Page 40 of Smut Lovers
Chapter Two
Moorely
T he live band at Hammy’s couldn’t be beat.
That, along with the fact that the bride-to-be was marrying an actual rancher, was the main reason I picked this place despite the incessant noise and way too many tourists.
The crowded floor prevented me from joining, so I begged off, saying I’d hold the table.
My best friend, Nova, was kind enough to remain behind and keep me company.
Or maybe not kind, but not quite drunk enough to join the revelry. At least, I hoped as much. The stare she held on me gave me a little warning about what was coming.
I ignored her to focus on the group of revelers, the white hat in the center. “I think Mara is happy with her bachelorette party.”
“Of course she is, you did great, as you always do. Even though you disappeared for like forty-five minutes after we left the party for the drunk tour. You missed the entire first bar. What were you up to?” Nova slurped her margarita. “It had to have gotten you in a mood.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You rode the bull soon as we got here.” Nova gestured toward the mechanical bull in the bar's corner. Some out-of-towner was currently attempting to ride with hilarious results. “Beat the bars record—again. It was your own record.”
I sipped my lime water rather than answer at first. Leave it to Nova to notice my mood. Rather than deal with the thing that really had me riled, I focused on what I’d disappeared to do. “I’d rather not say. You need plausible deniability.”
Nova’s brow rose high enough to be hidden by her sweeping bangs.
The woman was the epitome of perfect. I used to be so jealous when we first became friends.
Blond hair, blue eyes, the perfect figure with no awkward phase like I’d gone through.
I was grateful we’d been best friends since the cradle, and that she didn’t abandon me when I went through some horrible growing pains in my teens.
“What?” I took another big gulp of my water.
“Tucker?”
“You know me too well.” I couldn’t deny that I’d been up to no good.
Not that Tucker didn’t deserve it. The misogynist bastard and his wandering hands earned it.
He fired me for slapping him after one of his advances.
Now I had that on my record, and he was smearing my name as best he could.
Thankfully, in a small-town, enough people knew him well enough to not believe his slander, and I’d secured another day job by the next week.
Even so, that one lost paycheck had put me dangerously close to missing paying some bills. Only this party had kept me afloat.
“Well, now you’ve got to tell me.” Her eyes lit up. She leaned closer. “Tell, tell, tell. You know I won’t let it go.”
“Yes. I’m aware.” I sighed before scooting over to the chair beside her. I couldn’t risk anyone else hearing what I’d been up to. “I snuck into his office and hid about two hundred micro-penises everywhere.”
“The perfect accompaniment to his micro-penis.” She held her glass up so we could clink. I didn’t hesitate to oblige. After another gulp, she choked on her drink. “Oh, my God.”
“What the hell?”
“Randy’s in town?”
I groaned, dropping my head in my hand. “Yeah. But he goes by Briggs now. Remember? Wait. How did you know?”
“Because he’s staring over here right now. Hey!” Nova stood on the rungs of her stool and waved wildly.
“What are you doing?” I yanked her down to her seat. “I don’t want to see him.”
“Of course you do. You’ve lusted after him since the fifth grade.”
“Novalee June Young. Don’t you dare say that in front—”
“Hello, Nova.” Briggs’ smooth timbre washed over me, much as it had when I’d been dangling out of Tucker’s office window.
The man was every bit the picture of the playboy hockey star he’d become.
Too damn sexy for his own good. How he’d improved when he’d been amazing already was beyond my comprehension.
Like Nova, the gods must have blessed him with amazing genes. “How’s the bakery?”
“Oh, you know about my bakery? How sweet.” Nova leaned on her hand to take him in.
“Isn’t that the name of it?” Briggs chuckled low and deep under the music. Damn my body for the gooseflesh the sound raised.
I didn’t miss the way Nova’s gaze flashed to me. I could have sworn I saw wickedness light up like a fire in those denim blues. Damn her, she was all but reading my mind again, wasn’t she? I determinedly looked anywhere but at our surprise guest.
“It is. You really keep up on this dinky little town with your big career and world traveling?” Nova smiled, sweet as honey. “You should come by and get a sampler some time. That is, if your diet allows for such things.”
“Everything in moderation.” Briggs leaned forward, all but ignoring me.
My feelings were a mixture of relief and insult.
I would have sworn the man was undressing me with his eyes in the alley, but I supposed next to Nova I’d lost that battle.
“And of course I keep up on the goings on here as much as I can. It’s home. ”
“A home you haven’t seen in five years.” I’d spit the words out with a venom that surprised even me. I hadn’t meant to say a word. Heat rushed up my neck until even my ears felt hot with the prickle of embarrassment.
Briggs’ gaze flicked toward me. A twitch of something, perhaps hurt, creased his brow. “Home is where the heart is.”
“Then yours is on the ice, I guess. Fitting, isn’t it?” I hopped from my stool. “Excuse me.”
I rushed from the table, ignoring Nova’s brief call. I had to splash cool water on my face, or even better, get some air. I acted like I was heading to the bathroom, then cut toward the back door. I made it into the alley and took a deep breath of mountain air.
What the hell was that? Why had I bitten the man’s head off? Because he’d known about Nova’s bakery? It had quite a following on social media, and she’d won a cooking competition on the food channel.
In less than five minutes with Briggs, I felt like an awkward teenager again, remembering how he mostly ignored me during his frequent visits. Of course, he was Aspen’s best friend, not mine. Still, I’d had a huge crush.
Well, he wouldn’t be around long. I’d have to comfort myself with that knowledge and go on about my business. I’d probably never see him again for the entire time he was home.