Brent leaned back laughing. “She don’t smoke.”
Meadow glared. “I do what I want.”
She snatched the blunt, determined to prove something. Maybe to Brent, probably to Zaire, definitely to herself andended up inhaling it way too fast. The smoke hit her lungs like fire.
She tried to play it off but failed. She coughed so hard the table shook.
Rena shrieked with laughter and concern.
Brent nearly spit out his drink because that was what she got for trying to show out.
Zaire took the blunt back, shaking his head. He pushed her drink to her lips. “Here, baby.”
Meadow moved on auto pilot, chugging the sweet drink like her life depended on it. Some of it dripped down the corner of her mouth.
Zaire reached forward, his thumb brushing the drop away, slow and warm. “Let me handle that,” he murmured.
Meadow became flustered and gulped the lust that clogged her throat.
Rena blinked like she’d been slapped and Meadow was trying to steal her man when she had another great candidate next to her. It felt selfish to Rena knowing men were few and far between in Juniper Falls.
It didn’t take long for the weed to have Meadow feeling like she was floating…warm, dizzy, and giggly. Her shoulders dropped…her cheeks flushed…her smile widened for no reason.
“What you laughin’ at?” Zaire asked, leaning into her space.
“You,” she blabbed without thinking.
“What I do?”
“Breathe,” she snorted.
Rena groaned. “Lord help me.”
Hayley dropped off another round of drinks including Meadow’s third and Zaire’s second.
“You good?” Zaire asked, his thumb brushing her knee like it was normal.
Meadow nodded, but she was lying. The high and the alcohol blended into a soft buzz that made the music hit deeper. Her body started moving on its own, hips swaying in her seat to the beat.
Brent watched her like a man starving. “Damn, you still dance like that?”
Meadow flipped her curls. “I still do everything like that.”
Zaire’s hand slid higher up her thigh, warm and possessive. “Like what?”
Meadow giggled, eyes low and red.
The difference between Zaire touching her thigh and Brent doing it earlier was night and day.
He didn’t grab her with lust. His touch felt protective, possessive, strong, and sexy as hell.
Meadow’s breath hitched. Zaire felt it because where she was at in her mind, he was there too. His thumb stroked her bare skin, dangerously close to promise.
Brent cleared his throat. “Meadow…I’m goin’ to Emerald City next weekend to see my brother. You could ride with me…see Tia.”
Meadow blinked. “Oh… uh…”
Zaire spoke first. “She busy.”
