Chapter 2
Rhonan
The Wrong Dick Wakes Up
“This place is a fucking madhouse.” I can barely hear myself think as I yell over the music and chatter of people packed all around us. Bars have never been my scene, and right now, I feel especially validated in that opinion.
Elliot leans toward me. “Your age is showing, Rhonan.”
“I sure fucking hope so. This place is for people who can drink all night and still function the next day. After thirty, that ship sails.”
Maybe watching him get his dick pierced wouldn’t be as bad as this.
“You sound like Ross from Friends when he, Chandler, and Joey realize they’re old after trying to hang out with their buddy from college.”
“I haven’t just realized it, Elliot…I fucking know it. I’m almost thirty-three and have a five-year-old. Peace and quiet is a luxury that I don’t take for granted.”
Elliot slaps me on the back before leading me over to the bar. I know I’m going to need at least one drink to take the edge off if I’m going to survive until the bull riding contest at the end of the night.
“Quit bitching and remember why we’re here.”
“I’m here so I don’t have to watch you shove a needle through your dick willingly.”
He chuckles. “Understood, but in case I haven’t said so, I really do appreciate you being here.” The smirk on his lips disappears as he watches a leggy brunette stroll past us and sighs. “I need to fucking move on, Rho.”
“I know.” I catch the bartender’s eye and order us both a drink. “So, what do you need me to do? It’s not like you’ve forgotten how to pick up women. You were practically a professional before Tori.”
His eyes drop to the floor and his brows pinch together. “That’s what I thought too, but something has shifted.”
“What do you mean?”
Before Elliot can reply, a scream rings out behind us. Without a second thought, I rush toward the sound, reaching for a weapon I’m not carrying. As I weave through the crowd, I prepare myself for the usual bar bullshit.
Nothing surprises me more than finding a blonde face-down on the hardwood…laughing.
People around her are just staring, and I don’t blame them. Her denim shorts barely cover her ass, and her entire back is exposed between two very thin strings holding her silver top together.
Since she’s laughing, I’m assuming she’s not seriously hurt.
Too bad she didn’t land on her back because her ass definitely would have cushioned her fall.
Fucking hell.
I bend toward her just as her head pops up. Light green eyes meet mine—so green they don’t look real.
Clearing my throat, I find my voice. “Ma’am? Are you all right?”
Her giggle is soft and feminine, but it’s the spread of her lips in a mile-wide smile that catches my attention now. “That depends,” she replies, her voice raspy in a way that makes my dick twitch. “Are you asking about my pride or my body?”
I hold out my hand to her. “How about both?”
Still laughing, she takes my hand and I help her stand, but she loses her balance and collides with my chest.
And fuck.
The press of her warm curves against me causes an electric current to race through my limbs, reminding me of how long it’s been since a woman has been this close to me.
Her hands land on my shoulders, and she looks up at me through thick, dark lashes. Her gaze holds mine until I have to force myself to look away.
“I think my pride will be just fine, but my body might have a bruise or two.” She lifts the side of her flimsy excuse for a top and rubs a red spot on her skin right at the bottom of her ribcage. I catch a glimpse of the curve of her breast before I drag my attention back to her face.
I can safely say this woman isn’t wearing a bra.
“Do you know what happened?” I ask.
“I tripped on something. Someone’s foot, probably. This place is packed.”
I dart my gaze around the room. “Yeah, that’s what I said to my friend after he convinced me to come here against my will.”
Her hand drops from my shoulder and she takes a step back. “Oh, well...I’d better let you get back to your friend, then.”
Twisting my head toward the bar, my eyes land on Elliot talking to a woman, but he looks uncomfortable.
“Yeah, probably a good idea,” I tell her.
“Thank you again for your help…”
“Rhonan,” I finish for her, reaching out my hand to shake hers, and when her hand lands in mine once more, something about it feels unexpectedly comfortable. I try not to fixate on that too much.
“Rhonan,” she repeats. “I’m Vienna. Thank you for being my knight in shining armor tonight.”
“No knight, I assure you.” Nodding curtly, I add, “But happy to help.”
The corner of her mouth lifts. “Oh, I don’t know about that.
Women still wish for that sort of fairytale, especially if all they’ve ever experienced is the evil prince.
” Vienna leans in closer to me and presses her lips to my cheek, her scent overwhelming me as I breathe her in.
She smells like a mixture of flowers and fruit that I can’t name, and for one split second, I want to fucking bathe in that smell.
“You must be one of the good ones, Rhonan,” she says, taking a step back and tipping her chin to me, walking away before I can say another word.
My feet feel like cement are weighing them down because I can’t move. In fact, I’m not even sure how long I stand there staring at her back until Elliot comes up to me and hands me my beer. “You all right?”
I blink myself out of my trance as an uneasiness settles in my gut. “Uh, yeah.”
He tips his beer bottle in the direction that Vienna just walked.
Vienna, I repeat to myself.
“What happened to that woman?”
“She tripped, apparently.” Lifting my beer to my lips, I take a long pull. “But everyone just stood around staring instead of helping her.”
He slaps me on the shoulder. “Always the man stepping in to save anyone in need.”
I know his comment isn’t meant to cause me inner turmoil, but something about his words makes that familiar dark cloud gather around me.
You don’t save everyone, though, Rhonan. That’s the problem.
I swallow past the lump in my throat and steer the conversation back to him. “Who was the woman you were talking to?”
“Oh, she just reached for my drink instead of hers.”
“Maybe it was a move. You weren’t interested?”
He shakes his head. “I thought so, but…nothing.” He gestures toward his crotch.
“Jesus,” I mutter. “How long until this contest begins?”
“About an hour. Why?”
“I’m just wondering how much longer I’ll have to listen to you talk about your junk.”
Elliot glares at me before heading toward the bull ring, trying to get us a good seat. Luckily, we’re able to snag a high-top table only a few rows back from the ropes, offering a prime view for my friend and his little experiment.
“Excuse me.” A soft voice pulls my attention as a short blonde taps my shoulder.
“Yeah?”
She tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear as she brings her drink to her lips. “This might sound strange, but are you friends with Henley Clark?”
Elliot and I glance at each other before I nod. “I am.”
The woman smiles. “I thought so. I’m actually friends with his girlfriend.” She extends her hand to me. “I’m Lennon.”
The name clicks instantly. “Oh, yeah. Elodie’s friend from back home in Garnet Valley.”
“That’s me. Sorry if this is awkward, but I recognized you two from pictures she’s posted and just thought I’d say hello.”
“We’re glad you did,” Elliot interjects. “Although I’m sorry to say, Elodie isn’t here with us tonight.”
Lennon rolls her eyes. “Oh, trust me. I’m aware. Since she shacked up with Henley, I can barely get the girl to answer her phone.”
Elliot huffs out a laugh. “Henley is the same way.”
A man in a cowboy hat rushes up to Lennon and spins her around to face him. “Lennon…”
Lennon pulls back from the guy. “Leave me alone, Easton.”
I take a step closer before I realize I’m doing it. “Is everything okay here?”
Easton locks eyes with me. “If Lennon would just talk to me, it would be.”
Lennon glares at him. “I told you, I don’t have anything to say to you.”
“Well, that would be a first.”
The two of them stare at one another before Lennon lets out a sigh and turns back to us. “Tell Elodie I said hello, will you?”
Elliot nods. “Of course.”
“And maybe I’ll see you guys soon. I think a trip to Blossom Peak could help me clear my head,” she says while still glaring at Easton, and then slides away from us toward the other side of the bar.
“Fucking pain in my ass,” Easton grumbles as he chases after her, leaving me and Elliot confused.
I shake off the tension-filled interaction as my mind drifts back to the pain-in-my-ass friend sitting right in front of me.
“I thought of how you can pay me back for this, by the way,” I say as I take another drag from my beer, my eyes casting over the crowd, assessing the room once more.
Even though my ass is planted firmly in my seat, being aware of my surroundings is a habit I’ve picked up between my years in the Marines and law enforcement.
It’s so instinctual for me now that I barely notice I’m doing it until someone brings it to my attention.
“This isn’t a tit for tat situation, Rho.”
“It wasn’t, but now it is.”
Elliot groans. “Fine. What’s up?”
“I need you to come to Career Day at Ellis’s school next week.”
“Aw, fuck. Why do I need to go when Henley and Fletcher are going? You and I know damn well that all anyone is going to care about is Fletcher, the football star.”
“Doesn’t matter. You’re going for Ellis.”
“Fine,” he grumbles before bringing his beer to his mouth. “But only because I love that little girl. Not for you.”
I nod in acceptance. “I can handle that.”
“Speaking of handling things, how are you feeling about Fletcher and Laney’s wedding coming up? I bet you can guess how I’m feeling about it,” he says sarcastically.