Takin' the Reins (The Sterling Brothers #2)(2)

“I could use some dick right about now,” one of the women said.

“Or two,” another one said.

Lexi didn’t know the other two women, as they were friends with Alexandra. Lexi had just recently moved back to Granite a few weeks ago, getting a position as a veterinary assistant at the local animal hospital. Aside from Alexandra and her family that still lived in the small town, Lexi didn’t really talk to anyone in town.

After leaving for school for the last four years, changing her degree more times than she cared to admit, and then doing another year of electives and internship, she finally moved back. But staying with her parents until she found something she could afford wasn’t exactly what she saw herself doing with a degree and at twenty-two.

“Dickie’s is a good place to end the night, Lexi,” Alexandra said. “All the good looking cowboys will be there, looking for a good time.”

Lexi rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help but smile. “You and your cowboys.”

“Oh yeah. That’s why I decided to marry one.” Everyone started laughing. “Heck, seeing them in those Wranglers, their asses, so, so…” Alexandra made a squeezing motion in front of her with her hands, and Lexi shook her head and laughed again. “And don’t get me started on their Stetsons, or those button up shirts they wear.” Alexandra sighed and leaned back on her seat in the limo. “Brandon looks damn good in all of that,” Alexandra continued, talking about her fiancé.

“Alex, it’s your night, so I’m game for whatever.” Lexi wasn’t about to bring the group down, and if they wanted to go to the rinky-dink little bar in Granite to end the night and catch a cowboy, well, who was she to say no?

“Who knows, Lexi,” Alexandra said and wrapped her arm around her shoulder. “You might just find yourself one smoking hot cowboy, too.”

Lexi doubted it, but it would be fun to watch the other women wrangle up some men.

****

“Just letting you know now, I am not picky on whom I bring home tonight,” Colton said before tossing back his fourth beer.

They’d been at Dickie’s for the last couple of hours, and Jace was pacing himself on the drinking. Mainly because he’d driven them down here, and since Colton was getting nice and wasted, one of them should keep their control so they didn’t have to call a cab.

“Dude, you’re never selective on the woman you bring home for the night,” Jace said, and snorted at the look Colton gave him.

“Nah, I just appreciate all women.”

This was true, but then again none of the Sterling brothers cared about size, color, or age. Hell, when he was fresh out of high school, Jace had been with a woman twenty years older than he was. And she’d taught him a thing or two.

Colton took the beers from the bartender and handed one to Jace. He took the offered bottle and drank a few swallows. Dickie’s was always busy on the weekends. In Granite it was the only place to really let loose. A group of women on the other side of the bar were eyeing them, but then again Jace and Colton had a reputation for getting down and dirty. The older generation didn’t care to know about that shit, but it shouldn’t matter either way given the fact the Sterling brothers worked damn hard in this town.

“I’m just saying,” Colton said in between drinking his beer and eye-fucking the women across from them. “If you hear screaming don’t call the cops.”

Jace snorted. “Man, if I can hear screaming all the way from your place I might need to call the cops.”

Colton started chuckling, but it was distant. Jace had seen that look on his brother’s face many times. It was the same one he got when he was ready to get dirty with a female.

“Do your thing, brother,” Jace said, bracing his forearms on the counter, and watching as Colton finished off his beer and went over to the women. Maybe he should have just stayed home and worked on the hundred things he still had to do, because honestly, the longer he sat here the less he wanted to be here.

He loved his brothers, and loved the farm. It was all he had, his life.

The town of Granite was old, with families being here for generations.

“How you doing, man?” Sully, the bartender, asked. He braced his arms on the counter and looked at Jace.

“I’m good. Thinking I should have stayed home since nothing is looking good tonight, if you catch my drift,” Jace said and tipped his beer toward Sully.

“Yeah, I get those nights, too, man.” Sully tapped his open hand on the counter. “You want something else?”

Jace shook his head and glanced at Colton, who was now wedged between two of the women. “I’m good. I have to drive home anyway.”

He looked down at his hands that were wrapped around the bottle, the label peeling up in the corners from the condensation. The sound of the front door opening, followed by a chorus of women laughing, had Jace lifting his head and looking at the group that walked in. The woman in the front of the group was recognizable right away. Alexandra Hartfield, one of the locals that he’d heard was marrying another local. She wore a white sash that deemed her “Bride-To-Be”. She was clearly drunk, obviously at her bachelorette party, and why she’d decided to stop at Dickie’s was beyond him. There wasn’t shit in Granite, especially not if someone wanted to party good and hard.

Yeah, well look where you’re at.

He recognized the other three women trailing behind vaguely, knew he’d probably seen them around town but didn’t know their names. He turned back to the bar, grabbed his beer, and took another drink. Looking at the mirror that lined the wall behind the bottles of liquor, he could see the women in the reflection. They took a table in the back of the bar. They were loud, obviously drunk already, and having a good time. He couldn’t fault anyone that wanted to let loose. Hell, that’s why he was here. But then another woman walked up to the other four sitting down already, her back to him, her long black hair in thick waves. She wore a strapless white dress, which did nothing to hide her curves. Her skin was creamy and smooth, and this beautiful caramel color. It was a gorgeous contrast to the stark white material of her outfit. He let his gaze travel down her body, appreciating the view. She had long, thick legs, a huge, rounded ass, and wide hips. He hadn’t even seen the front half of her and already he was sporting wood.

“Shots!” The women seemed to holler out in unison, and the white dress bombshell turned.

And then he got a look at the front half of her. The dress dipped down to show a generous amount of cleavage. Her breasts were huge, and it was clear, by the way her tits shook slightly when she moved, she wasn’t wearing a bra. He kept his focus on her as she made her way to the bar, and when she stood just a few feet from him the scent of lemon and vanilla slammed into him. But as he stared at her face this familiar feeling settled in him.

Where do I know her from?

If she were a regular he would have surely seen her around at some point, but he didn’t think he had. And then there was the fact he had this prickling on the back of his neck that told him he knew her. She must have felt his gaze on her, because she turned her head and looked right at him. For a split second he could see she didn’t know him, but then like a neon sign flashing right across her face recognition made up her expression.

So they did know each other.

He turned his body toward her, and despite her caramel colored complexion he saw her cheeks turn a pink color, and he couldn’t help but smile. He made her nervous, and for some reason he got a kick out of that. She turned her head back toward the bar, and Sully came up to her.

“Well, damn, if it isn’t little Lexi Baxter.” Sully took a step back and eyed her up and down. “You’re not so little anymore, are you?” Sully whistled.

Lexi Baxter.

Now he remembered her, but the last time he’d seen her she’d been this awkward teenager with braces. She was also younger than he was by over a decade, which explained why he didn’t know her all that well.

“I don’t know if I should take that as a compliment or not,” Lexi said and started chuckling, but it sounded nervous.

Sully eyed her up and down again. “Oh, it’s all good, Lexi. You don’t look like that awkward teenager anymore. You filled out into a woman these last few years.”

Lexi looked down, clearly embarrassed.

“Sully, man, not appropriate,” Jace said, having known Sully for years, but not liking the eye-fucking he was doing to Lexi.

But why? Who the fuck cares if Sully wants a piece?

Jace didn’t know why he gave a fuck, but the words had come out of his mouth before he even realized. He glanced at Sully, who lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender, and gave Lexi a wink.

Lexi laughed a little nervously, but then gave Sully the drink orders and looked down at her hands once he left to make them. For several seconds Lexi didn’t look at him again, just twisting her fingers together, and clearly doing everything in her power not to make eye contact with Jace. If he wasn’t so cocky—which he had no problem admitting—he might have felt like a creepy asshole for continuing to stare at her. But as it was he couldn’t look away. She lifted her hand and pushed a long lock of hair off her shoulder, before finally turning her head and staring him right in the eyes.