the other men’s gazes. He’d have made a statement, a claim.
But Thomas couldn’t do that—no one else could. Lacey belonged to him. Bryan smiled then frowned. He had already staked that claim. She would never be free from their bond, whether she wanted to be or not.
“Strange. It almost looks like he’s playing her to an audience.” Hunter sounded reasonable and calm.
“He needs to cover her up.”
“Calm down, Bryan. He saw us standing in the corner earlier. Gave me a pretty thorough going over. If you get what I mean?”
“Thomas was checking you out?”
“Yeah, I thought he was. Then she walked in and now he’s all over her.”
“There’s something different about him.” Bryan rubbed a hand over his chin. “Guy couldn’t keep the chicks off him. Dated around, never any particular girl for long. He’s always been into the kinky stuff.”
“Well, he wants her. That’s obvious.”
“Always did. But he never acted on it with her. He and Lacey have been friends since they were in diapers. He’d do anything for her, or she for him, but she was never interested in him…that way.”
“He eyeballed me, and recognized us, so he knows we’re here, and he’s flirting with her. What does that tell you?”
“He has a death wish.”
“No. Guess again.”
“Before Lacey and I were an item, he wanted me to do a girl from Amarillo with him. The date never panned out, and then I started dating Lacey. He never brought it up again. He was a friend, a good friend to both of us. Helped us out, got her home safely when I couldn’t risk us getting caught together. I didn’t want my son-of-a-bitch father to take it out on her dad.”
Just then something Thomas said made Lacey laugh. A few minutes later, she blushed and giggled. Bryan’s throat constricted. He used to be able to make her react that way. It saddened him that someone else was the one making her smile now and he was the one causing her pain.
“He’s still her friend—still doing whatever it takes to make her happy,” Bryan said.
“Can’t fault him for that.”
“Friend or not, part of him wants her. I can taste it in the air.” Bryan growled beneath his breath.
“Yeah, so can I. But you need to stay in control, bro.”
“He’s making me jealous.”
“Yeah, he is.” It didn’t take much for Hunter to fill in the blanks.
“Damn him. I guess I wasn’t specific enough when I called him and asked for his help.” Bryan wanted to break Thomas’s fingers and wipe the smile off his too-perfect face. He cursed again. “I know what he’s doing.”
“Bro, think about it. He’s doing this on purpose. Teasing you. He’s forcing your hand.”
“Maybe I’ll thank him for it, someday.” A frown furrowed Bryan’s brow, and he spoke softly, almost to himself. “Right now, if he doesn’t back off and take his hands off her, my lion is urging me to rip his throat out.”
“There’s only one way to get his hands off her without violence.”
“How?”
“Dance with her.”
Hunter had a point. Bryan took off his hat and put it down on the table as he stood. His throat tightened when he stepped out of the shadows into the light. Lacey’s eyes flickered in his direction and held him in place. Heads turned. Pool balls stopped hitting each other, and several shocked gasps filled the silence in the room. The fast music segued from one song to the next. An appropriate somebody-done-somebody-wrong song started just as Bryan’s gaze locked with Lacey’s.
He moved cautiously toward her. Everyone quieted as he reached a hand out to her and she absently lifted hers in response.
The same spark she felt the first time she saw him sizzled across the room, mesmerizing her now as it had then. When their eyes met that first moment after she was bound to him, her essence locked with his, shackled by a mere glance.
She wondered if she’d ever seen anything more beautiful than those eyes. They’d once sparkled with life and
But Thomas couldn’t do that—no one else could. Lacey belonged to him. Bryan smiled then frowned. He had already staked that claim. She would never be free from their bond, whether she wanted to be or not.
“Strange. It almost looks like he’s playing her to an audience.” Hunter sounded reasonable and calm.
“He needs to cover her up.”
“Calm down, Bryan. He saw us standing in the corner earlier. Gave me a pretty thorough going over. If you get what I mean?”
“Thomas was checking you out?”
“Yeah, I thought he was. Then she walked in and now he’s all over her.”
“There’s something different about him.” Bryan rubbed a hand over his chin. “Guy couldn’t keep the chicks off him. Dated around, never any particular girl for long. He’s always been into the kinky stuff.”
“Well, he wants her. That’s obvious.”
“Always did. But he never acted on it with her. He and Lacey have been friends since they were in diapers. He’d do anything for her, or she for him, but she was never interested in him…that way.”
“He eyeballed me, and recognized us, so he knows we’re here, and he’s flirting with her. What does that tell you?”
“He has a death wish.”
“No. Guess again.”
“Before Lacey and I were an item, he wanted me to do a girl from Amarillo with him. The date never panned out, and then I started dating Lacey. He never brought it up again. He was a friend, a good friend to both of us. Helped us out, got her home safely when I couldn’t risk us getting caught together. I didn’t want my son-of-a-bitch father to take it out on her dad.”
Just then something Thomas said made Lacey laugh. A few minutes later, she blushed and giggled. Bryan’s throat constricted. He used to be able to make her react that way. It saddened him that someone else was the one making her smile now and he was the one causing her pain.
“He’s still her friend—still doing whatever it takes to make her happy,” Bryan said.
“Can’t fault him for that.”
“Friend or not, part of him wants her. I can taste it in the air.” Bryan growled beneath his breath.
“Yeah, so can I. But you need to stay in control, bro.”
“He’s making me jealous.”
“Yeah, he is.” It didn’t take much for Hunter to fill in the blanks.
“Damn him. I guess I wasn’t specific enough when I called him and asked for his help.” Bryan wanted to break Thomas’s fingers and wipe the smile off his too-perfect face. He cursed again. “I know what he’s doing.”
“Bro, think about it. He’s doing this on purpose. Teasing you. He’s forcing your hand.”
“Maybe I’ll thank him for it, someday.” A frown furrowed Bryan’s brow, and he spoke softly, almost to himself. “Right now, if he doesn’t back off and take his hands off her, my lion is urging me to rip his throat out.”
“There’s only one way to get his hands off her without violence.”
“How?”
“Dance with her.”
Hunter had a point. Bryan took off his hat and put it down on the table as he stood. His throat tightened when he stepped out of the shadows into the light. Lacey’s eyes flickered in his direction and held him in place. Heads turned. Pool balls stopped hitting each other, and several shocked gasps filled the silence in the room. The fast music segued from one song to the next. An appropriate somebody-done-somebody-wrong song started just as Bryan’s gaze locked with Lacey’s.
He moved cautiously toward her. Everyone quieted as he reached a hand out to her and she absently lifted hers in response.
The same spark she felt the first time she saw him sizzled across the room, mesmerizing her now as it had then. When their eyes met that first moment after she was bound to him, her essence locked with his, shackled by a mere glance.
She wondered if she’d ever seen anything more beautiful than those eyes. They’d once sparkled with life and
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