babe.”
An arm slid around my waist, and I looked up to see Lucas flashing me a smile. He pulled me into him with a squeeze that felt so damn good.
“Um. Hey.”
“Having fun?” The question was casual. Then his glance landed on Cheyenne. “Oh, hi, Cheyenne. Merry Christmas.”
Cheyenne smiled, showing off her cute dimples. “Merry Christmas to you too. Both of you.” Her gaze flicked to me and then back to Lucas. Doug approached from behind her, and I knew he’d seen me when his steps slowed.
Well, this was an awkward social moment. All I wanted to do was bury my face in Lucas’s neck, but that wasn’t appropriate. There’d been rumors before that we were a couple, and I certainly didn’t want to add fuel to that gossip fire. On the other hand, maybe that was better than being the woman tossed aside by Doug Brandt for Cheyenne freakin’ Ranger. Maybe a part of me wanted Doug to know I’d slept with Lucas, but the smart part of me knew I couldn’t go there. It wasn’t as if Lucas had never hugged me before. Doug probably wasn’t going to think anything of the fact that Lucas had his arm around me.
It was amazing how many thoughts could pass through your head in a matter of seconds.
I fixed my eyes on Doug without smiling.
His eyes met mine, then shifted sideways. “Haylee. How was the tour?”
I lifted my eyebrows, aware of all the people around; a few of them were watching us. I tried to suck in a deep breath, fighting for control of my stupid body. Since my hands were shaking, I grabbed onto Lucas’s arm where it circled my waist.
I did not want to let Doug off the hook, but I also didn’t want to create a scene, because it would for sure be all over the internet and in the papers in the morning if I did.
“The tour was awesome.” I tried to sound normal. I think my voice might have come out higher pitched than usual, but I could hardly hear myself over the buzzing in my ears.
Lucas bent his head and whispered to me, under the pretense of nuzzling my hair. “Got your back, babe. However you want to play this.”
I leaned into him more and gave him a quick look of gratitude. His support suddenly made me feel stronger. I’d always known Lucas and Ben had my back, because we were a team, and we had been from the moment we’d banded together in our musical triad. That hadn’t changed. Nobody else needed to know what had happened between us the last two nights. I knew. I knew I’d been a sex goddess. Okay that might be exaggerating. But still. I’d felt beautiful and desired. I’d felt powerful.
I lifted my chin and gave Doug a look, letting everything I felt for him show—my utter disdain for him, my contempt for how he’d treated me. I tossed my hair back and shook my head. “You’re a douche bag, Doug.” I leveled a look of pity on Cheyenne and patted her shoulder. “Sorry, hon. Things don’t get better in bed.” I smiled up at Lucas. “I could use another drink. How about you?”
He grinned. “Good idea. Later, guys.” And we turned and headed to the bar.
Adrenaline zinged through my veins, and when we arrived at the bar, I had to lean on it to hold myself up. My legs had the strength of guitar strings. “Fuck.”
“That was awesome.” Lucas rubbed my back as he ordered another glass of wine for me and bourbon for himself.
“I’d rather have a beer.” The room felt very hot.
“Want me to change that order?”
“Nah. It’s okay.” I sucked in air. “Shit.”
“You did good, Haylee. The look you gave him—hell, he probably still feels that knife in his chest.”
“You know what?” I turned sideways to face him. “I was freaked out at first. But I really don’t give a shit. What kind of asshole would do that to a girl he’s dating? Nobody worth my time, that’s who.”
“You are so right.”
The bartender placed a glass of golden wine in front of me, and I picked it up and took a big slurp. I resisted the urge to wipe the back of my hand across
An arm slid around my waist, and I looked up to see Lucas flashing me a smile. He pulled me into him with a squeeze that felt so damn good.
“Um. Hey.”
“Having fun?” The question was casual. Then his glance landed on Cheyenne. “Oh, hi, Cheyenne. Merry Christmas.”
Cheyenne smiled, showing off her cute dimples. “Merry Christmas to you too. Both of you.” Her gaze flicked to me and then back to Lucas. Doug approached from behind her, and I knew he’d seen me when his steps slowed.
Well, this was an awkward social moment. All I wanted to do was bury my face in Lucas’s neck, but that wasn’t appropriate. There’d been rumors before that we were a couple, and I certainly didn’t want to add fuel to that gossip fire. On the other hand, maybe that was better than being the woman tossed aside by Doug Brandt for Cheyenne freakin’ Ranger. Maybe a part of me wanted Doug to know I’d slept with Lucas, but the smart part of me knew I couldn’t go there. It wasn’t as if Lucas had never hugged me before. Doug probably wasn’t going to think anything of the fact that Lucas had his arm around me.
It was amazing how many thoughts could pass through your head in a matter of seconds.
I fixed my eyes on Doug without smiling.
His eyes met mine, then shifted sideways. “Haylee. How was the tour?”
I lifted my eyebrows, aware of all the people around; a few of them were watching us. I tried to suck in a deep breath, fighting for control of my stupid body. Since my hands were shaking, I grabbed onto Lucas’s arm where it circled my waist.
I did not want to let Doug off the hook, but I also didn’t want to create a scene, because it would for sure be all over the internet and in the papers in the morning if I did.
“The tour was awesome.” I tried to sound normal. I think my voice might have come out higher pitched than usual, but I could hardly hear myself over the buzzing in my ears.
Lucas bent his head and whispered to me, under the pretense of nuzzling my hair. “Got your back, babe. However you want to play this.”
I leaned into him more and gave him a quick look of gratitude. His support suddenly made me feel stronger. I’d always known Lucas and Ben had my back, because we were a team, and we had been from the moment we’d banded together in our musical triad. That hadn’t changed. Nobody else needed to know what had happened between us the last two nights. I knew. I knew I’d been a sex goddess. Okay that might be exaggerating. But still. I’d felt beautiful and desired. I’d felt powerful.
I lifted my chin and gave Doug a look, letting everything I felt for him show—my utter disdain for him, my contempt for how he’d treated me. I tossed my hair back and shook my head. “You’re a douche bag, Doug.” I leveled a look of pity on Cheyenne and patted her shoulder. “Sorry, hon. Things don’t get better in bed.” I smiled up at Lucas. “I could use another drink. How about you?”
He grinned. “Good idea. Later, guys.” And we turned and headed to the bar.
Adrenaline zinged through my veins, and when we arrived at the bar, I had to lean on it to hold myself up. My legs had the strength of guitar strings. “Fuck.”
“That was awesome.” Lucas rubbed my back as he ordered another glass of wine for me and bourbon for himself.
“I’d rather have a beer.” The room felt very hot.
“Want me to change that order?”
“Nah. It’s okay.” I sucked in air. “Shit.”
“You did good, Haylee. The look you gave him—hell, he probably still feels that knife in his chest.”
“You know what?” I turned sideways to face him. “I was freaked out at first. But I really don’t give a shit. What kind of asshole would do that to a girl he’s dating? Nobody worth my time, that’s who.”
“You are so right.”
The bartender placed a glass of golden wine in front of me, and I picked it up and took a big slurp. I resisted the urge to wipe the back of my hand across
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