Chapter 20
TWENTY
KENNEDY
PREPARE TO BECOME OBSESSED WITH ME.
Bars, believe it or not, had never been my scene.
The thought alone should have been wrong, considering I lived in such a lively city.
When I told Henry we should go to a country city bar—God, it even sounded ridiculous to say it out loud—it had been a joke.
Until it wasn’t, and somehow, it became more of a group thing than a date night. That made me feel…safer, for some reason. Being in a group setting was the perfect buffer to ignore the strange feelings I was developing for Henry.
It was a busy Friday night, and I had come straight from work with Val since we agreed to meet the guys here. They had a rough game in Seattle the night before, so they needed something to let off some steam.
I was…nervous. My body buzzed with a strange energy I couldn’t shake off. I was excited to see Henry, and though that newfound information should have scared me, I didn’t let it.
It was the bar’s official grand opening, so it was lively and loud.
The place had a modern feel to it, with a shiny dark wood front bar and light whiskey barrels that hung over it, acting as lamps.
Whiskey paraphernalia filled the sleek space, doused in muted colors of gray and black, save for the neon signs with words like Howdy and Welcome Y’all, as well as the beer brand signs.
Val interlaced our arms together. “My friends back at Sunset Creek would be appalled by this fancy place.” She laughed. “But, hey, I have to make do with what I have. Right?”
“It is very fancy,” I conceded.
She took one good look at me and wiggled her eyebrows. “Henry is going to lose his shit when he sees you.”
“This is ridiculous. I don’t know why we had to dress up.”
Everyone around the bar was wearing hats and boots, so maybe it hadn’t been a stupid idea after all.
Most men were wearing those ridiculous flannel shirts and the typical cheap-looking cowboy hats, and almost every girl was wearing glittery crop tops with either tight jeans or miniskirts and cowboy hats with rhinestones on them.
I stared at my outfit and scrunched my nose.
I was severely underdressed in my long-sleeved white V-neck chiffon dress.
I mostly owned power suits and sweats, so this was the only thing I had that paired well with my light-pink cowboy boots with hearts scattered all over them.
I had used them once for a bachelorette party, and because they were pink, I kept them.
Val let me borrow a classic black Western hat with a silver band to complete the look.
“Oh, there they are!” Val exclaimed as she dragged me toward one of the high-top tables.
My shoulders tensed as every woman around the bar was practically shooting daggers at us as we approached the group of athletes.
“Looking good, girls.” Hayes grinned.
Owens shot him a glare. “Hey, give them some respect. They’re taken.”
Hayes shrugged, and before he took a sip of his beer, he replied, “I’m still allowed to respectfully say how hot they look.”
“You guys do look good,” Parker added.
Owens shot a glare at Parker this time without a word. It almost made me laugh, because Owens was the kind of guy who only knew how to communicate in grunts and glares except when it came to his best friend.
Val hugged him, resting her head against his chest. “My brothers will be so happy to know you still act like an overprotective brother, even though we’re literally grown adults. Not even Charles is this protective.”
Owens tensed at the mention of Charles but simply grunted and took Val’s cowboy hat off, then placed his chin on top of her head and wrapped her arms around her. “Someone has to look after you. You’re a danger to society.”
The smile etched on my face at the sight of them hurt.
I didn’t know what was going on with Valentina and Charles; she was still cryptic and didn’t want to talk about anything since the engagement.
But it was nice knowing she had a man like Owens in her corner.
Her childhood best friend protected her fiercely, and I loved that.
“Where’s Henry?” I asked.
“Here I am,” he rasped behind me.
When I turned around, I didn’t expect the sight of him to make me downright feral.
My eyes raked over his body eagerly, not knowing where to look first. He wore a white backward hat, and for some reason, I found that a thousand times hotter than any cowboy hat.
His jeans were light colored and hugged the muscles of his legs perfectly with a brown leather belt threaded through the loops, paired with a simple white T-shirt that had no business looking so ridiculously hot.
And, of course, to tie it all up, plain brown leather cowboy boots.
He stood closer and grabbed my hand to twirl me around. “Damn.” Henry whistled with a shake of his head. “You wearing this dress should be illegal, Kenny baby.”
My face heated at his words, but I tamed my feelings quickly at the reminder that he was flirting because we were in public. This is what we were supposed to be doing.
I smirked and rested my arms on his shoulders. “You don’t look half-bad yourself. Those jeans are really working out for you,” I commented casually.
I could sit here and lie and tell you I was flirting because it was my job to play along.
But to be completely frank? There were too many women looking at him, and it made my blood boil.
For once in my life, I wanted to be selfish.
This was part of the agreement, right? To flirt and act like a lovey-dovey couple in front of the world. And I planned to take full advantage.
He cocked an eyebrow and leaned forward. “Are you flirting with me?” he asked low enough to keep the conversation between us.
“We’re in public, aren’t we?” I asked innocently.
I kept trying to make myself believe I was only acting. The truth was, I wanted to spend more time with Henry. He was fun. Around him, all my problems and insecurities were pushed away like they were useless.
I fought what I was feeling with everything I had, but for one night, I was ready to let go of the reins.
A few rounds of beers later, and I was having a good time.
Hanging out with the guys had become my new norm over the last few months, and I was honestly mad at myself for not doing it sooner. The group was fun, and the guys were respectful. It was like having a bunch of overprotective, funny brothers.
I loved how Hayes and Parker were always like two men on a mission to hook up with whatever girls they had their eyes set on, though we all knew better.
They were very handsome men, and no woman in their right mind would refuse them.
Donovan even made a quick appearance with his wife, Aurora.
We’d never been close, but I’d talk to her from time to time when she attended some of the home games.
Morgan usually tagged along, but he couldn’t come because he decided to take advantage of the rare time off the team got to visit his parents in the suburbs.
Val had been line dancing all night and dragging Owens along every chance she got, while Owens had a glare etched on his face and guarded her from any guy who dared get near her.
Henry and I, well…we fell into some sort of flirting game. His eyes followed my every movement, and though I pretended not to notice, his heated gaze had been lingering on my legs and the perfect cleavage the V-neck of my dress gave me all night.
I basked in the knowledge that little old me managed to get those kinds of glances from him.
His type was no secret. They were usually tall, blonde, and stunning—the type of women who looked like they stepped out of a runway show. I knew I didn’t fit the pattern, and the tabloids had no problem pointing it out either.
But I didn’t care. Fake or not, I reveled in his hungry glances.
I leaned against the front bar as I lifted my beer bottle to catch the bartender’s attention to get another round while Henry was in the restroom.
A guy with the shiniest boots I’d ever seen and a fake smile leaned against the bar. “Hey, beautiful. What’s a pretty girl like you doing here all alone?”
“Not alone. I’m with some friends.” I tilted my head to where Val and Owens were sitting, taking a break from dancing.
He scrubbed his jaw as his eyes raked over my body in a way that made me instantly recoil.
He was the type of man I’d been attracted to once—pretty smile, perfectly styled hair underneath the hat, and slim.
Exactly like Joe. But I couldn’t help but compare him to a certain six-foot-seven athlete.
He didn’t bring the same energy, nor did the way he was checking me out make me feel the way Henry did every time he stared at me so intensely.
“How about you ditch them and join me?” He leaned closer.
I took a step back. “No, thanks.”
“Aw, come on. I promise I’ll show you a good time.”
Arms I’d come to recognize instantly by the feel of them wrapped around my waist as he pressed my body against his. “She doesn’t need you to show her a good time,” Henry said gruffly.
The guy craned his neck, and his eyes bulged in shock. “Holy shit, you’re Henry Anderson. I’m a huge fan.”
“If you’re such a huge fan, then stop flirting with my woman,” Henry deadpanned.
Dear God, there was no reason why I found the way he said my woman so hot, but it did. My back tensed, and my skin shivered under the gruffness of his voice. If any other man had done the same, I’d have been kicking their balls. But with him, I wanted to hear it again.
“She didn’t say she had a boyfriend,” the guy tried to defend himself.
“I had already said no, though,” I fired back with a raise of my brow. “Or are you allergic to the word no?”
The guy had the decency to look embarrassed as he quickly apologized and scurried away without another word.
Henry turned me around and gripped my waist. “You should have waited for me, I could have gotten the drinks.”
“I’m perfectly capable of handling myself.”
He smirked, the movement making his dimples pop. “Oh, believe me, I know.”
I looked at the dance floor over my shoulder then at him. “You still haven’t shown me your moves.”
An amused laugh escaped him as he grabbed my hand and led me to the dance floor. “How about you show me what you got, Kenny baby?”
“Prepare to become obsessed with me, pretty boy,” I said as “Sangria” by Blake Shelton started playing.
One of his hands met my waist, and we swayed together, our boots scuffing against the concrete floor in a perfect rhythm.
His eyebrows shot up in surprise. “You’re pretty good.”
I gave him a half-shrug. “My grandparents from my mom’s side grew up in a small town in Tennessee. They taught me how to dance.”
He twirled me once then closed the gap between us. The way his broad chest rested against mine made delicious goosebumps break across my body. “You’re full of surprises, Kennedy Jones.”
I craned my head, and we were so close, our lips slightly brushed as I replied, “Could say the same about you, Henry Anderson.”
His smile was bright, and the corners of his eyes crinkled slightly. I liked his smile and how smitten he looked every time he stared at me, like I was the only thing he was paying attention to. It made me…braver, bolder.
I couldn’t fathom what was going through my mind when my eyes flicked to his lips. All I knew was I was drunk on him. I was high on the carelessness of it all.
Without thinking, and through my already stated haze of him, and the perfect night, I gripped the nape of his neck and locked my lips on his in a soft kiss.
His body tensed underneath my touch, and his lips remained stilled with shock, but after a beat or two, he gripped my waist tightly with both of his hands and brought me even closer to him.
There was not even an inch of gap between us.
I was fairly certain that if a piece of paper had been slipped between us, it would have stayed perfectly still.
I tentatively swiped my tongue across his bottom lip, and he heaved a breath as he parted them, his tongue meeting mine with eagerness.
My other hand found its way to his shirt and fisted it as I desperately clung to him.
I wanted to stay in the moment and keep savoring the way his lips tasted like sour orange mixed with the perfect amount of bitterness from the beer we had been drinking all night.
My body buzzed with need like a fizzling soda. The pressure building in my lower belly was too much. It was debilitating, the way I wanted Henry. It was overwhelming, the way I knew I wanted to cross all the lines with him and never look back.
I knew exactly what I wanted when, against his lips, I whispered, “Take me home. Now.”