His interest isn’t polite. It’s real. Deep. Present.
Another wall inside me cracks and falls away.
And for the first time in a long time, I feel… safe.
???
Midnight Rodeo is already buzzing when we pull up, music thumping through the walls, neon lights flickering like the heartbeat of the whole town. Ethan opens my door before I can reach for the handle, his palm warm when his fingers lace through mine.
Inside, the place is packed, dancing boots, clinking glasses, laughter rolling through air thick with whiskey, smoke, and Christmas garlands someone halfheartedly hung over the longhorn skull on the wall.
Penny, Cas, Jace, and Jude sit lined up at the bar. Dex moves behind it, bottles flashing in the warm glow as he shakes a cocktail, focused and smooth, the picture of quiet control.
As Ethan leads me through the crowd, I feel it, eyes. A prickle along my spine.
I turn, and yep, three women in tight dresses and hotter expressions stare at me like I’ve personally stolen their inheritance.
…okay. What fresh hell is this?
“My BFF!” Penny hops off her stool, her curls bouncing as she launches herself into my arms. I hug her back, grateful for her energy.
“Hey, Pen,” I whisper. Then lower my voice.“Uh… why are those women back there looking at me like I just kicked their dog?”
Penny glances, snorts, and rolls her eyes so hard I’m surprised she doesn’t fall over.
She links her arm through mine.“Girl, please. I already snatched up one of the most eligible bachelors in this town. And now you’re about to do the same.” She waves a hand.“Ignore them. They rotate their targets. They’ll move on to Dex, Jude, or Jace soon enough.”
Then she pauses.“Okay, maybe not Jude…he runs if a woman even tells him her name.”
We reach the bar just as Ethan turns toward me. The moment I’m close, he takes my hand like he’s been waiting all night.
“Give me your coat and purse. I’ll put them in Dex’s office.” His whisper is warm against my ear.
He slips the coat off my shoulders, fingers grazing my spine just long enough to light a fuse. He’s back seconds later, pulling me into his orbit like gravity.
“Been wanting to do that since you walked down the stairs,” he murmurs, his smile slow and wicked.
I loop my arms around his neck.“Good. I like that.”
He kisses me, just a soft brush of lips, then guides me to a stool between him and Penny. Before I settle, he hooks an arm around my waist and pulls me closer until our thighs touch. His hand slips into my hair, fingers circling at the base of my neck.
I could actually purr. In public. No shame.
His lips graze my ear.“I want you close to me at all times.”
Everything inside me melts.
“What can I get you two lovebirds?” Dex asks, lining up shot glasses.
“I’ll have a beer,” I say.
“Coke for me,” Ethan adds.
Dex raises a brow.“Coke?”
“Had wine with dinner,” Ethan shrugs.“Driving tonight.”
Responsible king. I’m obsessed.
