“For Christ’s sake, I wasn’t asking for that either. If you’d shut up for a minute, I could get my words out!” I think it’s the first time I’ve ever heard him raise his voice.
Usually, my body goes into a state of hyper-vigilance when men yell. Even ifI’mnot scared, my body thinks I should be—whether or not it’s me that they’re yelling at. I shove my hands in my back pockets, waiting for it to happen—for my heart to race and my hands to tremble—but it doesn’t this time. Interesting.
Still, I press my lips together and wait, watching him. He closes his eyes and takes a few deep breaths. The longer it takes, the more suspicious I become that it’s not anger. It’s anxiety.
I break the silence to take the pressure off of him. Or that’s the intention anyway. “Wow, this is probably the best conversation I’ve ever been a part of,” I deadpan. He glares in response. “So were you wanting to fuck, or?”
“Jesus Christ,” Maddox swears under his breath. “No, I was trying to figure out a way to beg you to not tell Kenny, but bringing up my little sister feels… awkward.”
The hope I didn’t even realize I’d been harboring gets sucked away. He might not have come to get his money back, but this felt worse. If he wanted his money back, I’d understand. He’d invested in something and wasn’t satisfied with the product, after all. But no, he wanted me to keep it. Hush money so he could keep what happened a dirty little secret and wash his hands of me.
“Why in the hell would I tell Kendall her older brother frequents a cam girl site? She doesn't want to know that and I don’t want to tell her.”
“I don’tfrequentit,” he argues immediately. “I got on it the night of the brawl because I needed something to keep me up.” I bite back an immature response, but his narrowed eyes catch the way my lips curve. “What?”
“Nothing.”
“Something,” he argues. “What?”
“Keep youup, huh?” I can’t hold back a snort this time. “Did it work? Did I keep youup, Maddox?”
“Awake,” he amends pointedly.
“Hmm. Tomato, to-mah-toe,” I say, leaning forward on my forearms to get in his space. Heshouldback up, but he never does and I don’t want him to. Instead, his eyes dip down to my tits again and I smile wryly.
“I won’t tell your sister, Maddox. I swear it.”
He breathes a sigh of relief. “Thank you. And I won’t watch anymore.”
I frown. “I don’t mind you watching. We could even take it offline, so you can save your money. On the nights you need help staying…up.”
“No,” he says immediately, which… okay, ouch. “We’re not doing anything anymore, Tex. You’re my sister’s best friend and you’re just a kid.”
“Well, now, we both know that’s not true,” I flirt, trying to stave off what I know’s coming.
“There’s ten years between us.”
“Exactly. Ten years. That’s nothing. You act like you’re cradle robbing.” I should stop arguing and save my dignity. I sound desperate.
“I’m not sleeping with you, Austin,” he says bluntly, frustrated.
His rejection turns my embarrassment to anger. I jerk myself away from the edge of the bar and scoff. “Jeez, I was just yanking your chain, Rancher. If I was going to go for any of you Whittakers, it’d be Kenny. Or maybe go round two with Colt since he was so good last time.”
He rears back, surprised, and my stomach twists with the thrill of pissing him off. How dangerous. “You’ve slept with Colt?”
“Everyone’s slept with Colt,” I reply, rolling my eyes. “It’s a small town. Not very many beds to choose from.”
“He’s got enough buckle bunnies on the road. He doesn’t need you chasing his cock, too.”
“You’re right. He definitely needs to be humbled,” I nod, pretending to think about it. “Maybe Jamie should be next. Iheard he’s got a daddy kink and, well, now I know you don’t. I’d like to try it out.”
“Watch it, Tex,” he spits, but I’m on a roll. When he leaves here tonight, it’ll be because he’s angry, not because he’s rejecting me. Angry men don’t scare me, but giving a man my body and getting rejected anyway?
Well, we won’t look too closely at that one.
“Actually, you know what? Maybe I should show Bailey a good time. Give her a reason to get over Chase. Just climb every limb of the family tree.”
His jaw clenches, eyes locked on mine, ablaze. He opens his mouth, but I can’t let him say whatever it is he’s wanting to. I’m just barely getting through this conversation as it is. “We’re closed, Maddox. Get out of my bar.”
