Page 3
“Thought you might be watching Tate with the Calgary Outlaws play. But you don’t seem too happy, so I could ask the same of you, Mr. Scowly Pants.”
He tightens his lips, like he wants to laugh but doesn’t.
“Mr. Scowly Pants? Nice one.”
“Well, if you just—” I push off the wall, hardly wobbly at all. He’s got one leg extended so I step over and straddle it. “Do this.” I push my thumb against the wrinkle that’s been there all night. “And this…now I should warn you. This one is a bit trickier.” I take both thumbs and push gently on his downturned lips until they’re unnaturally pushed up. Damn his lips are soft. And that stubble on his jaw.
I bit my bottom lip as I stare at his.
His arms are still crossed when he asks, “Better?”
His face looks so unnatural that I have to go with the truth. “Nope. I thought it would be, but it’s not. Actually,” I study his face for a beat, “it might be worse.”
And then he barks out a low rumble of a laugh.
Oh. Damn. That rumble is reverberating through my lady parts. I wanna squeeze my legs together but his thick thigh is between mine. And then we’d have an entirely different problem.
But hearing his laugh echo in my head, and feeling his heated eyes on me…I think I already might have a bigger problem than I expected. Daughtry’s always been hot. Just like all the Briggs brothers are. But he’s been the grumpy one. The untouchable one.
In fact, the man hasn’t initiated a single touch or flirtatious word to me, and I always go for guys who make the first move. He’s too uptight. Too restrained for me.
He’s the safe one, and I don’t do safe.
Yet here I am, wanting to do safe a few times tonight.
Chapter 3
Daughtry
“I should go.” Her voice blasts into my ears even though she’s saying it quietly. I think my brain nearly lost power when she straddled my thigh. It’s not like she’s doing anything, except touching me in all these small ways all night. This is why I don’t drink around her. This is why I don’t touch her.
One drink. One touch. And I’d be under her spell. I can’t let someone have that kind of control over me. It’s happened before, and I’ll never let it happen again. I’m my own man. My own person. I control my destiny. My thoughts. My feelings.
Ya. Right. I can hear my brothers scoffing at me, especially Nash. He’s been pining for years—for a woman who’s taken, no less—and he still can’t get over it. He’d definitely tell me that I don’t have as much say over my feelings as I think I do.
Ya, well, it’s been years for me too buddy, and I’m doing pretty good.
Teegan starts to move away from me and I realize I haven’t responded to what she just said.
“How are you getting home?”
“Um…I’ll see if one of the girls can give me a ride.”
“I don’t think so. They’ve been drinking just as much as you have.”
She doesn’t even try to argue the point, knowing she doesn’t have a case. “So what then? You’re gonna drive me home? Mr. Frowny Man?” Her index finger is on my chin, and I just nod, which causes her finger to move up and down with my jaw.
“Fine. Let’s go.” And then she turns to leave and I follow her out of the house like a gentleman, not at all like a lost puppy.
Once we’re outside, I ask her for her keys.
“Where’s your car?” she volleys back.
“Thought it’d be easier to drive your car to your house. Then you don’t have to worry about picking your vehicle up tomorrow.”
“Oh.” She rolls her lips and hands me her keys and gets inside the car. “What else are you doing this weekend? Wait. Let me guess. You’re going to work all day tomorrow at Briggs Construction and then watch half of an Outlaws’ game before going to sleep at nine.”
“Yup. Except instead of the baseball game, I’ll be going to half of Nate’s bachelor party.”
