Chapter 4
Chapter four
Cowboy Killer
Cheyenne
It was harder than I’d anticipated to get my dance partner to leave me the hell alone. Sure, he was decent looking and a great lead, but he wasn’t the cowboy I wanted.
What was it with Maverick?
I’d been aware of him watching me on the dancefloor, mostly because I was painfully—I mean painfully—aware of him the entire time. Hoping, praying that maybe seeing me dance with another man would force him to act.
But no such luck on that front.
Either way it sucked and turned my mood sour.
And I didn’t want to be in a bad mood tonight.
Nate had ruined my day. I wouldn’t let my night be ruined as well.
But as the song ended and the cowboy asked me for another dance, my gaze flicked to our table…
only to find Maverick gone. My heart sank a bit at that, a burning need to find him taking over.
Why was I so desperate to cause myself pain tonight? Was I a masochist? I had to be, because there was no explanation I could think of that sent me searching for him. Why dance with a perfectly capable, perfectly handsome man when you could pine over a broody, emotionally unavailable cowboy, right?
But there was more to Maverick Holstrom than that.
I just knew it, and I wanted to be the one who was able to pull back his layers and find the real Mav underneath.
I’d wanted to know more about him from the moment I’d met him a couple years ago at one of our rodeos.
He’d just always been so closed off and unapproachable.
He wasn’t at any of the bars—unsurprising—or the mechanical bull area, so I made my way outside.
I scanned through the throng of people standing around smoking before my gaze landed on him.
He leaned against the wall, away from the fray—again, unsurprising.
It’s like he was allergic to people. Why even go out at all?
I ignored the random looks from strangers, a few catcalls, a couple whistles as I made my way towards him. My leather soles clacked against the cement.
“There you are,” I said, coming to stand before him.
He lowered his hand from his mouth and blew out a puff of white smoke, the sweet scent of tobacco hitting me.
It gave me pause as I thought of Daddy. I hated the smell of cigarettes, but Black and Milds were like getting hit by a wave of nostalgia.
My eyelids fluttered closed for a moment as I inhaled.
“Cheyenne? You okay?” His voice was a low, deep rumble in his throat. It should be a sin to have a voice like that. Honestly, everything about Maverick should be a sin. It was like he’d been designed to bring women to their knees.
“I was just comin’ out here to check on you, is all,” I said.
“I was just havin’ a smoke.”
My lips drew up into a knowing smirk. “I can see.”
Something shifted in his gaze, almost like guilt. “I only do it sometimes.”
I let out a low chuckle. “You don’t gotta justify it. Lots of people smoke. There ain’t nothin’ wrong with it. Besides, my Daddy smoked Black and Milds, you’ll never find me complainin’.”
He nodded, pressing the cigar to lips once more, and inhaled.
“So, havin’ fun?” I asked, trying to find a way to get him to say more than a couple words.
Did he even understand that I was trying to flirt with him—trying being the keyword—or that I’d come out here searching for him because I liked him?
His eyes, his stoic face was so closed off that I couldn’t even tell. Which was infuriating.
He shrugged, blowing out another puff of smoke.
A flicker of annoyance escaped me, the edge in my voice peeking from beneath the surface. “Is that all you can do? Just…just shrug?” What do you know? Another. Damn. Shrug. I let out a disbelieving laugh. “You’re something else, cowboy.”
Those jade eyes settled on me, holding me in place. “Why’re you out here, Cheyenne?”
God, the way he said my name. I know there was nothing sexual about it, but, damn.
I braved a step closer to him, our bodies close but not touching. In order to hold his gaze, I had to tilt my face up towards his, putting our faces close. “I came out to see you,” I said, my voice low, sultry.
His brow furrowed, the usual scowl on his face deepening. “Why?”
“Dear God, Maverick…do I really gotta spell it out for you?” I asked, meeting his stare once more.
His head cocked to the side, a look of pure confusion on his face. “Spell what out?”
Ugh. Case and point. With a loud sigh, I rolled my eyes and pressed a hand to his chest. Maybe he’d get that. “I’ve been trying to flirt with you all night, from the moment you walked in. Why do you think I asked you to dance? To drink? Why do you think I’m out here talkin’ to you?”
“Why me?” That frown dipped lower, those light eyes full of disbelief. On one hand, it was absolutely adorable that he was that humble, that earnest, and oblivious, but on the other… It would be nice if the guy could take a hint.
I shook my head, my hand still pressed to his chest. His hard muscles feathered beneath my touch.
Dear God, the guy was cut. What I’d give to run my hands over his chest without his crisp, black, long-sleeve on.
Despite the deer-in-the-headlights look in his eyes, something else lingered there too.
It was deep, but there was no doubt in my mind, desire lurked there.
“Do you even know what a catch you are, Maverick? Tall, dark-haired, broody…hell, all your missin’ are some tattoos and shadow magic and it’s like you’d have stepped out of a fantasy romance. ”
“I don’t…I don’t understand.” He shook his head, managing to back out from under my touch, placing at least a foot of distance between us.
Annoyance, and, let’s face it, a bit of embarrassment, welled within me, choking some of the confidence I’d worked up coming out here.
“You know what?” I snapped, some of my anger getting the best of me as I threw my hands up in the air. “Just forget I said anything.” I turned on my heel, muttering a string of curses under my breath as I stomped back for the main doors, passing by a whole group of cowboys staring my way.
Too bad they weren’t the cowboy I wanted.
I’d barely made it inside when I bumped into a familiar face.
“Whoa there, darlin. Why you look so pissed?” Cash’s words were light and slightly slurred as he bumped into me. Those hazel eyes of his held a glassy sheen to them. He wasn’t drunk yet, but definitely buzzing.
I sighed, glancing back over my shoulder, like I could still see Maverick through the doors, and rolled my eyes. “Your cousin is either an absolute idiot, or just too damn nice to tell me he ain’t interested.”
“What happened?” he asked, a winning smile lighting up his face.
I shrugged, throwing up my hands. Damn, I needed a drink. Or five. Five sounded like a fun time. “I guess I came off a little too strong and scared him.”
Cash barked an obnoxious laugh and put his hand on my shoulder. “What do they call them people that can’t read?”
“Cash Mooney?” I guessed, quirking an eyebrow at him.
Another laugh. God, he sounds like a donkey. “No…itinerant….illigerent?”
“Illiterate?” I frowned at him, not sure what he was trying to say.
“That’s it!” He lit up. “Maverick is like…illiterate of women. Like he can’t read you at all. Doesn’t mean he doesn’t like y’all, he just doesn’t understand.”
“Okay?” I started to walk away but he moved in front of me.
“It’s like—I heard…Or, well, someone told me there was these books where—” He paused to chuckle.
“Where like elves fuck and stuff. Like just a bunch of beautiful elven women with big tits fucking all the time, ya know? And like, I wouldn’t probably be able to read one, not cuz I’m illiterate or nothin’, just cuz I don’t read so good.
Can’t keep my attention. But it doesn’t mean I wouldn’t want to hear the story. You know?”
“No.” I shook my head. “I have no idea what the hell you’re talking about.”
“He likes you.” Cash swayed on his feet. “I can tell. He just…He can’t. Ya know? He don’t realize it cuz he’s all hung up on that fuckin’ Ashleigh bitch. Ya know?”
I wondered who Ashleigh was. Maybe that’s why he’d been so weird. Was he dating someone else? No… Maverick didn’t seem the type to cheat or two time. Maybe she was an ex he was hung up on. Either way, it didn’t change anything. Not really.
“Thanks… I think.”
“You okay?” His smile faltered.
I shrugged again—ugh, how very Mav-like. “It’s fine. I’m just hot is all. Gonna go get myself a drink.”
His lips pulled up into an apologetic smile. There was none of the Cash Mooney flare, no obnoxiousness as he said softly, “Don’t give up on him just yet. He’s been through some shit.”
The way he talked about Maverick…you could tell that he meant a lot to him. I knew they were cousins, and very, very close, but it was deeper than that. The bond they shared…it was different.
I let out a deep, slow sigh. “Haven’t we all, Mooney?” I clapped him on the shoulder. “You go find yourself a fun time.”
And just like that, Cash was back with the usual energy. A confident smirk curved his lips as he winked my way. “Happy drinkin’,'' was all he said before striding for the door.
I huffed a half-hearted response before aiming for the bar.