Sage
“Gah!” I stuck out my tongue in disgust before sucking the tart lime wedge.
Christian threw his shot back like a pro, setting it down like it didn’t even leave a burn.
“It’s been a minute since I’ve done tequila shots,” I confided.
“And you took it like a champ,” Christian praised.
The man had a permanent grin on his face ever since I’d agreed to this.
The karaoke bar was packed, the crowd encouraging even the worst singers who stepped onto the stage.
“So,” he yelled over the noise of the inebriated crowd and music. Someone was currently singing Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” and killing it. He nodded toward the stage. “Are we going to do it?”
“I think I may need a few more of these if you’re going to get me up there.”
“Done.” Christian raised his hand to the bartender. “Four more tequila shots, please.”
I shrugged. “Why the hell not?”
The bartender was quick to serve us the shots with my requested limes.
This time I licked the salt off the back of my hand, downing the tequila and sucking the limes before I could even register the burn.
With two beers at the rodeo and now three tequila shots in my belly, a warm fuzzy feeling was starting to invade my edges.
“But I get to choose your song,” I told him.
“Good, because I already put one in for you when you were in the bathroom.”
The crowd cheered as the song came to an end, the DJ coming on the mic. “Next up, we have Sage singing ‘Country Road, Take Me Home’.”
I turned on Christian, his eyes full of mischief. “No, no, you didn’t.”
“Oh, yes, I did.”
“You’re going to regret this,” I told him, picking up one of his shots and downing it without a lime this time.
“I look forward to it.” He bit his lip like he tended to do, making himself look sexier than he had any right to be. Oh my God, what was in that tequila if Christian Riggs is starting to look sexy to me? Fuck!
I spun on my heels, pushing through the crowd to the stage.
The lights were bright as the DJ handed me the microphone.
I covered the top and leaned toward the DJ.
“Can you add Christian to your list? He’s going to sing Shania Twain’s ‘Man! I Feel Like a Woman’.
” I turned to the crowd, finding Christian in the dark.
His eyes were shining as he watched me. I smiled back at him. Yep, you’re going to regret this.
Should have guessed I’d be the one regretting it.
Christian was loving this. The crowd was going wild as he strutted across the stage, pretending to toss his hair, and swaying his hips while he belted out, “The best thing about bein’ a woman, is the prerogative to have a little fun.
” They were even singing along with him.
I shook my head, laughing. He was having too much fun with all the attention.
He pointed at me when he sang, “Oh, oh, oh go totally crazy, forget I’m a lady.”
“Shit,” I breathed, snorting another laugh.
“Is he yours?” a girl beside me yelled.
I turned to look at her. She was wearing a bridesmaid sash and looked to be a part of a bachelorette party.
I smiled at her and I don’t know what got into me when I twiddled the fingers of my left hand so she could see the ring.
“You're engaged!” she shouted, excited. She turned to her friend beside her who wore a maid of honor sash, “You’re going to be disappointed, Blair. The cowboy’s taken.” She gestured at me.
“Boo!” Blair, the maid of honor, pouted. “You lucky bitch. Are you here for your bachelorette party too?”
“No, the NFR,” I said. “Celebrating before we head home.”
“Oh! I knew he was a legit cowboy. Please tell me he’s a bull rider?”
I laughed. “How could you tell?”
“The ass,” she said dreamily. “No offense!”
“None taken,” I assured.
“Hey, Sasha!” She turned toward a nearby booth where the rest of the bridal party sat. “We found another bride-to-be!”
Sasha, who wore a white veil and bride sash, squealed and fluttered her hands like a fairy about to take flight. “Eeeeee! You have to join us!” She waved me over. “Oh my God! We have to buy you a drink! Blair! We have to buy her a drink!”
“I’m already on it!” Blair said, heading to the bar to place an order.
“Oh, you don’t have to.” I waved her off, even though I was finding myself sliding into the booth with them.
“When’s the big day?” Sasha asked.
I shook my head. “We don’t have a date yet.”
“What! You’re in Vegas, the city of love, and you don’t have a date yet?” Sasha exclaimed. “Girl! You must remedy this immediately.”
“She’s marrying the cowboy on the mic,” one of the bridesmaids explained.
Sasha grinned and high fived me. “Hell yeah, girl! He’s hot!”
I laughed.
Blair returned with cocktails for the table. I took a sip of the vodka soda and by the time Christian found me, I’d made some new friends. They all fawned over Christian, too.
“We went to Thunder Down Under last night,” Sasha was saying. “Apparently we needed to go to the NFR instead.”
“Thank you, ladies!” Christian bowed like he just completed a Grammy winning performance.
The bridal party made room for Christian and before long we were all drinking and best friends. I knew everyone’s life story and was clued in on the in-law drama. Sasha was complaining she was two decisions away from eloping.
Christian was getting rather cozy beside me, his arm around the back of the booth behind my head. I leaned into him.
God, he felt nice.
He felt nice all the time.
And gave the best hugs.
Oh and the snuggles at bedtime. Mmmmm.
“He’s a keeper then!” Sasha exclaimed.
“Shit, did I just say that out loud?” I asked.
They all laughed with me, Christian’s hand squeezing my shoulder.
He was laughing too.
He had a nice laugh.
A nice mouth too.
Why did I have that no kissing rule?
“I told you I’m here to break them,” he whispered into my ear, sending shivers down my spine.
“Did I say that out loud too?” I asked.
“I think you’re starting to feel good, baby.” Christian smiled at me.
“Makes it feel less hard,” I confessed.
“I don’t know about that.” Christian winked.
“Oh my God, are you talking about your dick right now?” I asked him.
My body flushed with heat thinking about what his dick would feel like in my hand.
“What?” Christian pretended to be aghast. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Miss Pardy!”
“No!” I said indignantly, smacking him on the chest.
God, his chest was hard. I bet he had a six pack under there too. Maybe even an eight pack.
His shirt felt nice under my palm too.
I gripped it in my hand. All I would need to do is pull him closer to me, line up our mouths, and press a kiss to his lips. Could it be that easy?
My eyes flicked up to his.
Was I breathing hard? I felt like I was breathing hard.
His eyes were more of a forest-green in the dark, like what it might look like deep in the woods.
Forest was a nice name.
Maybe we could name our first child Forest? I snorted to myself. No. We weren’t planning our children like it was the Game of Life. This was fake.
“You know, I think my mom liked leafy greens when she had me and my brother,” I told Christian. “Sage and Kale.” I laughed. “Or she just looked out into her garden and was like ‘what should I name them?’”
A crease deepened between Christian’s brows. “You’ve never asked her?”
I shook my head. “Never thought to and now that we don’t talk, I don’t think I’ll ever know.”
“Do you think you or Kale will ever go back to visit the reservation?” he asked.
He looked pensive.
Was he a serious drunk?
I don’t think so …
He seemed like a fun drunk.
I want to be a fun drunk.
I shrugged. “Only time will tell. Let’s get another drink then get out of here.”
“All right.” Christian patted the tabletop. “Ladies, does anyone need another drink?”
Everyone chimed in with their drink orders before Christian headed over to the bar.
“This is like your bachelorette party too.” Sasha giggled. “You need to be celebrating too! Here, wear my veil!”
“Really?”
Sasha helped clip it into my hair and straighten it out around my shoulders.
“Perfect! You’re going to be a beautiful bride.”
“Thank you!”
Why was the music so good?
I know this song!
I think …
It sounds so familiar.
I swayed in my seat, catching the vibe of the music.
“A drink for milady,” Christian said, sliding a cocktail over to me before handing out the rest of the drinks.
I giggled.
What kind of laugh was that?
I don’t giggle.
God, I should laugh more.
There seems to be more reasons to laugh now.
Christian makes me laugh.
He has such a nice laugh.
He’s smiling at me now, waiting for me to say something. Or maybe he just likes looking at me?
My eyes narrowed on him. “You like looking at me, rodeo star?”
His smile grew. “You look like a bride.”
This drink is tasty.
It’s pink too. Pink is a pretty color.
I don’t usually do girly drinks but this one is delicious.
Delicious is a fun word.
“De-lic-ious.” It’s fun to say, too.
“Drink your drink, star fire.”
“Star fire.” I sighed. “I like it when you call me that.”
Christian smiled again.
“You have a nice smile,” I told him. “I think it’s the dimples.” I pressed my pointer finger into one of them. “My fingertip fits perfectly.”
Christian took my hand.
“You fit perfectly,” he said.
“Why are you like this?”
“Because I’m hopelessly in love with you.”
I rolled my eyes. Pretty sure I saw my brain. “That’s not a confession. Everyone already knows it.”
“Everyone but you.”
He picked up my drink, lining up his mouth where my red lipstick left its mark.
“Sure … I do …” I was mesmerized with that mouth. How those lips folded right around the rim so seductively. I wouldn’t mind those lips touching … Am I drooling? I wiped the corner of my mouth.
He smirked, handing the cocktail back to me. “Prove it.”