The crowds parted, people stared, like always, but my focus was on her and only her. I still wasn’t sure what I was going to do. Kiss her? Taunt her?
Trace lifted the cup to her lips and took a sip. Almost instantly she started coughing and pounding her chest while my sister burst out laughing.
Tex was standing behind Mo, his hands massaging her shoulders. He met my gaze and winked. Yeah, I’d deal with that later.
Chase fell into step beside me. Great, probably to keep me from doing something stupid — and honestly I was thankful he was there, because that whole coughing fit had me gazing at her neck like a man freaking starved.
Phoenix pulled up a chair behind Tex.
Great, so everyone was there to witness it…
To witness my downfall, if you could call it that. When have I ever gone out of my way to talk to a girl?
“What? They don’t have alcohol in Wyoming?” I’d had a good five-minute walk to their table, and that’s what flew out of my mouth? Really? Chase and Tex shared a look while Phoenix chuckled behind his hand.
“Yes, but when you drink underage you get arrested, smart-ass.” She set the glass down, refusing to look at me. She grabbed a chocolate-covered strawberry and twisted it between her fingers.
“There is no law here,” I said, pulling out the chair on Trace’s other side, pushing Mo out of the way, staking my claim. “And if there was a law, I’d be the sheriff, judge, and jury.” I kept my voice even, hard, emotionless.
But all Trace did was arch one eyebrow and nod. “Good for you.”
Then she did the strangest thing. She reached across the table and patted my arm, like a two year old who’d just learned how to get on his tricycle. I flinched, pulling my arm away, not because I hated it, but because I liked that feeling way too much, and I knew that she wasn’t touching me out of affection. Hating that I wanted the reason behind her touch to be anything but what it was.
Damn it. I needed to put a stop to what I was feeling.
And end her desire to touch or speak to me.
Mo chuckled behind me. I kept my gaze on Trace, willing her to do something more, my heart begging her to see past the mask I was wearing and possibly challenge every damn word that left my lips.
Tex cleared his throat behind me. “May I have this dance?”
“Don’t kill my brother, Trace.” Mo laughed.
“I will try to control my urges.” Trace saluted, and her gaze met mine again.
Chase grinned and plopped down on her left. “Oh, I wish you wouldn’t.”
“Leave!” I yelled, shocking myself and Chase.
He held up his hands and left the table, Phoenix laughing as he followed him toward the side of the dance floor. Losing my shit didn’t even begin to describe the hellfire of emotions pounding through my chest. And all I kept wondering was why? Why her? Why now? Why the hell was I losing it?
“Why’d you do that?” Trace’s head tilted, her brown hair falling softly across her shoulder.
“Because he shouldn’t be flirting with you.” I shrugged and plucked a strawberry off of her plate, needing something to do with my hands, considering they were awfully tempted to wrap around her hips and never let go.
She blushed from her chest all the way up to her cheeks, pissing me off all the more, because, in my mind, that meant she found his flirting… acceptable. And it wasn’t. “He wasn’t flirting.”
“Yes, he was.” I stole another strawberry.
“No…” She smacked my hand, sending the strawberry sailing to the floor. Holy shit. She just touched me twice in ten minutes. What part of the rules didn’t she get? And why the hell wasn’t I punishing her? “…he wasn’t. He was just being nice. You should try it.”
There went that damn blush again as she fidgeted with the hem of her skirt and glanced back up at me through heavy lashes.
“Sweetheart…” I inched toward her. “…I can be nice to you. Believe me. I can be so nice you won’t know what hit you. But is that what you really want? For me to be nice?” I moved closer, making it so we were an inch away from kissing. I softly blew across her lips then licked my own.
Her breath hitched. She jerked her head away, still breathing heavy.
“Here.” I held out the strawberry, daring her to take it, daring her to touch me for a third time, wondering if she was ballsy enough to do it.
The minute she reached for it, I pulled the fruit back and winked. “Tsk, tsk. Allow me.”
I placed the strawberry against her lips, so damn jealous that the strawberry was getting the first taste that I couldn’t suppress the moan escaping mine.
She leaned forward.