I grinned and lifted from the table, heading to the refrigerator. Sure enough there was a six pack of Bleu Mountain Brew long necks, lagers, which was my favorite. I popped the cap and headed back to the bedroom to get my phone before settling back at the table to finish my steak. While I ate, I called Draemento get details on the woman whose hands prepared the food I was smashing.
“What’s good, my boy? You figure something out?”
“Yeah, I’m straight for a minute. What’s Forty Acres?”
“A bar in town. You already on the prowl?”
I frowned hard as fuck. If he assumed I was on the prowl, that meant women were there looking to be someone’s prey, like the woman who’d just left here in a short ass skirt in the heart of winter.
“It’s that type of place?” My tone held more annoyance than intended but there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about that. I was, however, very curious if Reece was really on that type of time?
“It can be, but if you just want to kick back and enjoy the vibe, you can do that too. It’s pretty chill. Dance floor, lounge area, strong drinks, and beautiful women. Someone new owns it. Zahara, I think, and from what I hear, she did a few upgrades. I haven’t been there since she took over but the people will always be the same. Just don’t fuck with anyone who’s attached or it might be a problem. They get down out there. I’ve seen a few bad decisions end with regrets and consequences.”
I nodded, already understanding. Somebody stepped to the wrong woman and got their ass handed to them. I had no intention of traveling down that road…
Or did I?
“Aight, ’preciate it. I’m about to throw something on and check them out. It’s in town?”
“Yeah, you can’t miss it. Not far from the main road.”
“Bet. I’ll get with you.”
I ended the call and lifted from the table, carrying my plate with me. After dumping the scraps in the trash, I left the plate on the counter next to the sink and downed what was left of my beer, leaving the empty bottle there too.
I headed straight to the bathroom to brush my teeth before throwing on jeans, a hoodie, and my boots. I dug a jean jacket from my duffle and headed out the door. No matter how many times I told myself I was just going to have a few drinks to help my weary body sleep through the night, the lie didn’t hold any weight. She was my motivation and I couldn’t do a damn thing to curb the need to be around her. So there was no point in trying.
I walkedinto Forty Acres and settled at a table near the back. The place was packed and the energy was chill. The dance floor was full while music blasted through the massive free-standing floor speakers, bass rattling through the entire building. I did a quick scan to find a server but got distracted when I located my reason for being here sitting at the bar with another woman.
Reece looked very different tonight than she had while we worked her ranch earlier. As much as I enjoyed how damn sexy she looked in jeans and a utility coat scraping paint from the side of the horse stable, I much more preferred this version of her.
Gone were the cowboy hat and jeans. Reece had a head full of wild hair that framed her pretty round face. Some of it fell forward every so often and she pushed it out the way, only for it to land exactly where it had been. Not only were her legs bare but her shoulders were as well because she had a jean jacket hanging off them, leaving her in a thin, strappy thing that looked more like something she should have been wearing to bed and not a bar.
All of it was sexy,shewas sexy, and also taking down shots with the woman she was laughing and talking with. The Reece I’d experienced working the ranch today had been serious, quiet,and focused. Seeing her be so carefree put a smile on my face which dropped seconds later while I looked around to see who else was enjoying the same visual.
What the hell are you doing, Ro?
When Reece downed her next shot, slapped her hand on the bar, and balled up her face, I chuckled, shaking my head. This woman had a wild side and I wanted to experience it.
Needing to break the trance she had me under, I did another sweep of the place, hopeful that I could get the attention of someone who worked here. I needed a damn drink. It took a minute for someone to reach my table but she smiled big as hell, taking me in, overly eager to get me whatever I wanted. I also had a feeling if I was interestedshewould be on the menu.
“Well hey, cowboy. Looks like I got the lucky section tonight.”
“Yeah?”
“Yep. You’re new around here and this table you’re at means you’re all mine for the night.”
“Well damn, look at that. Your luck just ran out.” I lifted my eyes just in time to see Reece drop into the chair across from mine. That big ass hair flopped over her forehead and she pushed it back and lifted her chin to smile lazily at the woman waiting to take my drink order.
“Hey Reece,” she said dryly. “He with you?”
“Mhm,” Reece hummed, then nodded to add further confirmation. “He’s staying at my ranch.”
“Oh.”
Well damn, how the hell did I end up in the middle of these two? My eyes bounced between Reece and, according to the nametag pinned to the chest of the woman standing over us, Lindee
“Aight then, what can I get you?” She politely focused on Reece, in an effort, I assumed, to not piss her off since she’d not so discreetly claimed me. Reece’s eyes slowly crawled over to mepaired with a lazy smile. She was asking what I wanted to drink and I gladly handed it over.
