Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
S he’d been warned that a regular Thursday at the Sundowner was busy. Especially in the summer. But when local country superstar Cal Bridgestone and his wife, Millie Sue, took to the stage, well, busy didn’t come close to describing the situation. Collins had never seen so many bodies packed into a room, regardless of the size. Not even Paris Fashion Week, with the throngs of paparazzi and fans, came close.
Security had long ago stopped letting folks in on account of fire and safety concerns, and the bar top was five to six people deep, one end to the other, for hours. It was hot. Loud. Smelled like beer and sweat and grease and by God, Collins loved every single minute of it.
And that was before Benton appeared, his dark eyes full of hesitation, or maybe doubt. She’d poured him a whiskey, told him it was on the house, and then he’d disappeared into the darkness, a body etched in shadow, there along the side of the stage.
He hadn’t moved from his spot the entire evening. It was his younger brother Ryland who’d ponied up to the bar and retrieved drinks for Benton and another man, she couldn’t quite make out.
Ryland was sweet. Introduced himself as the youngest Bridgestone right away, and she saw the young man that Benton had been. The boy was a looker and would make one hell of a man one day. But he wasn’t for her. There was no one here who came close to the man she had her eye on.
“You’ve got it bad, girl.” Jo edged up alongside her, then set down two containers of fresh-cut limes. She grabbed a couple of limes, shoved them onto two bottles of beer, and handed them over to a customer.
“Can’t help it,” she replied, smiling at a group of women waiting on their Jack & Cokes. She garnished each tumbler with lemons and exchanged the three glasses for some cash. It was nearing the end of the night, and last call had been announced.
“I see that.” Jo cracked a smile. “Though to be honest, he hasn’t taken his eyes off you all night.”
“Really? I’ve been so busy. Every time I look that way, he’s facing the stage.”
“Trust me,” Jo said, grabbing a bunch of empty jugs to be taken to the kitchen for cleaning. “That’s the only time he wasn’t looking.”
Pleased to hear he was just as aware of her as she was of him, Collins got busy cleaning up, while the bouncers started helping folks out of the Sundowner. Cabs and rides were arranged for those who didn’t think ahead, and by the time the last patron exited the building and the doors were locked, it was pushing three a.m.
With only the Bridgestones and a few friends left, Collins accepted a glass of wine from Jo and wandered over to the table where everyone had gathered. There was a large plate of nachos that had been nearly decimated, as well as the remnants of a large basket of chicken wings.
Benton sat on the other side, next to his brother Cal, and the two men were deep in conversation. The man she’d spied earlier, the one who’d come in with Bent, got up and offered his hand.
“I don’t think we’ve been introduced.” Tall. Dark. Definitely a Bridgestone.
“Collins. And you are?”
“Cole.” He must have seen the questions in her eyes because he smiled and nodded. “Yep. A cousin from Texas.” He flashed a devilish grin. “You’re a Lafferty.”
“I am.”
He gave a low whistle. He was definitely a flirt. “You’re a hell of a lot cuter than your brother Kip.”
“Well, thanks for that. My arm is just as good as his, too.”
His smile deepened, and he chuckled. “I don’t doubt that.” He lifted his chin. “So why is a pretty girl like you slugging beer in a dive like this?”
“Hey,” Millie Sue said from her seat a few feet away. “I take offence at that.”
“Which part?” Cole turned her way. “My description of your newest bartender or my description of the bar.”
“Maybe you should just finish your drink and keep your opinions to yourself,” Benton said. His tone was good-natured, but his eyes were dark, and when they drifted her way, Collins’ stomach turned over so quickly, she leaned against the table so she wouldn’t fall.
Cole glanced back at his cousin, then winked at Collins. He leaned in real close. “He’s wired up something good.”
“Is he?” she murmured.
“Hell yeah.”
“Okay, so are we not going to talk about the fact that the biggest model in the world is working behind your bar?” Ryland grinned and sat back in his chair. He nudged Mille Sue, then looked around the table, clearly pleased with himself.
Millie Sue chuckled. “I’m still not sure, but from what I hear, Jo is happy with things.”
“Maybe she likes the scenery,” Ryland quipped.
“Maybe I do,” Collins replied, with a wink. Ryland’s face darkened, and he grabbed the soda, downing it in one big gulp.
“You seem to have some kind of an effect on the Bridgestone men,” Colton said.
“The only one I care about doesn’t seem to think so.”
“Oh, he cares.” Colton grinned. “Right about now, he wants to put his fist through my face.”
Benton’s gaze was hooded, but it was focused on her, and that gave her hope. Colton drifted back to the other side of the table.
“So, how do you like Big Bend?” Millie Sue asked.
“It’s nice here. A lot different than the city. I like the slow pace, and everyone I’ve met seems so lovely.” She glanced at Benton and tried not to smile. “For the most part.”
“You’re at Duffer’s?” That question came from Millie Sue’s husband, Cal.
“I am. She’s a sweet lady. Tells the best stories and makes the most amazing breakfast I’ve ever had.”
“She comes from good people.” Cal nodded, then leaned toward his wife. “I don’t know about you, darlin’, but I need my bed.”
“Since when did you turn into an old man?” Ryland chuckled.
“Wait until you have a son who likes to wake up before the birds know it’s time to sing.”
“No, thank you,” Ry replied. “Not interested.”
“That’s because you’re still a wet-behind-the-ears kid who can’t even order a legal drink yet.” Cal got up and grabbed his youngest brother. He hugged him quickly, the way men tend to do, then turned to his wife. “You ready?”
Collins watched them leave. His hand was at her lower back, the touch intimate and soft and sexy as hell. What was it about a man who was not ashamed to touch his woman in public? So many guys her age were afraid to commit. Heck, playing the field was the norm, using women like they were items to consume and throw away. Settling for one woman wasn’t deemed cool or progressive. There was an entire generation of women her age who were single, and it wasn’t because they wanted to be. It was because finding an emotionally available, mature man who was comfortable with his masculinity without acting like a Neanderthal was harder than searching for Bigfoot.
It was the topic of conversation whenever she got together with her prep school pals.
Once Millie Sue and Cal left, their friends followed suit. Ryland got to his feet and yawned. “I’m whipped. Riding for two days just about did me in.”
“Pussy,” Colton teased.
The youngest Bridgestone ignored the barb. “I’ll be out back when you two are ready.” He flashed a smile at Collins, grabbed his phone, and left.
“I used to ride.” Collins set down her wine glass. She’d had two sips, but her stomach was too nervous for the stuff.
“Yeah?” Colton prompted.
She nodded. “My father likes to dabble in a lot of things. Horse racing is one of them. He’s a part owner of Sweet Way Stables out in Kentucky.” She saw the surprise on their faces.
“Sweet Way?” Benton angled his head. “That’s quite the operation.” He got to his feet and stood beside his cousin.
“It’s an amazing place. When I was a little girl, it was the most magical spot on earth. I would have moved in and lived with the Sheltons if I could have.”
“They run the place?” Colton asked.
“Yes.” A lot of memories were tied up with that outfit. Some good. Most bittersweet. She turned to Benton and found his gaze settled on her.
The air crackled with something. An unseen energy made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Did anyone else feel it? Was she the only one?
“Do you like riding?” Benton asked, eyes glittering in the low lights.
“I suppose it depends.”
“On what?”
“On what I’m riding.”
Jo, who Collins had forgotten was still there, snorted. Colton grinned and turned to his cousin. “You’ve got your work cut out with this one. Good luck.” He winked at Jo, gave Collins a wave, and headed for the kitchen.
“Okay,” Jo said, reaching for empty glasses. “I’m going to drop these in the kitchen and?—”
“I can lock up,” Collins offered quickly. Too quickly, she supposed. “I mean, if you want. I don’t mind clearing this table.”
Jo paused, but then slowly nodded. “The keys to the back door are hanging from the hook in the office. The security code for the alarm is taped to the side of the filing cabinet.” She took a step. “Thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
Once the woman was gone, Collins faced Benton. He was too quiet. His expression too neutral. With her heart damn near jumping out of her chest, she was pretty sure he heard it. How could he not? It filled her head. Touched the energy that was still there. Electrified her body. Filled her with the kind of need that hurt. In that moment, she had no pride. She wanted Benton and wasn’t above doing something as basic as throwing herself at him.
God, she might even beg. Her, Collins Lafferty. The highest-paid model in the world. Begging a man for sex. The press would have a field day if they knew how desperate she’d become.
She wet her dry lips. Opened her mouth to speak, but Benton beat her to the punch, and his words deflated whatever bit of ego she had left.
“I’ll see you around,” he said quietly. He held her gaze for maybe two seconds, then melted into the shadows. She watched him leave the same way his brother and cousin had done, then sat down, utterly exhausted. More than a little embarrassed, and now second-guessing herself so badly she began to shake, she took a moment.
What the hell was she doing here in Big Bend? Bashing her heart against a brick wall?
Maybe food would help. She grabbed a handful of nachos and shoved them into her mouth. They’d been on the table for a long time and were stale, but they did the trick. After a while, she got to her feet and cleared the table. It took more than a couple of trips to the kitchen before she could wipe everything down. Then she grabbed her purse, cut the lights, and headed out back. After locking the heavy metal door, she punched in the alarm code and turned around.
A man leaned against her truck. Long boot-clad legs, jeans, a plain black T-shirt, and a ball cap turned backward. Benton.
She approached slowly, breath held, when he straightened up and faced her. Moon beams fell across his features, caressing a strong jaw, a nose that had been broken at least once, and dark brown eyes that held secrets.
I want to know all the things he hides, she thought with a pang. But would he ever open up to her? Would he allow her in?
“I didn’t think you should lock up alone. Leave by yourself.”
“Oh,” she replied. He was being chivalrous.” “Thank you.” Collins looked around. “Your ride left.”
“It did.”
“I don’t think Big Bend has Uber.”
“It doesn’t.”
“I’m not driving out to the Triple B.”
Benton’s gave never wavered. “I didn’t expect you would.”
Heat pooled in her gut. It spread to her limbs. Made her knees weak. Trying to keep her emotions in check, Collins took a moment. “Is that all you want? Sex?”
Benton rubbed the back of his neck. “Would I be a terrible man if I said I don’t know?”
“No,” she replied slowly. “You wouldn’t be a terrible man. You’d be an honest one.”
Time seemed to bend in on itself. It wound up tight and stretched clear across the parking lot. Everything stopped. The Earth’s rotation. Her heart. Her lungs. There was a buzzing in her ear. White noise in her head. It was the strangest sensation.
Collins had the distinct feeling that she was standing on the edge of something that could be life-changing. Or life breaking. She was damned either way. With shaking fingers and a knot in her throat the size of a golf ball, she walked up to Benton and paused, inches from him. He smelled as good as he looked, and she felt the warmth from his body, even though they weren’t touching.
She was a tall woman and still had to tip her head back to see his face. Collins thought he might kiss her. Or touch her. Or do something to her. He slowly reached a hand up and brushed away a lock of hair from her cheek. His fingers never touched her skin, and yet, a bolt of desire shot through her.
She should leave him here. Tell him to call a friend for a ride home. She should banish him from her mind. Tell her body to forget what it felt like to have him inside her.
Instead, Collins clicked the truck fob, and the vehicle chirped. Then moved past him. Benton joined her, and once they were buckled up, she drove back to Duffer’s Place. She wasn’t standing on that edge anymore.
She’d just jumped across it.