’ve got this! I’m not distracted, and if I am, it’s clearly your fault,” I stuttered, looking over at her as I felt the heat start creeping into my cheeks. “I promise. I’ve got this…I just—I got this.” I couldn’t tell her that I was eye-fucking the guy on the other side of the bar that she’d pointed out. She’d never let me live it down. Especially since I hadn’t shown the least bit of interest in anyone since moving here, and she had tried multiple times to break me out of my shell. So, it wasn’t for lack of effort on her part.
Honestly, who cared if the man looked like he could play Khal Drogo on Game of Thrones? All he’d need to do was grow out his facial hair and remove half his clothing. Perfect.
Now I was thinking about him half-naked in a dirt hut with eyeliner and a menacing grin on his face that said he knew what to do with those big hands. Good Lord—help me.
I jumped back into the dance, trying to shake off the entire thought process. I couldn’t help sneaking small glances over toward him at the same time. What was wrong with me? I’d sworn off men. I was focusing on my art, my mental state, and new friendships. Not anything of a romantic nature. You’d think after the five years I’d just escaped from, I’d do anything not to look at any man. But he wasn’t just a man, he was aman.
I took a deep breath, doing my best to just move on and not glance his way. I was just here to have fun with Ivy. That was it. Not do any ofthat.
“I think I need another shot,” I said into Ivy’s ear.
“Oh, that we can manage!” We made our way back to the bar and waved Damien down for another round. Maybe if I put distance between me and the mystery man, I’d stop staring like a crazy stalker. Yeah. That was my new and improved solid plan for the rest of the night. What could possibly go wrong?
2
MY LITTLE ANGEL
Rowan
This day had beena complete shit storm, and all I wanted to do was drink a couple of beers with my brothers and then go home to enjoy the silence I had from living alone.
It kicked off at four a.m., when my oldest brother, Oliver, called me to tell me that some of our cattle had gotten out of our field somehow. So, we saddled up a couple of horses, and off we went in search of them, only to find the fence had been cut. Not trampled. Not torn down. No. It had been cut with some type of wire cutters.
I was hoping it was some dumb teenagers pranking us, and not the neighboring ranch owned by the Dunagans trying to fuck with our beef sales again. The first option would be mildly annoying, and as a previous hellion myself, funny. But the second? Well, the second would mean another damn ranch war, and I just wasn’t sure I had the energy in me right now.
Thankfully, when that was straightened out, it was just a normal day on the family ranch. Checking on the cattle and getting the next batch of bulls ready for the local rodeo thisweekend. I was exhausted and needed a shower desperately. But Wyatt, my twin brother, and Theo, my youngest brother, wanted to come out to The Raven and get drinks.
So here I was—the big brother, trying to let loose, relax, and have fun.
I was still in all black, but I’d at least moderately dusted off my jeans. However, I didn’t even get to shower and shave before heading over here, so the five o’clock shadow was in full effect.
Today would not be for any close encounters in the back of my truck, that was for sure. I probably didn’t even smell great after working all damn day. Mentally rolling my eyes. Why did I even care? I was only here for my brothers.
