dance floor to the music, swinging her out so hard her skirt flew high, wrapping around her hips. And she wondered how much ass cheek she’d flashed. Her T-backs wouldn’t hide much.
Before long, Lacey’s curiosity got the better of her and she did as he suggested. The men standing around had stopped what they were doing to watch. Some adjusted jeans. Some stuck a hand in a pocket—some stuck both hands in their pockets to make more room for the bulges. She noticed the narrowed eyes, an occasional pull on their drinks, and long, hard swallows. They kept their eyes glued to her until the music paused.
“Thanks,” she said when Thomas pulled her back against his large frame. “I feel better.”
“So are we good for later?”
“Hell, no.” Lacey giggled.
“No? I’m devastated.”
“Not gonna happen. Ever! I’m fine with tomorrow.” She hesitated. “I’ll handle it.”
The parade would be fun and the jubilee wasn’t bothering her. Seeing the out-of-towners back after so long would be a treat. Honestly, she was okay with everything except for one thing—Bryan.
She had to unclench her teeth thinking about the way he announced he was alive and well. Truth be told, what really riled her was the way he’d done it. An email. Did the bastard think he could email her out of the blue and make everything better with a few mundane words?
The concept made Lacey fume every time she thought about it.
“A penny for your thoughts.”
“Trust me. You don’t want to know.” Lacey picked up the thread of their conversation and blew him an air kiss. “And…I don’t think you’ll need my help getting lucky in this crowd.”
Thomas gave her that notorious sexy smile, complete with his teasing wink, and tugged a little on her tassels. “Okay, I have to admit you’re right, but I still really want to pull your strings.”
Chapter Seven
Five minutes before Lacey walked in and sat down at the bar with Thomas, Bryan made Hunter move quietly to the back of the room. They kept their hats on, concealing a part of their faces. Everyone would still recognize him, and Bryan didn’t want to draw attention to himself before tomorrow.
“You know”—Hunter faced Bryan and warned him—“one day she’s going to ask why you didn’t come for her sooner.”
“I know, dammit. If I knew about her father I would have. Thomas should have told me about that and her symptoms sooner. Why would he keep that from me?”
Hunter shrugged. “No need to start second-guessing his motives now, for God’s sake. We just have to find a way to convince her you didn’t know what happened.”
Bryan released a sardonic laugh. “Yeah, and that I didn’t have anything to do with her father’s death. I can’t help thinking she suspects it may have been me. Hell, she knew about my blackouts back then.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll find out what happened to her father and clear you.”
They remained in the shadows, watching as Thomas teased Lacey. Every second Bryan spent watching the man touch her was pure torture. Being in the same room with her scent and being this close was different from watching her at a distance.
When the skirt whipped around her tan thighs, tight from riding her horses daily, he knew every man in the bar wished he could be the one she rode home. Bryan’s chest rumbled with the lion’s low growl. The skirt fanned her scent out through the room, making his cock press hard against his zipper. She always was unaware of the effect she had on men, but Bryan knew Thomas wasn’t. He wanted to rip out his friend’s heart and claw out every man’s eyes who watched her dance.
“What the hell is wrong with him? Flaunting her like that?”
“You know that guy?”
“Yeah, I know him. That’s Thomas. Our contact. My friend. But friend or not, he needs to take his hands off her.”
If she’d been in his arms, Bryan would have kept her wrapped up close, tight against his body, in the shadows, protected from
Before long, Lacey’s curiosity got the better of her and she did as he suggested. The men standing around had stopped what they were doing to watch. Some adjusted jeans. Some stuck a hand in a pocket—some stuck both hands in their pockets to make more room for the bulges. She noticed the narrowed eyes, an occasional pull on their drinks, and long, hard swallows. They kept their eyes glued to her until the music paused.
“Thanks,” she said when Thomas pulled her back against his large frame. “I feel better.”
“So are we good for later?”
“Hell, no.” Lacey giggled.
“No? I’m devastated.”
“Not gonna happen. Ever! I’m fine with tomorrow.” She hesitated. “I’ll handle it.”
The parade would be fun and the jubilee wasn’t bothering her. Seeing the out-of-towners back after so long would be a treat. Honestly, she was okay with everything except for one thing—Bryan.
She had to unclench her teeth thinking about the way he announced he was alive and well. Truth be told, what really riled her was the way he’d done it. An email. Did the bastard think he could email her out of the blue and make everything better with a few mundane words?
The concept made Lacey fume every time she thought about it.
“A penny for your thoughts.”
“Trust me. You don’t want to know.” Lacey picked up the thread of their conversation and blew him an air kiss. “And…I don’t think you’ll need my help getting lucky in this crowd.”
Thomas gave her that notorious sexy smile, complete with his teasing wink, and tugged a little on her tassels. “Okay, I have to admit you’re right, but I still really want to pull your strings.”
Chapter Seven
Five minutes before Lacey walked in and sat down at the bar with Thomas, Bryan made Hunter move quietly to the back of the room. They kept their hats on, concealing a part of their faces. Everyone would still recognize him, and Bryan didn’t want to draw attention to himself before tomorrow.
“You know”—Hunter faced Bryan and warned him—“one day she’s going to ask why you didn’t come for her sooner.”
“I know, dammit. If I knew about her father I would have. Thomas should have told me about that and her symptoms sooner. Why would he keep that from me?”
Hunter shrugged. “No need to start second-guessing his motives now, for God’s sake. We just have to find a way to convince her you didn’t know what happened.”
Bryan released a sardonic laugh. “Yeah, and that I didn’t have anything to do with her father’s death. I can’t help thinking she suspects it may have been me. Hell, she knew about my blackouts back then.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll find out what happened to her father and clear you.”
They remained in the shadows, watching as Thomas teased Lacey. Every second Bryan spent watching the man touch her was pure torture. Being in the same room with her scent and being this close was different from watching her at a distance.
When the skirt whipped around her tan thighs, tight from riding her horses daily, he knew every man in the bar wished he could be the one she rode home. Bryan’s chest rumbled with the lion’s low growl. The skirt fanned her scent out through the room, making his cock press hard against his zipper. She always was unaware of the effect she had on men, but Bryan knew Thomas wasn’t. He wanted to rip out his friend’s heart and claw out every man’s eyes who watched her dance.
“What the hell is wrong with him? Flaunting her like that?”
“You know that guy?”
“Yeah, I know him. That’s Thomas. Our contact. My friend. But friend or not, he needs to take his hands off her.”
If she’d been in his arms, Bryan would have kept her wrapped up close, tight against his body, in the shadows, protected from
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