“Are you suggesting I have sex to keep myself from shooting things?”
“Squirrels.” I nodded. “I’m suggesting you have sex so you don’t shoot the squirrels. Let them have their nuts, man.”
Nixon closed his eyes, probably praying for patience. “Tell me you trust me to handle this the best way I see fit.”
“I do.” I nodded. “And the minute I see you losing your shit, I’m going to step in. That’s my promise. And that’s my job.”
Nixon looked away, shoving his hands into his pockets. “And what makes you think I’m going to need you to step in?”
“That.” I pointed at his face. “That look right there.”
“What?” he snapped.
“It’s attraction.” I shrugged. “And it sure as hell isn’t directed at me.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Nixon kept walking toward the girls as they sat around a table.
“Yeah I do,” I whispered, letting him pass me.
Because it was the same damn look I’d been sporting all freaking day.
CHAPTER EIGHT
I love her… I hate myself, but I love her.
Tex
I PULLED MO ASIDE while the new girl sat at the table gawking at all the fancy decorations.
“Tex,” she hissed, elbowing me in the stomach, “Not now. My roommate’s right over there.”
“But…” I slid my hand up her back. “…I’m right here.”
She rolled her eyes.
I kissed her neck. “Skip the dance.”
“No.” She piled some food onto her plate and smirked. I knew her game; she knew mine. We flirted, we made out, and sometimes when she was feeling generous, she’d let me take off her shirt. But nothing had gone further, not since Nixon had discovered I was fascinated with his twin and thought his gun needed polishing.
But I couldn’t stop thinking about her mouth, her smile — damn, just everything about that woman had me wanting to fall to my knees in worship. The stupid part? I wanted it to be her — Mo. I wanted her to be the one I finally came clean to about all the shit from my past. Recently, it had been building. First finding my dad’s pot getting distributed in the area. Second, seeing Nixon fully step into his part… as boss? Even while his dad lived? It made me wonder, it made me… want to have that kind of legacy. But I had nothing.
Nothing but Mo.
Which, honestly, I decided would be enough.
I didn’t need to be boss.
I didn’t need the responsibility of people looking to me for decisions.
I just wanted her.
“You’re gorgeous,” I whispered in her hair. “Tonight? When the girl who moos like a cow goes to bed…” I bit down on her lower lip and sucked. “…you’re mine.”
She pulled away, her eyes hazy. “What? Are you sneaking into my room?”
“Hell no.” I smacked her ass. “You’re sneaking into mine.”
“Dream on, Tex.”
“Oh I do, sweetheart. Believe you me.” I licked my lips and closed my eyes, “I dream…”
“Go bother someone else.”
“Tonight, Mo…” I winked. “…you’ll be in my bed.”
She shifted uneasily on her feet. “Sleeping with the enemy, hmm?”
It was like a bucket of ice water getting thrown over my entire body. Muscles rigid, I pulled back from her, forcing myself not to clam up. One simple taunting remark had me feeling like a kid again.
When I’d been unloved, unwanted, uncared for.
Hell, even now I belonged to no one.
And she’d reminded me — that I didn’t even belong to her.
And probably never would.
“You’re roomie’s waiting,” I said in a detached voice and walked off, wishing like hell I would have been born with a different name than Tex Campisi.
CHAPTER NINE
I should have walked away.
Nixon
THE DANCE WAS IN full swing by the time I weaved my way through the crowd. Mo and Trace were both sitting at a nearby table. I wasn’t sure why I did it, my intention wasn’t to stalk her like a lunatic, and I still wasn’t sure what I was going to do with her.
It was a problem I’d never had.
Women.
Or a woman, to be exact, one that made me want to follow her anywhere, even though I knew that it was stupid, even though I knew my reaction didn’t make sense. But it was like I couldn’t help myself. I absolutely loathed her for it. I hated her for making me feel things that I hadn’t felt in years. What right did she have? To walk into my life and make me want to be something better, something… good?
Frustrated, I cracked my knuckles and took a few deep breaths then made my way toward the table.