He grinned remembering her reference to their clothing earlier that evening, with Chance playing the part of the good twin and him as the bad twin. While he knew she didn’t mean good and bad in the literal sense, he did understand what she was getting at. Chance had always tended to be more optimistic and upbeat, while he was more introverted and pessimistic. In that sense, they were total opposites, like black and white. Lydia must have been able to see that.
“Well, hello there, cowboy,” a sultry voice said from behind him.
He didn’t like anybody else calling him that, except Lydia. Irritated at the intrusion, Clayton resisted the urge to curl his lip and didn’t even bother turning to see who it was because he already knew. He recognized the voice and the sexy tone she’d used. This was a booty call in the making, or at least he was pretty sure that’s what she thought.
“Brittany,” he said, by way of greeting. He hadn’t talked to her in five months and wouldn’t have given her any attention even if he wasn’t already caught up in watching his beautiful woman dance with Chance.
She moved to stand beside him, and he shrugged off the hand that she placed on his bicep, making it seem like he was just shifting in his seat to get more comfortable. He didn’t appreciate her proprietary gesture.
“How have you been, Clayton?” Her eyes were limpid, seductive pools of pale green that didn’t inspire the minutest of responses in him.
“Fantastic, Brittany. How about you?”
Her overly glossed, pale-pink lower lip pooched out in a pout, and she said, “Lonely.”
“Lonely for what?” He already knew the answer but couldn’t resist, recalling that Brittany wanted whatever she couldn’t have. She’d attempted to “cheat” her way into a threesome and Clayton had no tenderness left in his heart for her, remembering her unkind words at The Pony after their breakup.
“You, baby.”
“Sorry, Brittany, but I’m unavailable.”
“Since when? You’re here with Chance and his date.”
“Guess again, Brittany. I’ve been claimed, too.”
“By who?”
The song had ended and Chance and Lydia now made their way toward the table. “By our woman.”
He had eyes only for Lydia as she beamed at him, but could hear Brittany sputtering. Her mouth and brain were evidently having a hard time getting traction on his statement.
“Your—”
Lydia came to Clayton, and he slipped his arm around her shoulders as he said, “Lydi, I’d like you to meet an acquaintance of ours. This is Brittany. Brittany, this is Lydia.”
“She’s your—” Brittany’s eyes bounced like a ping-pong ball between the three of them, and she didn’t even pretend to be cordial.
Chance answered for him. “Yup. Actually it would be more appropriate to say that we are hers, but whatever.” He evidently had a pretty good idea of the direction their conversation had been taking.
Lydia eyed Brittany curiously but smiled at the same time and then looked up at Clayton. “I want to dance with you.” She turned her gaze on Brittany and said, “It’s nice to meet you, Brittany. Will you excuse us?” Clayton was a bit surprised that he liked it when she told him what she wanted, rather than asking. He wanted very much to give her whatever she wanted.
Brittany sputtered some more as Clayton rose from the chair and said, “It was nice to see you again, Brittany. Take care.”
Clayton turned his attention to Lydia as he escorted her back to the dance floor. The lights made the diamonds in her choker pendant sparkle brilliantly and he was proud that they were able to give her such a nice gift which she obviously loved, judging by the way she caressed it from time to time.
“Do you really like our gift?”
Lydia nodded vigorously, “I do. Are you sure you secured the catch really well? I’m afraid of losing it.”
“I was careful when I clasped it. You don’t have to worry about it. And if it ever gets lost it wouldn’t be the end of the world. We’ll just buy you something else.”
“I never want to lose it, Clayton. It’s so pretty. You spoil me.”
“Yeah, because it’s in my job description.”
He turned to her and pulled her into his arms as Blake Shelton’s “God Gave Me You” started to play. The love in her eyes, coupled with the lyrical guitar melody of the song intro, brought a sappy lump to his throat and he leaned down to kiss her right there on the dance floor. Her fingertips crept up to his cheek, and she kissed him back, her eyelids sweeping closed, making her oblivious to anyone who watched them. He wrapped his arms around her and led her in the dance.