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She folded her arms across her chest. “You want me to see that you’re different?”

I nodded. “Fuck, Mags, I’d do anything.”

“Then tell me what you were doing with Lola at eight that night.”

I bit the inside of my cheek. Showing her that would... show her more than I was ready for. But I might not have a choice.

She shook her head, blinking quickly. “I knew it.” She turned to walk away again, but I took her hand. The warmth was better than any whiskey.

“I’ll show you. But you have to come with me.”

She scoffed. “Is this just a way to get me in your bed?”

“Baby girl, when I get you in my bed, it’s not going to be a trick. You’re going to be begging for me to take you there.”

12

MAGNOLIA

My stomach swoopedat his words, and my thighs clenched instinctively.

Fuck, did this man have a hold on me. Especially with two shots of whiskey heating my insides and making my cheeks warm.

I knew it was a bad idea to go with him to his house because getting close to him had torn me apart so badly the last time. But now I didn’t have college in another town to escape to. I’d own Rhonda’s Salon if I had my way, and she needed me to buy it and take care of it. I could never betray her by buying it and selling it just to get away from Rhett.

Which left me here. Standing across from him. Country music blaring from the speakers. His hazel eyes watched me, waiting for an answer.

And I couldn’t say no, even if it was the smart option. Because my heart was in control. And it was clearly fucking stupid. And desperate to know he wasn’t still sleeping with the woman who was there on the worst night of my life.

“I’ll go with you,” I said.

He tilted his head toward the door. “Let’s go.”

I stopped by Cam on the dance floor, and she barely said hello as I gave her the keys to my car. She clearly wasn’t going to be my DD tonight, so I was glad that I could at least ask Rhett for a ride home after we went wherever we were going.

Rhett was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs outside the building. Standing there framed by the dark night outside, his cowboy hat guarding his eyes, his jeans showing off his body like no one’s business... It was hard not to be that girl falling for him all over again, swept away in the excitement of it all.

I squared my shoulders and took a deep breath, because this man’s cologne paired with his heart-melting smile was my personal kryptonite. When I met him at the bottom of the stairs and went to cross the street with him, he placed his hand on the small of my back.

Just that contact sent heat spreading to every corner of my body.

That simple touch.

And I knew what he said was right. I’d be begging for him. And the question wasn’t if, but how long I could hold myself back.

We walked across the street to his pickup, and he held the door open for me.

I gave him a look.

He arched an eyebrow. “I have to.”

“Why is that?” I asked.

“When you have a woman you care about, you do the little things for her. Not because you’re putting on an act, but because every part of you wants to make her life easier, better, in any way you can.”

My heart fluttered, but I held back. Rhett had been a natural at sweeping me off my feet back in the day, and he’d had a lot of practice with women over the years. My heart might be gullible, but my brain knew to look out, at least a little bit.

I got into his truck, sitting in the passenger seat, and he waited until I was buckled in to shut the door. I looked around the cab, noticing a leather cord with a ring hanging from the rearview mirror.