I need to remember to write that one down.
She flicked her tongue delicately at the salted rim, took a sip, looked up and down the bar, and then turned to gaze around the nightclub to see if there was anyone there whom she knew. It was a weeknight, so the club wasn’t at full capacity.
Turning like that made the room dip and swirl in her vision just a bit, and she giggled again and whispered, “Thank you, Señor Patrón.”
No way am I gonna get through this without lubricating the machinery, so to speak.
She barely resisted the urge to giggle at her mental pun. She wondered briefly if she should’ve taken the time to eat a decent supper before coming to the nightclub. Peanut butter and crackers was fast but not very filling.
“What was that, darlin’?” the dark-headed cowboy sitting next to her asked as he gave her a devilish grin. “You having a good time?”
“Yesirreee, I am,” she quipped, punctuating her thought with a nod of her head. The sudden motion made her head bob a little, which struck her as hilariously funny, and she had to stifle her giggle.
Sip this one slowly like Ben said. You don’t want to get so bombed that you can’t function. You just needed to loosen up a bit.
“And how is your evening so far, cowboy?”
The dark stranger smiled at her, turned slightly in his chair, and gave her his undivided attention. “So far…so good. I’m visiting from out of town.”
Just then, another man sauntered up in her somewhat blurry peripheral vision and said, “Jayney! How’re you doin’, sweet cheeks?” He reached out and shook the cowboy’s hand. “Good to see you again, Alvarez. You enjoying some of the nightlife while you’re in town?”
Mr. Alvarez grinned and nodded his head as he took a sip from his beer. “Yeah, gotta head back in the morning. Chase and Brian Benedict should be here in a little while with Angel, Joaquin, and Teresa. I’m liking the nightlife so far.”
Jayne blinked and squeaked happily when Buck Turnsell’s face finally came into focus. “Buck! Hi! I’m so happy to see you!” Wow, I didn’t mean to say that quite that loud. Shush, ninny! “How have you and Chad been?”
“Wonderful. Want to come and join us? He’s sitting right over there. If you don’t mind, Mr. Alvarez?”
“Not at all, but save me a dance, darlin’?”
“Sure!” She patted the dark-headed cowboy’s shirtfront. He had a nice, hard, muscular chest. “I sure will, cowboy.”
He tipped his hat and grinned then nodded at Buck. She giggled as Buck put his arm around her waist and escorted her over to the table he shared with Chad in the corner, where it was quieter. Her feet seemed to be directionally challenged, and she was grateful for Buck’s navigational skills. Chad grinned as he pulled out a tall chair for her, and she hugged him then gracefully climbed into it and plopped down.
Chad shared a look with Buck and then said, “Are you out having some fun tonight?”
“I am.” She punctuated each word with a nod of her head, and the room bobbed up and down in a visual echo before steadying again. That Señor Patrón is sneaky, sneaky! “I’m celebrating and seizing the day.”
“What are you celebrating?” Buck asked as he took the seat on the other side of her and leaned toward her with his chin in his palm. He took another sip of his beer.
“Well, I’m glad you asked, Buck. I’m celebrating life.”
Nodding at her half-finished margarita, Chad said, “Well, it looks like you’re well on your way. Besides what’s in your margarita glass? How else are you celebrating? Having a star named after yourself?” He pointed toward the ceiling. “Can you see it, Buck? That’s Jayney Sheridan up there. She twinkles so pretty!”
She wondered if he was as snockered as she was, but thought the idea had merit. “Nah. I’m just gonna have sex.” She guffawed and slapped her palm over her mouth.
Shit! They might turn you down if you don’t use some finesse on them, girl!
Jayne took another sip of her margarita as her cheeks filled up with heat at her admission.
“You are?” Chad blurted, and Jayne nearly giggled because he acted like Santa had just brought him a real, live Playboy centerfold model. A split second later, Chad grunted and clutched his leg beneath the table.
“Why do you want to do that, sweet cheeks?” Buck asked in a far-too-serious tone. He glanced at Chad, and Jayne wondered if she’d missed something.
Jayne took a deep breath and loved how good it felt to breathe deep and just…be. “What? Oh, because I want to lose my virginity. You want my virginity?” Oooh, I finally said it. “You know how hard it is to write e–er–rotica when you’re a virgin?”
Chad gave Buck an intense look and echoed her as she took another long sip of her margarita. “She writes erotica, Buck.”
The men seemed to have a nonverbal discussion and then both turned to her. Buck tilted his head as if confused. “Sweet cheeks, why do you want this when you and I know you’re stuck on Seth? We thought the two of you were an item. What happened?”
“We was. I mean…we are. I mean I thought we was…were.” Pointing to the glass, she giggled and said, “Señor Patrón fuddles up my tenses.” She took another sip of her margarita, draining the glass. “When I asked Seth about it, he said no.” She waved her hands in a dramatic, cutting motion to emphasize Seth’s denial of her reasonable request. “Will you say yes, Buck? Chad? You’re such nice guys.” Jayne patted both their shoulders. “Help a girl out. I just need to get it over with. It’s not that big a deal.”
If deflowering a virgin was all that great, Seth would’ve taken her up on the offer.
Buck seemed to shift uncomfortably in his chair. “No, Jayney. We appreciate the offer, but it wouldn’t be right. Why do you want to go and do that? You barely know us.”
“Nah, you’re my friends.” She flapped a hand at them. “And no strings attached. It’s just this little teeny, tiny inconvenience.” She tried to scratch her nose and missed, whapping herself in the cheek. Buck waved at the waitress and asked for a glass of water. “Besides, it’s embarrassing to be a thirty-eight-year-old virgin. I’m anachronistic, and it’s time I got chronologically corrected.” It seemed that Señor Patrón also enabled her to have a brilliant vocabulary.
Buck patted her shoulder gently. “You don’t want to do that, sweet cheeks.” His tone was that of a big brother. Chad’s sad face mirrored Buck’s tone, and they both seemed to know something she didn’t know.
She sat up and looked from one to the other of them and hoped that her pouty lip might change one of their minds. “You don’t wanna?”
They both shook their heads regretfully. The waitress brought the glass of water, and Buck coaxed her to drink all of it and chatted with her about how life was treating her. Jayne welcomed the distraction, but chatting up Buck and Chad wasn’t going to get her what she came for.
Whoever heard of men who didn’t wanna get laid?
Her buzz settled into a less loopy, more comfortably numb place, and she figured it was time to do some more day-seizing. “Okay. I need to dance, then maybe another margarita, then finding someone and getting laid would be awesome—”
A warm, work-roughened hand stroked her upper arm, sending delightful little tingles all over her skin. She turned and made eye contact with the handsome, dark-headed cowboy from the bar. Ripcord lean and tall, with all kinds of secrets in his dark, dark eyes.
Now here is a likely prospect. “Oh, hello!” I need another margarita.
“Hello, darlin’. I’ve come to claim that dance from you, if you’re willing?”
Jayne patted Buck’s and Chad’s shoulders before rising from her chair with what felt like the fluid grace of a supermodel as Gloriana’s “Kissed You Good Night” began to play. “Ready, willing, and able, cowboy! No hard feelings, guys.”
Somewhere in the tiny part of her that had sobered just slightly, she had a feeling she’d look back on this moment with regret and embarrassment. For now, it was time for
some day-seizing.
Jayne was grateful for the margarita, which had loosened her up enough to be able to dance with her partner, who’d finally introduced himself to her as Julián Alvarez, as he’d escorted her to the dance floor. Growing up, Grace and Charity had taught her all the dance moves they’d learned in the classes their mother had taken them to.
Julián twirled her around again and then drew her close and smiled down at her. “So, Julián, where are you from?”
“Originally, I’m from Virginia. Born and raised there, but I’ve been on the rodeo circuit for several years now. I’ve settled, at least temporarily, on a horse ranch in Lusty, up near Waco. I’m in Divine visiting some old friends from the rodeo. Maybe you know them? Angel and Joaquin Martinez? They head up the Andalusian breeding outfit out at the Divine Creek Ranch.”
“Yes, I do know them. My cousin Grace is married to the owners of the Divine Creek Ranch.”
Oops! Does Grace mind if I share with virtual strangers that she’s in a ménage marriage?
“Did you say she’s married to the owners? As in plural?” The expression on Julián’s face was a mixture of surprise and disbelief. “Divine has a lot in common with Lusty, I guess.”
Well, you let that horse right out of the barn, now didn’t you?
“Yes, sorry. I forgot that might not be common knowledge. Angel and Joaquin are nice guys, and they know all there is to know about horse porn—I mean horse breeding.” A giggle escaped her. Grace had used that expression a time or two around her, and it’d just slipped out.
“My employers, Brian and Chase Benedict, are interested in starting a breeding operation, and I told them about the breeding techniques Angel and Joaquin use there. They talked to the owners who extended the invitation to visit. So ménages are common here?”
“There’s quite a few of them, but they tend to stay under the radar. There’s a few judgmental people in town, but for the most part it’s a wonderful place to live. So, is that what you’re interested in? A ménage, I mean?”
“Right now, pretty lady, all I’m interested in is you.” The lusty intent in his sexy dark eyes was clear as her earlier words about needing to get laid, which he’d probably overheard, came to her mind.
Her buzz dampened as an image of Seth’s handsome face drifted through her hazy mind. What was she doing, flirting with another man, when Seth had already claimed such a big piece of her heart?
Honey, you’ve gone just a bit past flirting. You’ve kinda stuck a sign on it and lit up a flare.
Julián Alvarez didn’t strike her as the type to intentionally take advantage of a woman, but she’d been flirting pretty hard with him for the last few minutes.
Maybe I should just get it over with. He’s nice enough and certainly attractive.
Blue laser beam eyes, awash with arousal, flitted in her memory again. The night of her first tattoo session, Seth had wanted her. There had been no doubt about it, judging by the state of his cock and the way he’d gazed at her. He’d used self-restraint.
Maybe you should take a lesson in that virtue.
Seth’s voice crowded her jumbled, alcohol-muddled thoughts. “I want you to be able to look back and smile at the memory of your first time and have no regrets.”
His cock had appeared bone hard at the time he’d said that, too.
Julián twirled her around, and this time the room didn’t keep spinning as he pulled her nearly full length against his body. He was an excellent dancer. She could feel the steely ridge of his erection against her abdomen as he gazed intently at her.
“What do you say we get you another drink, Jayne?”
I should just get it over with. I’m so confused. Seth wants me. But then again he doesn’t want me. I just need to get this behind me. It’s not that big a deal, really.
“That sounds great, Julián.” She thought it sexy and exotic that although he had a Virginia accent, he used the traditional Spanish pronunciation of the J so it sounded like an H.
They cozied up to the bar, and he ordered her another drink. She sipped at her margarita, noting this one was as strong as the first. She thought it was sweet of Ben to have watched out for her before by mixing her second one weaker, but she needed the liquid courage now.
They chatted about his days on the rodeo circuit, and she found more and more that Julián really was a nice, if horny, guy. Anxious to dance some more, she downed the last of the drink and said, “Come on, cowboy. Let’s get this over—I mean, let’s dance some more!” She needed to be careful of her words because her filter seemed to be all but nonexistent at the moment.
Pesky Señor Patrón.
A new, slower song started, and she almost changed her mind when she recognized “What Does He Have” by River City Gang. Even though the song made her wish for Seth’s arms to snuggle into, she allowed Julián to escort her to the dance floor.
Seth’s not here. Get over it.
She ignored the ache in her chest created by the soft piano chords and compelling tone of the vocals and tried to focus on Julián.
Jayne caught a glimpse of Buck and Chad as they watched her dance with Julián. Chad looked guilty, and Buck looked worried. She wondered why but was distracted by Julián as he asked, “So did it hurt?”
Because her mind was still muddled with thoughts of losing her virginity and she was worried that she’d been speaking indiscriminately earlier, she peered at him in confusion. “Huh?”
“When you fell from heaven, angel girl. Did it hurt?”
Jayne burst into giggles as the room swirled and the warmth of her earlier buzz returned. “That’s the cheesiest pickup line I’ve ever heard. Not that I’ve heard that many. But I’ll give you an A-plus for your effort.”
Julián chuckled and kissed her forehead. “Is my charm working on you?” He smiled, but then his attention was drawn away from her.
In a weird out-of-body experience, the memory of Seth’s gentle hands on her as he’d tattooed her telegraphed itself so she actually felt his hand instead of Julián’s. The spot where the tattoo now adorned her hip seemed to vibrate under his hand. Sadness and no small amount of guilt filled her as she gazed up at Julián. His face swam for a moment, and Seth’s visage appeared in its place.
“Seth, it’s just sex. Can’t I just get it over with?”
Multiple male voices twisted and vibrated in her mind, faces swirled around her, and she suddenly couldn’t feel her legs.
Chapter Five
A kaleidoscope of emotions crowded Seth’s thoughts as he watched Jayne on the dance floor with the cowboy who was holding her entirely too fucking close. Buck had called him a few minutes before and told him what Jayne had said and that Jayne was under the impression that Seth didn’t care. Buck had also said that she’d had to get drunk just to get up the guts to ask them, which meant her heart probably wasn’t in this little adventure. She looked happily soused as she chatted with the cowboy while they two-stepped, but then her expression morphed into sadness.
He moved through the club and onto the dance floor. As he got closer, he could tell by her posture and the way she was trying to focus on the man holding her that she must be inebriated. Foremost in his mind was getting her out of the cowboy’s arms. He definitely did care about what she was up to, and he wasn’t going to allow her to throw away a precious part of her she could never get back, not in the condition she was in. The thought of her lying helpless in some nameless cowboy’s arms turned his vision red.
He caught sight of Buck and Chad where they’d edged nearby on the dance floor. He was thankful for their interference in her little “cause” tonight but wished they’d kept her with them until he’d arrived. Considering that they’d originally had Jayne in their sights for themselves to share, he was grateful that they’d turned down her tempting invitation and called him to rescue her from herself.
Possessive anger seethed inside Seth as the cowboy slid his hand around Jayne’s lush hip and squeezed her ass cheek. Seth imagined wip
ing the pleased smile off the bastard’s face as he wove through the crowd on the dance floor. The man looked up and made eye contact with him for a few seconds and then turned his attention back to Jayne and murmured to her flirtatiously. The cowboy glanced his way again and Seth thought he saw challenge in the man’s eyes. Seth prided himself on being a relatively calm man, not given to fits of jealous rage or temper, but he was fixing to kick someone’s ass.
Mine.
A split second later, Seth’s anger turned to concern as Jayne’s feet got twisted around each other. She would’ve fallen if the cowboy hadn’t been holding on to her. Concern for Jayne replaced the smile on the cowboy’s face as dancers stared curiously and gave them a wider berth on the dance floor. Buck and Chad moved in hastily as well, and Seth clenched his jaw as the cowboy swept her into his arms and carried her from the dance floor.
All eyes were on them as Ben approached with what must’ve been Jayne’s purse and car keys. Quietly, Ben said, “I was mixing her drinks weaker, Seth, but Quinten didn’t know that and gave her a full-strength margarita a few minutes ago, which she downed pretty quickly. Kerry said she delivered a big glass of water to Jayne earlier. You’ve got a ticking time bomb on your hands.” Seth knew it was just a matter of time before she started bringing everything up.
Seth made eye contact with Buck and held up her set of keys. “Can you help me out with her car?”
Buck and Chad both nodded, and Buck took the ignition key off the ring as Seth described her car and recited her address. “Just bring it when you’re done here.”
“What happened?” Jayne’s words were slurred as she put her hand to her cheek. She peered around in confusion. Her eyes were bleary, and her cheeks went rosy as she squinted at him and recognition dawned. The same sadness from earlier crossed her face again, and tears welled up in her eyes.
Seth accepted her purse when Ben handed it to him, turned to the cowboy, and held out his arms. “I’ll take her from here.”
The cowboy’s dark eyes assessed him briefly, seeming to determine whether Jayne would welcome his intervention or not. “Jayne, do you want to go with him?”
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