lose.”
“Name your price.” Now that he’d started this thing, Burke wanted it over in a hurry.
“You know what I want.” For the first time ever, Luke Hanson looked dangerous. The rat bastard.
Since pride was at stake—especially since it wasn’t even his own pride—Burke couldn’t back down. Not even if he wanted to. Maybe it was temper. Maybe it was simply past time someone dealt with Luke out in the open, but Burke found himself agreeing despite the nudging and gripping at his waist. “Fine. I’ll bet you the Z-28 that when she comes to that wedding she’ll be the finest looking—”
“And acting!” Luke interjected, setting Burke’s teeth to gritting. “She has to be a real lady or it don’t mean diddly. Slapping some stripes on an old car don’t make it fast.”
Burke felt like slapping something all right. “—and acting , lady there.”
Luke laughed, inspiring his buddies to join in, even though not a single one of them seemed to have a clue what the joke was. “Not that it’ll matter, but what happens if you pull this miracle off?”
“You stay out of my town. But before you go, you apologize to CB for using her, hurting her and being the most pitiful excuse for dog crap ever spawned. There at the wedding, on bended knee, until she accepts your apology.”
Luke considered it. “That’s it? No cash?”
Burke worked not to roll his eyes. It wasn’t any fun using veiled insults on the clinically moronic. “Why bother?” he asked, mimicking Luke. “My reward will be watching you grovel.” He offered his hand, letting CB stand on her own.
Luke grinned as if someone had given him the winning lottery ticket. He slid his hand into Burke’s and shook for all he was worth. “Hell, this is gonna be more fun than I thought.”
Yeah . Burke grimaced as reality took a nibble out of his grim satisfaction, fun .
Chapter Four
For someone who’d gotten her way, CB sure threw a big snit. Of the two of them, Burke figured as he drove them to his house, he was the one who should have an attitude. He was the one doing the last thing on earth he should be, but there she was, scrunching herself as close to the door as she could, practically on her side and facing away from him. A furtive glance her way gave him one more reason to be upset.
Her position gave him an excellent view of her backside.
Burke rubbed his face with a tired hand. It was bad enough that eyeing her butt was the only way he’d recognized her in the bar, he didn’t have to have it facing him and taunting him because it was on the wrong woman. He gripped the steering wheel until he heard the leather creak beneath his palms.
“I’m sorry I bet your car, okay?” He wasn’t, but if she didn’t turn over he wasn’t going to be responsible for his actions. His thoughts were already in bad places.
She said nothing.
Okay, not mad about the car. She was mad about something else. It didn’t take deep thought to figure out what it was.
“I’m sorry you had to find out this way.”
She turned her head toward him a little bit. More toward the windshield, but he’d take what he could get. “About what?”
He swallowed the guilt that tried to lodge in his throat. “About Luke.”
She leaned forward more, her skin squeaking on the glass.
“Cheating on you,” he added, well aware there were a few other things she may have put together on her own to worry about.
She turned back to the side window, making another squeak. “Oh…that.”
“You want to talk about it?”
“Do you hear me talking about it?”
“You should, you know. It’ll help.”
“How would you know?”
Good question. No woman had ever cheated on him. Of course, he was never committed to a woman long enough for her to cheat on him. He dated and he’d had girlfriends for a few weeks, but no one lasted long. It was the thing CB ribbed him about most.
All his friends had long since moved away or married. Even Sel, the one no one thought
“Name your price.” Now that he’d started this thing, Burke wanted it over in a hurry.
“You know what I want.” For the first time ever, Luke Hanson looked dangerous. The rat bastard.
Since pride was at stake—especially since it wasn’t even his own pride—Burke couldn’t back down. Not even if he wanted to. Maybe it was temper. Maybe it was simply past time someone dealt with Luke out in the open, but Burke found himself agreeing despite the nudging and gripping at his waist. “Fine. I’ll bet you the Z-28 that when she comes to that wedding she’ll be the finest looking—”
“And acting!” Luke interjected, setting Burke’s teeth to gritting. “She has to be a real lady or it don’t mean diddly. Slapping some stripes on an old car don’t make it fast.”
Burke felt like slapping something all right. “—and acting , lady there.”
Luke laughed, inspiring his buddies to join in, even though not a single one of them seemed to have a clue what the joke was. “Not that it’ll matter, but what happens if you pull this miracle off?”
“You stay out of my town. But before you go, you apologize to CB for using her, hurting her and being the most pitiful excuse for dog crap ever spawned. There at the wedding, on bended knee, until she accepts your apology.”
Luke considered it. “That’s it? No cash?”
Burke worked not to roll his eyes. It wasn’t any fun using veiled insults on the clinically moronic. “Why bother?” he asked, mimicking Luke. “My reward will be watching you grovel.” He offered his hand, letting CB stand on her own.
Luke grinned as if someone had given him the winning lottery ticket. He slid his hand into Burke’s and shook for all he was worth. “Hell, this is gonna be more fun than I thought.”
Yeah . Burke grimaced as reality took a nibble out of his grim satisfaction, fun .
Chapter Four
For someone who’d gotten her way, CB sure threw a big snit. Of the two of them, Burke figured as he drove them to his house, he was the one who should have an attitude. He was the one doing the last thing on earth he should be, but there she was, scrunching herself as close to the door as she could, practically on her side and facing away from him. A furtive glance her way gave him one more reason to be upset.
Her position gave him an excellent view of her backside.
Burke rubbed his face with a tired hand. It was bad enough that eyeing her butt was the only way he’d recognized her in the bar, he didn’t have to have it facing him and taunting him because it was on the wrong woman. He gripped the steering wheel until he heard the leather creak beneath his palms.
“I’m sorry I bet your car, okay?” He wasn’t, but if she didn’t turn over he wasn’t going to be responsible for his actions. His thoughts were already in bad places.
She said nothing.
Okay, not mad about the car. She was mad about something else. It didn’t take deep thought to figure out what it was.
“I’m sorry you had to find out this way.”
She turned her head toward him a little bit. More toward the windshield, but he’d take what he could get. “About what?”
He swallowed the guilt that tried to lodge in his throat. “About Luke.”
She leaned forward more, her skin squeaking on the glass.
“Cheating on you,” he added, well aware there were a few other things she may have put together on her own to worry about.
She turned back to the side window, making another squeak. “Oh…that.”
“You want to talk about it?”
“Do you hear me talking about it?”
“You should, you know. It’ll help.”
“How would you know?”
Good question. No woman had ever cheated on him. Of course, he was never committed to a woman long enough for her to cheat on him. He dated and he’d had girlfriends for a few weeks, but no one lasted long. It was the thing CB ribbed him about most.
All his friends had long since moved away or married. Even Sel, the one no one thought
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