The words hit me like a punch, knocking the wind right out. Her voice didn’t shake. Her eyes didn’t waver.She was stronger than I had given her credit for, and I sounded like a jerk asking her like that. I’d known that she was doing the best she could by getting on with things. That’s what people did every day. Got on with life. Unless I was willing to step up and help her out, I should shut my pie hole.
I dragged in a breath, letting it out slowly. “Good. Stay that way. Just… don’t be stupid about it.” I was an asshole, but I preferred her to be afraid and on guard rather than be dumb. There was a part of me that wanted to rush in and offer that I’d sleep on her couch, curl up with her in her bed, and protect her from all the bad things that might happen, but I tamped that down.
My sister was already shaking her head at me in disappointment.
Lila’s laugh was sharp and humorless. “Coming from you, that almost sounds like advice.” The eye roll told me what she thought about my suggestion.
I leaned closer, the music swelling and wrapping us in its beat, so close that I could smell the citrus in her shampoo and the faint trace of vanilla from her lotion. Close enough that my fingers would brush the soft skin of her wrist, where it rested against her hip, if I reached out.
“It is advice,” I said quietly. “Don’t make me regret caring whether or not you’re safe.”
Her eyes narrowed, just for a second, before she hid it with a scoff. “Grumpy Holt with a soft streak. Who knew? The town is going to get all sorts of ideas.” The pulse in her throat fluttered wildly, and it was all I could do not tobend down and take her mouth. I’ll bet she tasted like sugar.
I straightened before I could do something stupid, like reach for her. I pushed off the post before she could say anything else. The music shifted, the dance floor filling with a new set of couples. The air was thick with sawdust and perfume and the low hum of conversation. I needed to breathe something other than her.
Wade caught my eye from across the bar, one brow raised in silent question. I shook my head. No way I was sticking around to unravel myself in front of half the town. Apparently, I’d need to call him later and get the information I wanted about Redhawk and their progress on Lila’s break-in.
“Enjoy your night, Merrick,” I said, voice even. Too even.
Her head tilted, curls brushing her shoulder. “That sounded dangerously close to polite.”
“Don’t get used to it.”
The flicker in her eyes told me she’d heard the rough edge under my words, the thing I hadn’t said out loud. I wasn’t sure if it was disappointment or triumph I saw there, but either way, it made me want to stay and tear it all apart to see what would happen.
Instead, I stepped back, tipping my chin in Sage’s direction. “Keep her out of trouble.”
Sage smirked. “She keeps herself out of trouble. Mostly.”
I left them laughing, though Lila wasn’t laughing ashard as before. Her smile lingered, but it was thinner now, her eyes tracking me as I made my way through the crowd.
By the time I stepped out into the night air, the cool mist hit my skin like a bucket of water. Better than another beer. Better than the fire in her eyes that was going to keep me awake tonight, no matter how hard I tried to shut it out.
17
Lila
Damn him. As I watched those Wranglers head on out of the bar, it was hard to ignore the fact that bantering with Easton Holt just did it for me.
I wouldn’t tell him that my fingers hovered over his contact information more than once with an almost-text message. Luckily, I was too smart to send him things like: Please let me climb you like a tree, or … fall in love with me, you grumpy jerk.
Some version of the Tush Push was beginning on the floor, and my feet and hips automatically fell into the rhythm next to Sage, and I willed myself not to think about Easton Holt and how good it would feel if he were next to me right now.
I was strong enough to stand on my own, and I would be damned if I would cave.
18
Easton
I’d had a terrible time getting the images of Lila dancing out of my mind last night. In fact, I had to go for a walk around the pasture, take a cold shower, and then call and talk to Wade. And I still couldn’t sleep.
This morning, I was up early again and back in the shower jerking off before I went downstairs, trying to keep a guilty look off my face. I was like a teenager all over again just at the thought of Lila Merrick.
“Morning, Mags.” Dropping a kiss on her temple, I scooped up a muffin and poured a cup of coffee. “You ready for therapy this morning?”
“Of course, I’m ready. I already talked to Lo. She’s taking me to lunch, and Kipp is going to meet me afterward. Then I need to go to the yarn store to meet with Janice and Marge.” She sniffed as if it were beneath her,but I smiled, knowing that her little game with her friends had been going on for years. “They think that I’m not going to be doing all our clubs, but they’re wrong.”
“Of course they are. I know you better than that. You’ll be on top of everything.” I winked at her. This was the side of Maggie I loved. The teasing and the fire. “Those ladies won’t get the better of our Mags.”
